A trio of units leads an eastbound UP manifest out of the east end of Eisele (Clay) on a partly cloudy September afternoon.
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The morning Zephyr passes by the switch that used to allow access to Chem Spur. The spur hasn't been used in close to a decade, and in 2017, UP removed the frog for this turnout. It allows for a smoother, safer ride for any train crossing over it. Such as the passengers riding on the Zephyr here.
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Chem spur has not been used in nearly a decade, ever since Mesa Oil moved to a new location in Denver. To smooth out the ride and reduce the risk of a derailment, UP removed the frog from the turnout in 2017. As you can clearly see, the remainder of the spur is not entirely inaccessible by rail.
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For many decades, there was a small industry (most recently named Mesa Oil) off the Moffat Main at Chem Spur. Mesa Oil moved nearly a decade ago, leaving the spur with no purpose. In 2017, UP has removed the frog at the turnout, making the spur now impossible to access.
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A slow-moving storm unleashes a lot of rain on the northwest side of Arvada as BNSF 5260 leads five additional units on an eastbound Provo-Denver manifest.
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BNSF 5260 is looking at an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) here at this signal at east Leyden. However, while the train has a signal that would allow it to proceed, it is currently stopped for reasons that were not clear.
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A massive storm opens up, pouring rain in northwest Arvada as an eastbound BNSF manifest holds on the main at the east end of Leyden.
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Near the east end of Leyden, an eastbound BNSF manifest is holding the main at Leyden. The exact reason for stopping was not apparent as the train had an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) signal at the east end of Leyden. Meanwhile, a rather significant thunderstorm has formed over the Rockies and is moving out on to the plains in the distance.
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Five units, a quartet of GEs and a single EMD SD70ACe, lead a westbound coal empty out of Tunnel 1. The train is headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch where it will load. Most likely, the train will have a sixth unit added in Grand Junction for the return trip over the Moffat. Coal loads are typically set up in a 2x3x1 configuration.
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UP 7631, an ES44AC, leads a westbound coal empty up the 2% grade toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. The train is headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch to load and return east.
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A westbound coal empty climbs the 2% grade from Coal Creek Canyon up toward Tunnel 1. You can see a bit of one of the new roads in the background that are part of the Canyon Pines Subdivision.
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Five units lead a westbound UP coal empty across the grade crossing at Blue Mountain and by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6. The train is heading for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch in Western Colorado. As a railfan, it is good to see a minor uptick in coal traffic on the Moffat.
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Coal has certainly dwindled in recent years on the Moffat, but reports are that the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch has received an uptick in orders and hopes to load close to a train a day! Not all trains will run east on the Moffat. Some will run west as export coal. Here, a westbound empty departs the west end of Eisele (Clay) after the westbound Zephyr ran around it at Rocky.
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With school back in session, a lot of vacations completed, and summer coming to a close, it appears Amtrak has reduced the Zephyr from seven Superliners to six Superliners. It is pretty common for one car to be removed from the train during the winter season, ostensibly due to a decrease in demand.
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Just west of the west end of Eisele (Clay), the morning Zephyr is right on time as it continues its journey west. At this point, roughly 22 miles west of Denver Union Station, you can clearly see the downtown skyline in the distance as the Zephyr rounds the bend toward Blue Mountain Road crossing.
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