Photo ID: 109714 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 390 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A P42DC and a P40DC lead the westbound Zephyr on this Thursday morning. The P40DC, AMTK 816, had its prime mover replaced about a decade ago as part of a rebuild program Amtrak ran. AMTK 816 now has 4,250 HP like its P42DC cousins, but still has mechanical air brakes instead of electronic air brakes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109713 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 525 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Just west of the east end of Eisele (Clay), the westbound morning Zephyr glides past a heart of Elk. They blend in pretty well with the foliage, but you can see them in the foreground at the bottom of the picture. The conductor on Amtrak made an announcement to the passengers so they can look for the Elk as the train rolls by. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109708 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, October 26, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 411 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr, running about 40 minutes behind schedule, emerges from an early morning layer of fog that has totally enveloped the lower elevations in the Denver Metro area. By the time to train reaches Rainbow Cut, it will be entirely above the mist. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109707 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, October 26, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 330 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An oil train leaves the east end of Plain and descends down in to the fog that has entirely enveloped the Denver Metro area at lower elevations. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109704 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 492 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Now that it is back on the mainline, the West Local will be able to speed up to 45 MPH on the track not far ahead. A bit faster than the 5-10 MPH it was restricted to on the Rocky Spur. On the upper-right side of the shot, you can see the grade crossing (protected by a stop light) where the Rocky Spur crosses CO-93. The local was just up at the crossing a short time ago. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109703 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada, CO 440 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific The West Local has received authority to enter the main track at Rocky. The brakeman is walking down from the hopper to throw the switch from the main to the Rocky Spur. In the distance, you can see the mainline just out of the west portal of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109702 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 517 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At this point in the day, there is only a single dispatcher for the entire former Rio Grande from Denver to Salt Lake City. So, although the West Local has toned up the dispatcher to request permission to enter the main track at Rocky, they have not yet heard back. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109701 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada, CO 525 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific The West Local is backing down the 8% grade toward the main at Rocky. The switch is still locked and the crew will need to tone up the dispatcher and request permission to enter the main track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109700 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada, CO 472 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific Weeds have somewhat overtaken portions of the Rocky Spur. The West Local is about to back over parts of those stretches of track. In fact, the track the local is starting down carries a rather hefty 8% grade. But no problem for these two peeps, particularly when a single covered hopper is all they have with them. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109699 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada, CO 389 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific There is a circuit in the rails at the CO-72 grade crossing that turn the stoplight red for traffic and green for trains as a train slowly approaches. Such is the case here as the signal for the West Local has turned green. The brakeman is riding on the sole covered hoper to protect the shove and ensure no cars decide to try to beat the train over the crossing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109698 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada, CO 472 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific The West Local, with a single covered hoppers, backs down the Rocky Spur in the foreground as the relatively new housing development of Candelas in western Arvada is now fully built out in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109697 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada, CO 416 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific A brakeman stands on the platform of the covered hopper to protect the reverse move of the West Local back to the mainline at Rocky. It is passes by Rocky Flats Lake, also known as Francis Smart Reservoir. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109680 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 542 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer, Union Pacific UP has quite a few pieces of equipment as well as dozens of sections of "panel track" laying alongside the house track at Plain. Meanwhile, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer rolls by on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109679 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 510 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer, Union Pacific The final westbound run of the Rocky Mountaineer for the 2023 season heads west on the main at Plain. For this final run, as has been the case for the past few runs, a pair of UP SD70Ms leads the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109673 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, October 21, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Wadsworth Blvd (Overpass) (MP 7.65) Arvada, CO 455 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr rolls across the busiest street in the Denver suburb of Arvada. Wadsworth Blvd is the only six lane street in the city. Prior to 1995, Wadsworth under the tracks here was only four lanes. The bridge of the time could not accommodate six lanes, so a second, shoefly, bridge was built on the south side. The tracks were diverted over the shoefly bridge so a new bridge could be built. Once the tracks were place over the new bridge, there was no reason to tear down the shoefly bridge, so nearly 30 years later, it still stands with no tracks on it! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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