Photo ID: 113651 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 153 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Both Canyon Spirit GP40-3s were mechanically good to go to start the 2026 season. Under overcast skies, the first revenue run of the Canyon Spirit rolls west of Tunnel 1, headed for Glenwood Springs today. The train departs Denver on Tuesdays and stays overnight in Glenwood Springs. On Wednesdays, it continues to Moab, UT. On Thursdays, it now continues west to Salt Lake City, UT (running over Soldier Summit). Fridays, it starts the return journey and stays in Moab again. Saturdays, it'll go east to Glenwood Springs, and Sundays, it returns to Denver. It does not run on Mondays. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113650 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 142 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer One of my personal favorite aspects of having the Canyon Spirit running on the Moffat is the power. Having the unique passenger train is certainly great, but as a railfan that grew up with Rio Grande in the 1980s, seeing class EMD spartan cabs makes me very happy. Here, the Canyon Spirit has emerged from Tunnel 1 and is continuing west toward Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113649 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 147 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer I really like the new paint scheme for the Canyon Spirit, as seen here at the west end of Eisele (Clay). The change from Rocky Mountaineer to Canyon Spirit is not a huge one. But the "Canyon Spirit" logo on the cab and cars looks very nice. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113648 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 137 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Canyon Spirit had a 10 MPH slow order coming around a part of Big Ten Curve. Now that the train is at Eisele (Clay), the slow order is behind the train, and the engineer has throttled up to speed back up. The Canyon Spirit GP40-3s acknowledge the throttle command by kicking up some exhaust! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113647 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 139 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Black and white seemed appropriate for this morning shot of the westbound Canyon Spirit, as it leaves Big Ten Curve behind, and heads toward a green signal at the east switch of Eisele. The mesa in the background is North Table Mesa, on the north side of the town of Golden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113646 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 174 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Today is the first revenue run of the Rocky Mountaineer for the 2026 season. One thing you might immediately note is that the train has actually be rebranded this year as the Canyon Spirit. The train, which is climbing Big Ten Curve, has expanded its service and is now running from Denver all the way to Salt Lake City (and back), making one round trip every six days. The train departs Denver west on Tuesdays and returns to Denver the following Sunday. It will not run at all on Mondays. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113645 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 153 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This Tuesday morning started with overcast skies that would eventually clear up for some sun. The clouds actually added some nice dynamics in this shot of the westbound Zephyr, which just left Tunnel 1 and is approaching the east switch of Plain around the bend to the west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113644 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 179 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A scene that has been repeated thousands of times over the years, the westbound Zephyr emerges from the west portal of Tunnel 1, on its journey west toward Emeryville, CA. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113643 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek Canyon (MP 22.8 to MP 23.4) Arvada, CO 217 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The morning Zephyr is just about on time as it wraps around the base of Coal Creek Canyon, on the climb toward Tunnel 1. This is a bit of a different view of this location, as the camera is located up at Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113642 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 5, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 244 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Amtrak celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, and painted up two units (a P42DC and a Charger) in a special commemorative scheme. For five years, the P42DC has managed to elude me, but I finally caught it on this beautiful Easter Sunday. AMTK 100 and AMTK 25 lead the eastbound Zephyr through the Denver suburb of Arvada, running about 25 minutes late. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113641 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 5, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue (MP 9.25) Arvada, CO 164 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr is running about 25 minutes late as it rolls east through Arvada at 66th Avenue. Spring has sprung on many of the trees in the Denver suburb. Leaves are starting to return and, despite a very dry winter, things are starting to green up a little bit. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113602 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 156 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A C44ACM, sporting some fresh paint in UP's latest scheme, and a Tier-4 SD70ACe-T4, bring up the tail end of an eastbound coal train. The train is running 2x3x2. Traditionally, coal load have run 2x3x1, so there is one extra unit on the tail end. Not sure if one will be removed in Denver along with the mid-train swing helpers. The two DPUs here are passing by Oberon Lake Number 1 in the midst of the suburb of Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113601 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 185 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three GEs are serving as the mid-train swing helpers on this eastbound coal load. Coal trains have increased slightly on the Moffat in the past few months. It seems that UP has picked up a few new contracts for West Elk coal from the North Fork branch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113600 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 182 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) CSX, Union Pacific CSX 1981 and CSX 5477 are a pretty unusual site here in Colorado! CSX 1981 is the Pan Am Railways heritage unit. Pan Am Railways was a New England railroad purchased by CSX in 2022. After arriving in Denver, the mid-train swing helpers will be cut out, and the train will continue east on the Limon Sub. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113599 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Kipling (MP 9.8) Arvada, CO 159 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) CSX, Union Pacific CSX 1981 led an 11,500-foot westbound coal empty on Monday. Two days later, CSX 1981 is once again leading on the Moffat! This time, it and a sister CSX unit lead half of that 11,500-foot coal train east across Kipling Street in Arvada. Longs Peak, one of the 14ers (mountain peaks that exceed 14,000-feet in elevation) is clearly visible in the distance to the right. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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