Photo ID: 105913 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, March 15, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS900 (Broadway) Denver, CO 1628 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) San Louis and Rio Grande One of a handful of SD9043MACs that the San Luis and Rio Grande had been leasing for the last few years is now being returned to the leaser. The particular unit has SLRG reporting marks, but is in an Iowa Pacific paint scheme. Iowa Pacific is the holding company for the SLRG. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105912 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, March 15, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS900 (Broadway) Denver, CO 1660 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) San Louis and Rio Grande I hadn't seen this unit since December 2009 when it first showed up on the San Luis and Rio Grande. It was originally going to be used as power on the failed reboot of the Ski Train. You may recall that the SLRG already had tickets sold for a new version of the Ski Train. But the train never left the station due to a dispute with Amtrak. This (and another) SD9043MAC instead spent several years in normal service on the SLRG. With the lease now up, the unit is being returned to CIT Leasing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105911 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, March 15, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS900 (Broadway) Denver, CO 1659 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) San Louis and Rio Grande For the past several years, the San Luis and Rio Grande has leased a couple of SD9043MACs from CIT Leasing. The lease on the units expired and, as a result, the SLRG is returning the units to the leaser. I had a suspicious, when taking these shots, that these would be the last SD90s I would see. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105910 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, March 15, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS900 (Broadway) Denver, CO 1578 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific UP recently changed the days and times certain manifests are called at North Yard. Now, the MNYRO (Manifest, North Yard to Roper, UT) is called at 14:00 (2pm) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the MNYNP (Manifest, North Yard to North Platte, NE) is called at 14:00 on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Here, the MNYNP passes through the OS at Broadway on the Belt Line, just outside North Yard. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105870 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada Siding (MP 6 to MP 7) Denver, CO 1551 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Electro-Motive Division Each time a new prototype unit is released, the manufacturer has a new demonstrator paint scheme to accompany it. Personally, I think the demo scheme on the SD70ACe-T4 is one of the better ones EMD has come up with. Granted, some people have referred to it as the Seattle Seahawks scheme...but still, this Denver Broncos fan can overlook that! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105869 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada Siding (MP 6 to MP 7) Denver, CO 1866 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Electro-Motive Division When out testing new prototypes, EMD has a "test car" that they typically splice in between new units. Think of it as a rolling command center for EMD. It allows them to closely monitor the performance of the new units. Here, EMDX 820 is cut in between two new SD70ACe-T4 prototypes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105868 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Denver, CO 1867 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Electro-Motive Division EMD's SD70ACe-T4 is definitely boxier than its predecessor. Many people believe that EMD and GE designs are slowly converging and that it is becoming more and more difficult to tell them apart. However, this is still clearly very close to an SD70ACe. The long hood is a little taller (and more square) in front of the radiator housing. While it is difficult to tell from the ground, the SD70ACe-T4 has three radiator fans whereas the SD70ACe only has two. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105867 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada Siding (MP 6 to MP 7) Denver, CO 1592 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Electro-Motive Division Whenever EMD or GE roll out a new unit, the prototypes almost always wind up on the Moffat Tunnel Sub. Why? It is the highest active standard gauge mainline in the United States, and it is loaded with tunnels. This allows for both high altitude testing and tunnel performance testing. EMD's Tier-4 compliant SD70ACe-T4 is no exception. Here, a special train escorts two such prototypes and an EMD test car west on the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105866 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada Siding (MP 6 to MP 7) Denver, CO 1587 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A lot has changed in this view in the last ten years. The Sheridan Blvd overpass, which the train is running beneath, was completely rebuilt. That was done to provide enough room for commuter rail to fit underneath the bridge, which is on the opposite side of this coal empty. There are now two main tracks here for UP, the second completed just a few years ago. One thing that isn't new is the stub track in the foreground! It connects in with BNSF's Golden Sub and hasn't been used in a few years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105865 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada Siding (MP 6 to MP 7) Denver, CO 1503 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific One of few-remaining coal trains on the Moffat heads west on Main 1 alongside the new commuter rail station near Sheridan Blvd. The train is headed for the Energy Mine on the Craig Branch. Upon returning east, the coal will be delivered to the Xcel Energy Cherokee power plant in northeast Denver. The plant is in the process of converting to natural gas and, by the end of 2016, this coal train will likely be eliminated. The closest track in the foreground is BNSF's Golden Sub. The track next to it is UP's Arvada Siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105858 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 4, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed BNSF Engine House Denver, CO 1924 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Electro-Motive Division For decades, EMD has used either SD## or GP## as the prefix for its models. It seems that EMD is reluctant to go to a three-digit number (e.g. SD100), so all their new units in the last 15 years (basically since the SD90) have been "SD70ACe" followed by a suffix. That continues with the latest unit, designated an SD70ACe-T4. As you probably guess, the "T4" stands for "Tier 4", and indicates the unit is EPA Tier-4 compliant. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105857 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 4, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed BNSF Engine House Denver, CO 2166 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Electro-Motive Division Introducting the SD70ACe-T4. This is one of four prototypes for the first EPA Tier-4 compliant engine produced by EMD. While it looks essentially like an SD70ACe externally, internally it is an entirely different animal. A few things to note externally. First, EMD is bringing back the teardrop windshield. A welcome change for both crews and railfans alike. Next, note the new fabricated trucks. Last, the long hood is higher and "boxier" ahead of the radiator housing. Internally, the prime mover is brand new. Traditionally, EMD prime movers have been two-stroke and 16 cylinders. This new prime mover is four-stroke and 12 cylinders. It still generates the 4400 HP the SD70ACe generated. On top of it all, the demonstrator paint scheme looks darn nice, too! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105856 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 4, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed BNSF Engine House Denver, CO 2025 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Electro-Motive Division EMDX 1502 and 1503 sit near BNSF's Engine House along with EMD's test car. These units carry the designation "SD70ACe-T4" and they are the first Tier-4 compliant units produced by EMD. These are prototypes that are undergoing extensive testing by EMD. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105855 Date Shot Photo By Friday, March 4, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed BNSF Engine House Denver, CO 1596 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots BNSF EMD is a little behind the curve in the "Tier 4" game. Starting January 1, 2015, railroads could only purchase engines that were EPA Tier-4 compliant. GE had production units rolling by late 2015. EMD had yet to roll out a prototype at that point. However, they now have four prototypes on the rails, two of which had been testing at the Transportation Technology Center east of Pueblo. BNSF brought them to Denver and, rumor has it they will head west on the Moffat next for some high altitude testing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105801 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 48th Avenue Denver, CO 1951 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF This power has just about everything you can ask for in 2016! You got some GE and you got some EMD. You got some Warbonnet paint, some Heritage 2 paint, and some New Image paint. Newer power and older power. And it's always cool to catch nine units on the point of any train! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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