Photo ID: 110234 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 455 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF This SD70MAC is actually designated as an SD70MACe by BNSF. Two dozen SD70MACs had some electronic equipment upgraded, were repainted, and received the "e" suffix on the model. Not sure exactly what, electronically, was upgraded. But it is nice seeing the latest scheme on an SD70MAC. The train is pulling by the old "Chem Spur", which hasn't been used in about a decade. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110233 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 426 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A single SD70MAC brings up the tail end of the Denver-Provo as the train enters Barbara's Gulch, rolling by the oil steel structure in western Arvada. The SD70MAC is sporting the latest paint scheme. That is a little uncommon for SD70MACs, even in 2024. BNSF has spent a lot of time (or money) on repainting these yet. Most still wear the Heritage 2 scheme, or even the old "green and cream" scheme. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110232 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 406 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF is well known for favoring GE over EMD for the past few decades. The SD70 series (both SD70MACs and SD70ACes) have been the one reprieve for EMD. A trio of SD70ACes (and an ES44AC) lead the westbound Denver-Provo manifest in west Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110231 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 394 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF typically runs its manifests on the Moffat in a 3x2 configuration (three units on the point, two DPUs on the end). This particular instance of the train does have five units, but it is setup in a 4x1 configuration. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110230 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue (MP 9.25) Arvada, CO 307 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In the month of January, several UP oil train have stalled on the grade between Tabernash and the Moffat Tunnel. Those trains had five units on them. It appears that, even though it only has five units (2x2x1), this oil train made it up and over the hill. Two mid-train DPUs roll east by the camera. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110229 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue (MP 9.25) Arvada, CO 366 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just east of the 66th Avenue grade crossing (which the train is still crossing in the distance), an loaded UP oil train rolls eastbound. The lead SD70ACe has a badly damaged flag decal on the long hood. The second unit, an AC4400CW, hasn't seen a repaint in decades, from the looks of it. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110212 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 322 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific To date, Union Pacific is one of only two Class 1 railroads to order any SD70ACe-T4s. CSX also ordered 10 units in 2019, but returned them to Progress Rail in 2023. The SD70ACe-T4 is the EPA Tier-4 compliant engine built by EMD. So far, it has not proven nearly as popular as the ET44AC, the GE counterpart. UP 3059 is as example of an SD70ACe-T4, the first four-stroke diesel-electric locomotive that EMD has offered. Even though the unit is less popular than the ET44AC, neither model has enjoyed wide ranging success. The maintenance cost (and complexity) of the Tier-4 units is a turnoff for railroads, and many are simply rebuilding old units at this point to save on money. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110211 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 318 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It would have been very interesting to see the geography of the land right here before the construction of the tracks. The tracks are built on a fill that helps create Oberon Lake Number 1. Folks driving on the opposite side of the fill, and Oberon Road, cannot see the lake and many have no idea it is even there. An eastbound oil train crosses the fill as it heads east through Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110210 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Kipling Street (MP 9.81) Arvada, CO 339 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of ES44ACs lead an oil train across the Kipling Street grade crossing. The train passed a clear (green) signal at the intermediate, indicating the train will use either Bypass 1 or 2 in Denver for a recrew. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110209 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 72nd Avenue (MP 10.23) Arvada, CO 377 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This is a scene that is going to change rather substantially over the course of the next two years or so. The City of Arvada will be widening 72nd Avenue to four lanes, while also creating a grade separation with the tracks. So this grade crossing, at which several cars are stopped for the eastbound oil train, will soon be disappearing and cars will pass underneath the tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110208 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 282 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just east of the overpass over CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon, a trio of ES44s are serving as mid-train swing helpers on this eastbound oil train. You can also clearly see the single SD70ACe-T4 that is bringing up the rear of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110207 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 431 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific This scene is a very well known one to railfans, including many that have never visited Colorado. You can view nearly an entire train as it wraps down the grade from Tunnel, through the curves and across Blue Mountain Drive. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110206 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 403 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The head end of a UP oil train passes by the detector at MP 22.6, just west of the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive. Across CO-72 in the distance, three GEs are serving as mid-train swing helpers on the train, descending from Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110205 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 376 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific The movement of earth is quite apparent in the background for the new Canyon Pines Subdivision. You can clearly see asphalt on Canyon Pines Drive, but no houses just yet. A loaded oil train makes it was down from Tunnel 1 and around the loop at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110204 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 326 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Red and yellow are the colors of the day as a UP ES44AC and a CP ES44AC lead an oil train east down the grade from Tunnel 1 toward the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Construction of the new Canyon Pines Subdivision is visible to the left. Still no sign of any houses being built. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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