Photo ID: 110477 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 333 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This former Chicago North Western C44-9W (ex-CNW 8656) was likely pulled out of long term storage in Grand Junction. Perhaps the unit has been sold? Perhaps UP has other plans for it. In any case, it is headed east on the Moffat. Note the fact that the exhaust stack is "capped", indicating the unit is definitely shut down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110476 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 349 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While there are still a lot of C44-9Ws on BNSF's roster, UP has not had many (if any) in regular service in years. This particular unit, which was originally CNW 8639, was likely taken out of storage in Grand Junction. Where is it headed now? I don't know for sure, but it is possible it is headed to be rebuilt (by UP) into an C44ACM (as UP designates them). The unit would be converted into an AC unit (AC traction motors). UP has done this with roughly 50 C44-9Ws as of this photo. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110475 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 372 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer A pair of UP (Phase 2) SD70Ms leads the westbound Rocky Mountaineer out of the west portal of Tunnel 1. The skies are partly cloudy and the temperature is right around 60°F. A great morning for a shot of the Mountaineer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110474 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 359 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer It is a beautiful morning to start off May as the westbound Rocky Mountaineer crosses Blue Mountain Drive and passes by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110473 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 412 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer These two leased UP SD70Ms on the Rocky Mountaineer are the exact same two SD70Ms that the train borrowed from UP at the end of the 2023 season. I would speculate that the SD70Ms have been sitting in (long term) storage at UP's 36th Street Yard in Denver. Today, they are leading the westbound Mountaineer at Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110472 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 350 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Rocky Mountaineer has 10 cars today for the trip from Denver to Glenwood Springs. The train will stay overnight tonight and, per the usual procedure for the train, continue west to Moab on the Cane Creek Subdivision tomorrow. For now, the train is westbound (geographically northbound) on the main at Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110471 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 362 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer On the first day of May, the landscape is starting to green up here at East Eisele (Clay) as the westbound "Rockies to the Red Rocks" Rocky Mountaineer knocks down a clear (green) signal at the east switch and heads down the main. A pair of UP SD70Ms is power for the passenger train today. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110470 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 381 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Well, unfortunately, for the third run of the 2024 season, the Rocky Mountaineer has a pair of leased SD70Ms from Union Pacific. Not exactly sure what happened with the GP40-3s. Also not sure why the leased power from Horizon Rail was not used. Regardless, overall the two SD70Ms in use do look pretty good overall on the climb up to Big Ten. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110469 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 271 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific With the advent of drones, I really enjoy getting shots at Eisele (Clay). If you are on the ground, you have to hike in to Clay. Consequently, I did not have too many shots from Clay prior to about 2019. It's great to be able to easily access in 2024 for this westbound oil empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110468 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 259 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 5284 leads a westbound oil train around the outside of Big Ten Curve. You can just see part of the wind break hoppers on the inside of the curve. In the summer, it is pretty common to have totally clear skies in the morning with clouds and thunderstorms in the afternoons. However, on the first day of May, it is still very spring-like and some partly cloud skies are around this morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110467 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 272 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of ES44ACs, with an SD70ACe sandwiched between, lead a westbound empty oil train up the north edge of Big Ten Curve as some clouds rolls in from the Rockies, headed for the plains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110466 Date Shot Photo By Monday, April 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 316 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Federal Railroad Administration I gotta say, I can think of worse jobs than working for the FRA, sitting in a track geometry car and watching the tracks zip by through a picture window on the back of the car! That is what two employees of the FRA are doing this morning as this FRA track geometry car, T-16, follows not too far behind the westbound Zephyr, just west of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110465 Date Shot Photo By Monday, April 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 323 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A very short special climbs toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. The last car on the special...which is what makes it a special..is an FRA track geometry car. It has a lot of advanced equipment that checks the integrity of the track as it rolls. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110464 Date Shot Photo By Monday, April 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 302 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Federal Railroad Administration Two Federal Railroad Administration employees look out the picture window on the back of this FRA inspection car, checking out the track as the car, led by a UP AC4400CW, pulls west through the S-Curve on the approach to Blue Mountain Drive. This particular car is designated as the T-16, and is one of several cars the FRA has for track inspection. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110463 Date Shot Photo By Monday, April 29, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 287 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) inspects the tracks off the Class 1 railroads (and maybe smaller railroads as well...I'm not sure). Looks like today it is the Moffat's turn to get the inspection. UP 6060 has a gondola and FRA inspection car in tow. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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