Photo ID: 108313 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 7, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 915 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Here is a shot that you don't come across too often! The Zephyrs are meeting at East Portal, just a mile or so east of the Moffat Tunnel. Typically, the Zephyrs meet about 100 miles to the west. However, a broken UP coal train delayed the westbound Zephyr by about 9 hours and the eastbound Zephyr by about 2 hours. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108312 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 7, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 865 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr sits idle on the mainline at East Portal two minutes after its scheduled arrival time in Denver. The train has been stuck here for nearly two hours due to a coal train that broke down at Rollins 13 hours earlier. It took a long time to get the coal train back together. That has finally happened, however, and the Zephyr is now waiting for its counterpart, making its way west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108301 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 4, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1020 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound California Zephyr passes by the seldom-used wye that still exists at East Portal just east of the Moffat Tunnel. The east leg of the wye (right side of the wye) used to be part of the mainline that ran up and over Rollins Pass. Once the Moffat Tunnel was completed and opened, the old mainline was torn out and just this leg of the wye remains from the portion that ran over Rollins Pass. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108300 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 4, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 1194 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr emerges from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel and heads down the main track at East Portal, which is the name of the block (and siding). We are close to 9,200 feet above sea level here, the highest mainline on any Class 1 railroad, the highest elevation Amtrak reaches anywhere in the United States. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108070 Date Shot Photo By Monday, May 25, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Cliff Gilpin County, CO 795 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Today's westbound Zephyr crosses South Boulder Creek just east of East on a beautiful Memorial Day morning. The Zephyr today has a Transition Sleeper, a Sleeping Car, a Diner, a Lounge Car, and two Coaches. Not surprisingly, ridership has been way down the last few months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108069 Date Shot Photo By Monday, May 25, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 29 (MP 36.4, 75 ft) Gilpin County, CO 867 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak On a crisp Memorial Day morning, the westbound Zephyr is on time just east of Cliff. The California-bound train is passing through the last tunnel in the Tunnel District (when heading west), tunnel 29. This also happens to be the shortest tunnel in the Tunnel District at only 78 feet in length. The train is about to cross South Boulder Creek as it approaching a clear signal at East Cliff, about 36 miles west of Denver Union Station. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108068 Date Shot Photo By Monday, May 25, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 29 (MP 36.4, 75 ft) Gilpin County, CO 754 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr, with six Superliners in tow, is approaching the east portal of Tunnel 29, the shortest tunnel in the Tunnel District. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107991 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 877 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak If you very closely, slightly up and to the left from the middle of the picture, you can see the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. The Zephyr is on the main alongside the last siding on this side of the Continental Divide. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107990 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 915 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Westbound Zephyr, running right on time, is approaching the East Portal Road grade crossing, about a mile away from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. Many hikers (in the summer) and cross country skiers and snow shoeing enthusiasts (in the winter) come up to East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107989 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 879 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Westbound Zephyr is about to knock down a clear signal at the east switch of East Portal. A very similar scene was repeated about an hour ago when the Winter Park Express passed over these same rails. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107988 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of East Portal Gilpin County, CO 1004 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is nearing the highest point of any mainline in the United States! It is currently between Tolland and East Portal at an elevation of about 9,100 feet. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107900 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, November 16, 2019 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 1015 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Tolland Road and the track both follow South Boulder Creek in between Rollins and Tolland. The road is on the south side of the creek and the track are on the north side. The Zephyr is moving at track speed, running on clear signals as it heads west. The first train it will see is a BNSF manifest currently at Yarmony! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107899 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, November 16, 2019 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 1149 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Running about two hours late, the westbound Zephyr is trying to make up some time as it follows South Boulder Creek between Rollins and Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107808 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1163 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The long shadows of December keep much of South Boulder Creek in relative darkness as a colorful coal load rolls east on the main at Cliff. The train loaded at the West Elk Mine on the Craig Branch the day before. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107807 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1124 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While waiting for an eastbound coal load, I grabbed a picture of this old Missouri Pacific gondola. The car is loaded with boulders and is sitting on the house track at Cliff. Not entirely sure what the boulders are for or where (or when) the car (and its six siblings) will leave. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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