Photo ID: 111252 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 3, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS007 (Arvada) Arvada, CO 253 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Are you familiar with a moveable point frog as it related to a switch (turnout)? Most switches have a frog that is a single piece of steel with groves for wheel flanges. However, in situations where the turnout needs to support higher speed and/or it needs to support heavier trains, railroads will sometimes install a moveable point frog. Similar to the standard switch point, a moveable point frog requires a second turnout motor and it moves the frog back and forth, create a far smoother (and safer) turnout for heavier trains at higher speeds. This particular moveable point frog is located at CP DS007 (Arvada). When UP added a second main track between C&S Junction and Arvada, the added this turnout for coal trains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111240 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 238 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Plenty of fall colors to be found here at Blue Mountain Drive, despite the cold winter weather that has blown into the area overnight. Passengers in the two coaches are hopefully enjoying the view as the Zephyr heads away from the camera. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111239 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 300 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak On the first day that truly is starting to have a wintery feel to it, the westbound Zephyr passes through a rather foggy seen at Blue Mountain Drive. A cold front moved in overnight, and the temperature is only 30°F (-1°C) at the moment, with some slight drizzle falling. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111238 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 333 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 144 and AMTK 180 lead the westbound Zephyr toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. I am not sure what type of foliage is on the side of the hill, but it makes for a very nice (and rather unique) red color in the fall time. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111237 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 338 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Most of the leaves have been blown off the trees and brush here at the west switch of Eisele (Clay) as the Zephyr passes by the last few fall colors still hanging on. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111236 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 340 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Fall colors are still apparent in certain parts of the Front Range area here in late October, this tree near the west end of Eisele (Clay) being no exception! The Zephyr is rolling west on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111235 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 312 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The shadows down around the bottom of Big Ten Curve are in the shadows now as we are getting late in the year! The westbound Zephyr climbs toward the top of Big Ten with AMTK 144 and 180 for power. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111234 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 346 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak On a rather hazy late October morning, the westbound Zephyr has a standard consist as it glides west on the main track at Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111195 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 319 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, Kansas City Southern de Mexico Helping out on a westbound BNSF oil train today are KCS de Mexico ES44AC #4884 and KCS SD70ACe #4003. Eventually, both units will be repainted in the new red, gold, and black scheme of CPKC. For now, the units are in the fantastic Belle scheme on the approach to Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111194 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 295 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF This shot of the climb from Coal Creek Canyon to Tunnel 1 is fantastic because, generally speaking, it is not too hard to find an angle of any train, east or west, at most times of day, and have the lighting be at least decent. Here, a westbound BNSF oil empty is on that very climb, approaching the east end of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111193 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 264 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Trying to catch some final sunlight this evening, conditions were right just west of the base of Coal Creek Canyon on the climb up the 2% grade toward the east end of Tunnel 1. Six units, including a pair KCS Belles lead this empty oil train on the journey west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111192 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 265 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Near the west end of Eisele (Clay), a westbound BNSF empty oil train has a green signal to continue heading west. After being loaded with oil at Wash, UT, the train will likely return east in a 3x3 configuration. Alas, it looks like it is likely that the KCS Belles will be against the train for the returning journey. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111191 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 463 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak As we creep closer and closer to winter, the days continue to grow shorter and shorter! Here at 5:07pm, the head of the eastbound Zephyr is just about to head into shadows as it descends from Big Ten Curve. Another month, with the loss of Daylight Savings Time, and the eastbound Zephyr will be running in darkness in to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111190 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 279 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This eastbound military train was so long, it would not even fit between switches at Rocky! Indeed, the only two sidings between Denver and the Moffat Tunnel that the train would fit on are Rollins and Tolland. The other seven sidings on this side of the divide are all too short. Regardless, the train departs the east end of Rocky, headed for one of the bypass tracks in Denver. There, a relief crew will soon take over, taking the train east on to the KP and across the plains to Fort Riley in Kansas. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111189 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 300 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP hyrail driver stands well clear of the right-of-way to give this eastbound military train a roll by at Rocky. His hyrail truck sits on the siding at Rocky. Once the very long train is clear of Rocky, the hyrail will get track and time on the mainline to perform a standard day of inspections along the right-of-way. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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