Photo ID: 109977 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 385 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three GEs lead a loaded oil train across Blue Mountain Drive through the curves at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. The train will have clear (green) signals the rest of the way in to Denver, although it will meet a westbound oil train already waiting in the siding at Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109976 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 419 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Despite the relative moderate weather of the past week, areas of terrain cast in shadow all day long still have snow clinging to the ground. An eastbound oil train passes through one such snowy scene just east of Coal Creek Canyon, and just west of the detector at MP 22.6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109975 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 349 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A trio of GEs leads an eastbound unit oil train across the bridge at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Interestingly, the lead unit is the same one that led an eastbound oil train 11 days earlier when I was chasing on the west slope of the divide. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109974 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 428 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound loaded oil train is out of Plain and is approaching the west portal of Tunnel 1. Way off in the distance (in the top-right corner of the picture), you can actually see the city of Boulder. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109973 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 316 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP oil train empty is slowly rolling west in the siding at Rocky. The train will come to a stop at the west end of the siding to wait for an eastbound loaded oil train which, currently at Crescent. On a side note, this would be the final picture in direct sunlight taken in 2023! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109961 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 361 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Final shot of the Zephyr in the year 2023 for ColoradoRailfan. The morning Zephyr is right on time as it climbs the grade up toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109960 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 336 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Sunlight has not quite hit the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive, but it is lighting up the landscape just west (geographically north) as the westbound Zephyr passes through the scene, right on time. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109959 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 331 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The final westbound Zephyr out of Denver in 2023 has navigated through the S-curve at Eisele (Clay) and it is headed out the west end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109929 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Kipling Street Arvada, CO 460 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Golden (BNSF) BNSF The westbound "Beer Run" is slowly headed west on the Golden Sub on the south edge of Arvada. BNSF does quite a bit of business with customers along the line, as you can see several branches with cars on them to the right. To the left is RTD (the Regional Transportation District's) G-Line commuter rail, which was built in the corridor parallel to BNSF's Golden Sub. In the distance, you can see Arvada's classic water tower. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109926 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 371 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak In the middle of fall, the Zephyr was consistently running with six Superliners (two sleepers, a diner, a lounge car, and two coaches). Once we got in to November, a transition sleeper showed up, giving the train seven Superliners. On this morning, there is actually a third coach, so the train has eight Superliners as it highballs east Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109925 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 321 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Running right on time, the westbound Zephyr approach a clear (green) signal at the east switch of Leyden. The train is crossing the grade crossing at 80th Avenue. Indeed, you can tell that the ditch lights are currently oscillating as the result of the horn being blown for the grade crossing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109906 Date Shot Photo By Friday, December 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 381 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A P42DC and a P40DC (which has been rebuilt and is now essentially a P42DC) lead a baggage car and seven Superliners up the 2% grade toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109905 Date Shot Photo By Friday, December 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 396 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak There are no houses in this shot of the Zephyr climbing the grade from Coal Creek Canyon toward Tunnel 1. The question is, for how much longer will there be no houses in shots like this? The roads for the Canyon Pines Subdivision are all in place and it would seem construction of houses could start any time. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109904 Date Shot Photo By Friday, December 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 369 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr has made the final turn away from Big Ten Curve and is now headed west (geographically north) on the main at Eisele (Clay). The mesa in the distance is North Table Mountain, located on the north side of Golden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109903 Date Shot Photo By Friday, December 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 362 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This time of year, when the Zephyr is on time...or even 10 minutes late like this morning...the shadows at Big Ten are still long enough to partially obscure the train as it climbs the nearly 2% grade. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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