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 721 (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 635 (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 740 (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 783 (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 727 (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 812 (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 876 (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 986 (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 1034 (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 1007 (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. Photo ID: 107806 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1028 (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 1116 (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 1074 (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 1151 (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 1221 (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.

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