Photo ID: 107806 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1162 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific One of my favorite units of the 21st Century, a Phase II SD70M, leads a work train (consisting of a mere four cars) rolls east toward a clear signal at East Cliff. I am a fan of the Phase II SD70M specifically because of the (slightly) angled radiator intake, but original UP wide nose cab. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107805 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1243 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A coal train that will soon load at the West Elk Mine will need three mid-train swing helpers for the journey back east to Denver. Three such units on are their way as the cruise west on the main at Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107804 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS036 (East Cliff) Gilpin County, CO 1214 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound rounds the curve at the east end of Cliff on a chilly Saturday afternoon. The lighting is pretty decent for the power. The shadowy background (including CO-72) helps to highlight UP 8488 as it makes its way west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107795 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1286 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An all-EMD lash up leads the final MRONY eastbound on the main at Cliff. For what may be the final UP manifest train to run over the former Grande between Salt Lake City and Denver, it somehow seems fitting that it should have all-EMD power on the head end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107794 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1385 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is a bit of a sad morning as this eastbound manifest may mark the end of an era. This is the MRONY. Manifest, Roper, UT to North Yard, CO. Since the UP/SP merger in 1996, a manifest has run between Denver and Salt Lake City over the former Rio Grande, just as many such freights ran on Espee and the Grande before. Now, however, thanks to Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), UP is eliminating the train (and its westbound counterpart, the MNYRO). PSR aims to reduce car dwell times and focus on moving cars rather than trains. UP believes that Roper Yard in Salt Lake City is redundant to the other SLC Yard and its Ogden Yard. As such, Roper's usage will be reduced and traffic between Denver and Salt Lake City will move via Ogden (and the Overland Route) moving forward. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107793 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1411 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An SD70ACe-T4, an SD70M, and an SD70ACe lead an eastbound MRONY past some MOW equipment that is tied down on the siding at Cliff. UP recently replaced the bridge over South Boulder Creek located about halfway through the siding of Cliff. The old wood bridge was replaced with a new steel and concrete bridge. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107792 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Cliff Gilpin County, CO 1238 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Not far west of Cliff, the tracks cross South Beaver Creek Road and South Boulder Creek (the actual creek!). On a sunny Saturday morning, an on-time Zephyr crosses the bridge over a largely frozen South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107388 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 17, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 1255 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Somebody grab a rag and a bottle of soap! Most engines these days don't generally get super dirty, largely thanks to cleaner emissions. However, that certainly doesn't mean they never get dirty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107387 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 17, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 1256 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An SD70ACe that has seen a bit of exhaust is second out on this westbound BNSF unit sand train just east of Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107386 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 17, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 1279 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF The skies to the west were mostly cloud-covered (over the divide), but a few pockets of blue sky were floating around. I was lucky enough to have one hit just as this westbound BNSF sand train came rolling by on the approach to a Diverging Approach (red over yellow) signal at East Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107385 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 17, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Tolland Gilpin County, CO 1262 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Three SD70ACes lead this westbound loaded sand train through the canyon between Rollins and Tolland. The second and third units are so dirty, they are great 21st century representatives of Grande and Espee units from 40 years ago! That'll happen when you are only making 7-10 MPH through the tunnels in the Tunnel District! For those interested, note that I recorded some sound of these guys pulling...you can listen to them from this page. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107051 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 27, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1218 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A single DPU of Espee heritage brings up this westbound coal empty at Tolland. Between 1995 and 2005, this unit was actually SP 267. It was renumbered to UP 6263 on January 12, 2005. More recently, it received a full repaint to include the flag and the wings on the nose. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107050 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 27, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1209 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A bit of snow is kicked up by the blowing wind as a westbound coal empty continues west on the main at Tolland. The train will be coming to a stop at East Portal, however, as the Zephyr is currently in the Moffat Tunnel ahead. And, even after the Zephyr clears, the tunnel will have to be vented of exhaust fumes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107049 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 27, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1187 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Lately, rather than stationing power in the yard at Glenwood Springs, UP has been running West Elk coal empties with the power they'll need already on the train. Here, five units lead the coal empty, and a single DPU is bringing up the rear. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107048 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 27, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1075 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Passengers on board the California Zephyr have made a 4,000-foot elevation gain in the last 50 miles, going from (roughly) 5,200-feet above sea level in Denver to (roughly) 9,200-feet above sea level here at East Portal. In the distance, one of the peaks of the Continental Divide (in between James Peak and Mt Epworth) stands tall. Soon, the Zephyr will be underneath the divide! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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