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 335 (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 335 (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 356 (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 396 (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 293 (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 448 (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 419 (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 393 (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 344 (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. Photo ID: 110203 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 391 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound unit oil train passes through the east OS of Plain on the main track, right at MP 24. Off in the distance, you can clearly see the Valmont powerplant. The powerplant was fueled by coal when it was in operation. However, Xcel Energy shut the power plant down in 2017. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110193 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 399 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Kansas City Southern, BNSF An eastbound BNSF (loaded) oil train snakes away from the camera, under the Colorado Highway 93 overpass, into and through Barbara's Gulch. A KCS Retro Belle makes for a nice view of the rear DPU. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110192 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 359 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Kansas City Southern, BNSF An SD70ACe and a KCS AC4400CW bring up the tail end of a loaded BNSF oil train. I love catching as many Retro Belles as possible now that the merger between Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific is complete. It is only a matter of time before this KCS paint scheme fades in to history. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110191 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 306 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF After meeting the westbound Zephyr, this BNSF oil train is already rolling east out of Rocky. The crew does not have much time left to work, so the dispatcher is going to prioritize getting it in to Denver as quickly as possible. In the distance, the westbound Zephyr is climbing west out of Rocky, headed for Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110190 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 391 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The crew on the westbound Zephyr just changed from channel 14 to channel 23 here at the east end of Rocky. The train is now entering the siding on a Diverging Advanced Approach (red over flashing yellow). A BNSF oil train is sitting on the main, but is clear of the west switch, so the Zephyr will really be delayed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110189 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 332 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is about 15 minutes late after getting briefly held up at Arvada waiting for the MGJNY. The train makes it way through Barbara's Gulch, man-made Standley Lake off in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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