Photo ID: 109470 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 390 (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 446 (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 511 (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 450 (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 473 (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 454 (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. Photo ID: 109464 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 27 (MP 36.4, 650 ft) Gilpin County, CO 446 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A peek in to the midst of the Tunnel District and South Boulder Canyon. A westbound BNSF coal load is approaching the east portal of Tunnel 27. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109463 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 26 (MP 35.2, 320 ft) Gilpin County, CO 426 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound loaded BNSF coal train is in the middle of the Tunnel District, emerging from the west portal of Tunnel 26. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109462 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 350 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound empty UP oil train takes the siding to meet with a unit covered hopper train that is holding on the main. Neither train would ultimately hold here at Cliff; both continuing on toward their destinations. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109461 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Gilpin County, CO 395 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Caliente (UP) Union Pacific I'm not entirely sure where this short covered hopper train originated or where it is headed, but two GEs lead the train east on the main at Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109460 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 410 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of UP units leads a short eastbound MGJNY across South Boulder Creek on the main at Cliff. In a few more weeks, fall colors should be in full effect here. This would end up being one of my personal favorite shots of the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109450 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 510 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is between Tolland and East Portal. For that past several months, the Mountaineer has been running with some leased UP SD70Ms while work was done on the GP40-3s. As you can see, the GP40-3s are back on the train, looking sharp matching the passenger cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109449 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 467 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Fall colors are just barely starting to show at Tolland as the Sunday Rocky Mountaineer crosses the grade crossing at Tolland on its journey west. It is so fantastic having such a unique passenger operation running on the Moffat. After losing the American Orient Express (later the Grande Luxe Express), the Ansco Ski Train, and the Circus Train, it is great having something diverse still running. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109448 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 490 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s look really good on the point of the "Rockies to the Red Rocks" Mountaineer as it approaches the grade crossing at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109447 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 406 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A view that, in one form another, with one type of train or another, has been repeated somewhere around a half a million times since the Moffat Tunnel opened 96 years ago. The structure built over the rails has cameras that allow UP dispatchers in Omaha to view the tunnel. It also has motion sensors that detect trespassers, warning them they are trespassing if they attempt to approach the tunnel portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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