Photo ID: 113313 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 19 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A Union Pacific tie extractor is pulling designed old ties out from underneath the rails, leaving them along the right of way. A hundred feet or so behind the extractor, a crane is working to clean up the old ties. It is picking them up three or so at a time and putting them in piles along the right-of-way to be picked up by a work train in the future. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113312 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 18 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An overhead view of the tie extractor as it works to pull out old ties, marked with green paint, from beneath the rails. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113311 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 16 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This piece of maintenance equipment is picking up old ties that have been removed by the tie extractor, running ahead of this machine. Work trains dropped off new ties along the right-of-way a few weeks ago. However, if a few extra ties are replaced, this crane has some new ties in tow that it can lay on the ground if they are needed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113310 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 18 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP is in the midst of a major maintenance project on the Moffat. This particular piece of equipment is called a Tie Extractor/Inserter (TE/IE). A clamp on the side of the machine grabs onto a tie on the outside of the rail and pulls the tie out from under the rails. As you can see, not every tie along the rails is being replaced. The new ties are laying at (roughly) 45° angles to the rails. The old ties are perpendicular and will be picked up by the next piece of equipment. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113309 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 17 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF If you follow the website, then you likely now that MRL SD70ACe have become a fairly common sight on the Moffat in the aftermath of BNSF's acquisition of MRL at the start of 2025. This morning, it is MRL 4303, third out from the head end. Unfortunately, MRL did not have PTC, meaning their SD70ACes are not PTC equipped. As a result, it is unlikely that an MRL unit will ever lead on the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113308 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 15 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF In the early 2000s, it was quite common for UP to tie coal trains down in the siding at Leyden (amongst other sidings). To help simplify the process, UP installed hand-throw derails on certain sidings. The east end of Leyden is one such siding. As you can see here, the derail is aligned in the derail position as the Provo-Denver is currently tied down and waiting for a crew. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113307 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 17 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Four units leads BNSF's Provo-Denver, currently tied down on the siding here at Leyden. Leyden has been used for long term storage of cars frequently in the last two years, and this is the first time I've seen a train tied down here in years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113306 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP work train is departing the siding at Rocky to continue east toward Denver after picking up the gondola behind UP 6279. This AC4400CW has spent a lot of time on the Moffat, as it was originally delivered in June 1995 in scarlet and gray as SP 278. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113305 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 29 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6279 stopped in the siding at Rocky to pick up the gondola you see directly behind the unit from the house track at Rocky. With the car now part of the consist, the train is continuing east toward town. The yardmaster at North Yard informed the train that they will actually head to the 36th Street Yard, crossing the Belt Industrial Lead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113304 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS013 (West Leyden) Arvada, CO 19 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A trio of DPUs bring up the tail end of a (roughly) 6,000 foot long oil train. There are piles of ties scattered along the right-of-way that will soon be installed as part of the massive maintenance project UP is currently running on the Moffat. This is likely to be the last train until the eastbound Zephyr this afternoon, giving work crews the time they need on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113303 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden to Rocky (MP 13.4 to MP 17.4) Arvada, CO 24 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A trio of DPUs bring up the end of this eastbound loaded oil train. The train is rolling away from the camera and toward the west switch of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113302 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden to Rocky (MP 13.4 to MP 17.4) Arvada, CO 32 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Three units lead an eastbound BNSF oil train on the straightaway along CO-72 just west of Leyden. The train is, of course, headed downhill, but there is still a lot of heat coming off the top of the units (distorting the air above) thanks to the dynamic brakes workings to slow the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113301 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 26 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 204 is one of the more recent repaints for Amtrak, going from the Phase 5 scheme to the Phase 7 scheme. It is second out this morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113300 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 19 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A pair of P42s, elephant style, lead the Zephyr west on the siding at Plain. You can see the train is meeting an eastbound BNSF oil train. the oil train just got a green signal and is departing eastbound. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113299 Date Shot Photo By Monday, November 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 32 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is on the main at Plain, splitting a BNSF oil train on the main and a lot of maintenance equipment in the house track at Plain. The equipment is part of a significant maintenance project that UP is currently in the midst of undertaking. You can even see a lot of fresh ballast on the tracks here at Plain. 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