Photo ID: 109547 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 333 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF On a glorious October morning, a westbound BNSF coal load slowly pulls through a damp scene with fall colors still in force at Tolland. The mix of clouds and sun was just perfect! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109546 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 263 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Five minutes before 7am finds a westbound BNSF coal load, headed for Valmy, NV, slowly climbing the grade in the canyon between Rollins and Tolland. The sun has technically broken the horizon, but has not yet peeked over the mountains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109523 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 1, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 293 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer In the valley leading to the base of James Peak, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches the east portal of the 6.2-mile long Moffat Tunnel. East Portal is a very popular spot for hikers, and there is a near-full parking lot in the scene. Hikers used to cross the tracks at the entrance to the tunnel, but UP had the trail head moved to go up and over the tunnel so hikers do not walk across the tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109522 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 1, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 405 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Fall colors are at their peek at the start of October, which is one of the largest draws for passengers on the "Rockies to the Red Rocks" Rocky Mountaineer. The train is rolling west on the main at East Portal, about a mile from the entrance to the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109521 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 1, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of East Portal Gilpin County, CO 313 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer On a crisp, cloudy October morning, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer makes another trip west toward Moab, UT. The "Rockies to the Red Rocks" train will continue running twice a week through the end of October. It will then shut down until the 2024 season starts in April 2024. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109518 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 1, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Rollins Gilpin County, CO 302 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of ES44ACs, the first of which is a "Tier-3 credit unit", in the same number range as ET44ACs, lead an eastbound loaded oil train about seven miles east of the Moffat Tunnel. A dirt road, called Tolland Road and/or East Portal Road, follows the tracks on the opposite side of South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109517 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 1, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 318 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific East of Tolland along South Boulder Creek, an eastbound UP oil train snakes along the river amidst a lot of coniferous pine trees and a handful of bright yellow deciduous trees, well on their way to shedding their leaves for winter. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109472 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 320 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This September afternoon has a lot of clouds floating in and out of the path of the sun. Such is the case with the eastbound Zephyr at Tolland, as the tail end just left a pocket of sunlight and it is now fully engulfed in shadow as it approaches the grade crossing on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109471 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS048 (West Tolland) Gilpin County, CO 322 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak DS 378, the dispatcher overseeing the Moffat this afternoon, was unable to get a signal for the Zephyr at West Tolland. Consequently, the dispatcher "flagged" the train by the red signal, giving them authority to proceed by it. The Zephyr will no exceed restricted speed until it encounters a signal more favorable than stop (red). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109470 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 303 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP empty oil train sits short of the grade crossing on the siding at Tolland. It is waiting on the eastbound California Zephyr, which is currently in the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109469 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS038 (West Cliff) Gilpin County, CO 340 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Prior to the days of PTC, signals that were approach lit would remain dark (shut off) until there was a train in the block approaching the signal. However, with the advent of PTC, signals will now light up just as soon as the dispatcher aligns a route through them. Such is the case at West Cliff (CP DS038) as we see a clear (green over red) signal set up for the eastbound Zephyr, still 90 minutes away. Additionally, take note of the switch here at West Cliff. For a long time, this switch was set up as a "Y", meaning both the main and the siding slightly curved away from the single main track. However, UP has reconfigured the switch so the main is straight through the entire switch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109468 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 393 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF This BNSF coal load is stopped in the siding at Cliff and will be waiting here for the next 90 minutes or so, waiting for the eastbound Zephyr which is currently between Granby and Winter Park. The dispatcher did not want to risk trying to get the train up to Rollins ahead of Amtrak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109467 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 29 (MP 36.4, 75 ft) Gilpin County, CO 326 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An SD70ACe and a pair of GEs lead this westbound BNSF coal load through Tunnel 29 and across the bridge over South Boulder Creek just east of Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109466 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 28 (Daylighted) Gilpin County, CO 368 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF This BNSF coal load is climbing west of the Moffat, its back half still in Tunnel 27 in the distance. Not far behind the head end, the hoppers are passing what was once Tunnel 28. However, the tunnel has long since been daylighted (blown up), and the tan-colored rock face is the only evidence that remains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109465 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 27 (MP 36.4, 650 ft) Gilpin County, CO 324 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF As this heavy coal load emerges from Tunnel 27, the evidence of decades of other trains is quite clear on the exhaust-stained rocks around the west portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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