Photo ID: 111193 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 41 (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 51 (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 53 (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 58 (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 93 (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. Photo ID: 111188 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Little Ten Curve (MP 18.7 to MP 18.9) Arvada, CO 102 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is really great to see all three of these GEs, leading this military train, sporting relatively good paint as they are lined up elephant style. The train here is wrapping through Little Ten Curve near the west end of Rocky. One of the cars on the train has been wreaking havoc with the crew. An air hose keeps coming detached, putting the train in emergency. The train is on the move again here after a 30 minute delay on Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111187 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 94 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In general, most trains on the Moffat do not exceed about 6,000 feet in length. However, there are sometimes exceptions. Such in the case today as a long string of military equipment stretches back nearly 8,000 feet from the head end here at Big Ten Curve, back to well over halfway west through Eisele (Clay). The equipment is headed for Fort Riley in Kansas. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111186 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 81 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Like many products in the United States, the United States military contracts with railroads to move equipment around the country. Here, three elephant-style GEs lead a nearly 7,700-foot train of armored vehicles over the Moffat at Blue Mountain Drive. More often than not, UP military trains in Colorado will run via the Greeley Sub. It was a nice surprise to find this one on the Moffat. The first since 2017! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111182 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 59 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead a westbound oil empty through the siding at Plain. The train had been holding short of the grade crossing to avoid blocking cars. However, the eastbound this oil train has been waiting on is now out of Crescent, so DS-380 told the crew on the oil train to pull into the clear. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111181 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 50 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After holding short of the grade crossing at Plain, this oil train is pulling into the clear on the siding to meet an eastbound. The SD70ACe in the third spot is really coughing up some exhaust as the power throttles up. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111177 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 50 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 179 and AMTK 10 are elephant style on the point of the westbound Zephyr this morning as it approaches the east portal of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111176 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 7, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The fall colors are starting to show up at the west switch of Eisele (Clay)! Here, the westbound Zephyr is running right on time (if not a few minutes early) as it passes the clear (green) signal at the west end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111175 Date Shot Photo By Friday, October 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific When I was a kid, I always liked both "Rail Box" and "Rail Gon" cars for some reason. "Rail Box" cars have all but disappeared in 2024, but you can still find some "Rail Gon" labeled gondolas roaming around. This along is a good example, sitting in the siding of Leyden along with a pair of former Missouri Pacific gondolas. Presumably, these cars are part of some maintenance project, though exactly what, I'm not sure. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111174 Date Shot Photo By Friday, October 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 56 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three empty gondolas sit, tied down in the siding at Leyden. As you can see, they are the only three cars to be found in the siding. Presumably, they are here for something related to maintenance of way. Exactly what, I am unsure. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111136 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, September 26, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 58 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A very short BNSF manifest is tied down in the siding at Rocky, awaiting a recrew. Note that the derail is set at the east end. This is to protect against the possibility of the train rolling out onto the main track. Were the train to roll, it would be derailed away from the main track. Fortunately, the likelihood of that happening is near zero as the train has hand brakes applied on the train, and the engines are continually charging the brake line to keep the train brakes applied. 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