Photo ID: 109992 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 343 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The morning Zephyr, running right on time, wraps around the outside of Big Ten Curve, passing by the wind break hoppers that have been now been sitting for over half a century. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109991 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 455 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak During the shortest days of the year, the sun is not quite high enough for the Zephyr to be entirely in sunlight when it is on time at Big Ten. Even though the last few Superliners are still in shadow, the scene climbing Big Ten is quite nice. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109990 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 337 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak When Union Pacific took over the former Grande, one of the first things they did was to at a designation (beyond just the name) to every control point. West Rocky, for example, is "CP DS019". The "CP" represents "Control Point". The "DS" represents "Denver and Salt Lake", the railroad the originally built the route. "019" represents the approximate mile post of this control point. The Zephyr passes through the OS at CP DS019 as it heads west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109989 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 378 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The morning Zephyr, running right on time, knocks down a clear (green) signal at the east end of Rocky. The pair of P42DCs leads a baggage car and seven Superliners. A typical consist for the California Zephyr these days. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109988 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 310 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The morning Zephyr is making its way through Barbara's Gulch on the east side of CO-93. In just a few minutes, it'll be at East Rocky on the main in the foreground. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109987 Date Shot Photo By Monday, January 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 341 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr, with a typical winter consist of seven Superliners (a transition sleeper, two sleepers, a dining car, the lounge car, and two coaches) are on the move on the main at Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109986 Date Shot Photo By Monday, January 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 394 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 188 and AMTK 169 lead the morning Zephyr out the west portal of Tunnel 1. The concrete framework at the west portal was built in 1958, as noted by the year etched in the concrete, just above the graffiti shark "artwork" to the left of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109985 Date Shot Photo By Monday, January 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 403 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The last coach on the Zephyr is rolling over the bridge over Colorado Highway 72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. The head end of the train is coming through the cut near Coal Creek as the train climbs toward Tunnel 1. Note the asphalt street in the foreground. It is located on top of Tunnel 1, and soon there will be some homes built here in the new Canyon Pines Subdivision. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109984 Date Shot Photo By Monday, January 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 359 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr just rolled through the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive and is now passing the detector at MP 22.6, near the base of Coal Creek Canyon. In the foreground is the west portal of Tunnel 1, which the Zephyr will be merging from in just a few minutes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109983 Date Shot Photo By Monday, January 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 388 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr is just west of the west switch of Eisele (Clay) as it heads west. It is a few minutes away from the rail in the foreground, which are just west of the west portal of Tunnel 1. By rail, the Zephyr is nearly 1 1/2 miles away from the rails in the foreground. Over the course of that distance, the train will also gain about 135 feet in elevation. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109982 Date Shot Photo By Monday, January 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS013 (West Leyden) Arvada, CO 444 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak On a temperate morning on the first day of 2024, the westbound Zephyr is on time as it knocks down a clear (green) signal at the west end of Leyden. Folks who have been on the train since yesterday enjoyed spending New Year's on Amtrak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109981 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 80th Avenue (MP 11.75) Arvada, CO 391 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound oil train, sometimes referred to by some as a black snake, rolls east out of Leyden, crossing both 80th Avenue and Simms Street. The Denver skyline stands tall in the distance. 2023 was a great year for ColoradoRailfan! I added more pictures to the website this year than any other single year before. 1,060 pictures were added in 2023, beating out the previous record of 868 set in 2018. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109980 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 376 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An ET44AC and a AC4400CW bring up the tail end of an eastbound loaded oil train at the east switch of Leyden. The train is headed to one of the Bypass tracks in Denver where on of the two DPUs here will be removed before the train continues its journey east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109979 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 430 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The sun is getting close to setting for the final time in 2023 as an eastbound unit oil train glides east on the main at Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109978 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 405 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound UP oil train cruises down the main at Leyden. Note the switches on the siding signifying either end of the house track. I was particularly happy to get this angle as my dad took a picture from nearly the same location roughly 45 years earlier of an eastbound Rio Grande train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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