Photo ID: 112668 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 252 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The crew for this westbound coal empty was called about five hours earlier at 8am, before the train had actually arrived on Bypass 1 in Denver. Once arriving, the crew had to shuffle some power around. Alas, the SD70ACe in the fourth position is not loading, and the train is limping into Leyden to check the problem. It would turn out to be a faulty MU cable, and not a problem with the unit itself. After replacing the MU cable, the unit started loading and the train continued west after a 15 minute delay. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112665 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 290 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak While the Operation Lifesaver unit, AMTK 203, it obviously different from the normal Phase 5b paint scheme, I am little curious what the blue stripe on the nose of the lead unit, AMTK 51, is all about. The train is approaching the east portal of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112664 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 263 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr, with a baggage car and nine Superliners, crosses Blue Mountain Drive and passes by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6 on a morning in which the temperature has already reached 80°F (27°C). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112663 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 310 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak One of the most uniquely painted locomotives is certainly AMTK 203. It was painted in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Operation Lifesaver. I think the designers did a very good job of using one of the two parts of the cross in the railroad crossing signal to wrap around the base of the nose. Unfortunately, the unit was the trailing unit this morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112662 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 295 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr, having departed Denver only about seven minutes late, has knocked down the green signal at the west end of Eisele (Clay). AMTK 203, Amtrak's Operations Lifesaver unit, is second out in the consist. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112661 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 325 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF 8523 and two GEs work to pull an empty oil train up and around Big Ten Curve. BNSF frequently runs oil trains with six units on the head end, so the power is present to run eastbound (on the oil load) in a 3x3 configuration. However, these three units are the only units on this westbound. BNSF will be getting three additional units from somewhere else when the train is ready to head east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112660 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 279 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It appears that Union Pacific is planning to replace some ties on the Moffat in the not-too-distant future. The West Local ran out of North Yard two days early and spotted these three gondolas in the house track here at Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112659 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 259 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Rocky Mountaineer, running on the siding at Rocky, passes between a westbound oil train on the main, and three gondolas loaded with new ties in the house track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112658 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 300 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF As the Rocky Mountaineer enters the siding at the west end of Rocky, a westbound BNSF oil empty sits on the main, headlight dim, waiting for the passenger train to clear the switch so the oil cans can continue on their journey west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112657 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 240 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Rocky Mountaineer descends on the north edge of Big Ten Curve, through the area where Union Pacific recently reinforced the grade along the tracks. You might also take notice of the tank cars in the distance...a westbound BNSF oil train is holding the main at Rocky, waiting on the Mountaineer to arrive. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112656 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 275 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Look up toward Big Ten Curve from slightly below, we find the Rocky Mountaineer rounding the curve on its journey east, while a not insubstantial thunderstorms spills from the Rockies over the Front Range. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112655 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 225 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer It is a little difficult to see, but if you look toward the top of this shot, you can see the Denver Skyline still in the light, resting in a relatively high amount of humidity. Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountaineer descends down the roughly 2% grade from Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112654 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 266 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer From above Tunnel 1, we view the eastbound Rocky Mountaineer as it snakes its way out of Plain, continuing east on the final 24 or so miles on the trip into Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112649 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 320 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak About a month ago, Union Pacific reinforced the track on the north edge of Big Ten Curve. A lot of rip rap rock was laid on the slope of the track, as you can see to the right. The California Zephyr, with nine Superliners, climbs up and around Big Ten. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112648 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 290 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak After meeting a Provo-Denver here at Rocky, the Zephyr has already accelerated back up to track speed as it blasts through the OS at the west end of Rocky. Union Pacific gives IDs to all control points, in addition to names. As you can see, the control point ID here at West Rocky is "CP DS019". The "DS" comes from "Denver and Salt Lake", David Moffat's railroad that built the line well over a century ago. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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