Photo ID: 111104 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS048 (West Tolland) Gilpin County, CO 170 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just west of the west end of Tolland, a UP oil empty makes its way west amongst a sea of fall colors in the last bit of direct sunlight before the sun dips behind the mountains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111103 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 162 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As the sun approaches the western horizon (well...mountains), the crew of a UP oil empty approaches a clear (green) signal at the west end of Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111102 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 244 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A Phase 7 P42DC, AMTK 187, leads the eastbound California Zephyr out the east end of East Portal amidst a beautiful, vibrant sea of fall colors. The sun managed to peak out from mostly cloudy skies just in time to light the scene to perfection. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111091 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins to Tolland (MP 41.2 to MP 45.8) Gilpin County, CO 247 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The clouds are finally starting to break up this afternoon, with one floating through the scene just west of Rollins. The head end of UP's MGJNY breaks into daylight along South Boulder Creek as it approaches the west end of Rollins. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111090 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 291 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The trees around and behind the Moffat Tunnel are at their absolute peak brilliance as an SD70ACe and two GEs lead UP's MGJNY east out of the tunnel. You can see the significant change in grade here at East Portal as the train really starts to head downhill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111089 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 255 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's eastbound MGJNY (Manifest, Grand Junction, CO to North Yard, CO) emerges from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel under mostly cloudy conditions. 1 hour and 40 minutes earlier, I shot a westbound oil train going into the tunnel here. That time...1 hour and 40 minutes...is how long it took for the oil train to get to Tabernash and for the MGJNY to, in turn, reach East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111088 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 211 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The crew on this westbound oil empty is prepping for 12 to 15 minutes of darkness as the train will pass beneath the Continental Divide in the 6.2 mile long tunnel. There is actually a lot of infrastructure here at East Portal, built to ventilate the tunnel from exhaust between trains. The tunnel itself (within the mountain) starts several hundred feet back. On a side note, you can see water spilling out of the Moffat Water Tunnel, transported to the east slope from the Winter Park area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111087 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 210 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Union Pacific has built two new buildings in the last 15 years up here at East Portal. You can see them both in this picture behind the oil train. They presumably house various maintenance of way equipment, protecting them from the elements...particularly in winter! Today, however, it is overcast and chilly near the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111086 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 309 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five units lead a westbound oil train on the main at East Portal at an altitude of over 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level, the Moffat is the highest active mainline of any Class 1 Railroad in the United States. About 15 years ago, UP extended Tolland siding, increasing its length from 5,600 feet to over 9,000 feet. Consequently, the siding at East Portal is seemingly never used for meets these days. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111085 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 280 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After waiting patiently in the siding at Tolland for both the westbound Zephyr and the westbound Rocky Moutaineer to overtake it, it is finally this westbound oil empties turn to head west into the Moffat Tunnel. The train is wrapping its way through the curves between Tolland and East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111084 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 181 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In between trains, I thought I'd grab a shot of one leg of the wye off the siding at East Portal. A century ago, this track led to the mainline that ran over Rollins Pass. The 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel was under construction in September 1924, but was still 3 1/2 years away from opening. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111083 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 227 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer With a clear (green) signal dead ahead, the Rocky Mountaineer kicks up some exhaust as it accelerates toward the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111082 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 239 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Between the 2023-2024 seasons, the Rocky Mountaineer leased this (former) SD45, now an SD40-2 internally. An SD18 was also leased to shuffle cars around in Denver. The GP40-3s have had a lot of mechanical issues and the RM has had to lease power from UP. Apparently, the lease of both of these units is less expensive than the cost to lease on UP SD70M. It took most of the 2024 season for PTC to be installed in RMRX 8600. But with it now installed and operable, it is on the train west with one of the GP40-3s at East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111081 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 240 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer In between Tolland and East Portal, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches the east end of East Portal. PTC has finally been installed in RMRX 8600, a lease SD40-2 (in an SD45 car body). It along with one of the GP40-3s lead the train west. In the distance, you can see a westbound empty oil train in the siding at Tolland. After the tunnel vents, it will be its turn to head west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111080 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 264 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Near the west end of Tolland, deciduous trees line both sides of the rails (the main and the siding). As the westbound Zephyr has just overtaken a UP oil can (out of view behind the curve) and is approach a clear (green) signal at the west end as it passes by trees that are at their peak fall colors. If you wonder why Rio Grande used "Aspen Gold" as its main color, this shot says it all! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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