Photo ID: 111981 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Troublesome (5,570 ft) Grand County, CO 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A single ES44AC brings up the tail end of UP's MNYGJ at Troublesome. Those that have seen a lot of pictures from the Moffat can probably recognize the pretty significant difference in makeup of UP's North Yard / Grand Junction manifests compared to BNSF's Denver / Provo manifests. The UP manifests are primarily composed of covered hoppers, whereas BNSF manifest are primarily composed of tank cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111980 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Troublesome (5,570 ft) Grand County, CO 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As this westbound manifest continues west, the elevation also continues to decrease. Here at Troublesome, most of the snow on the ground has now melted as the overall snowfall has been less and the temperatures are slightly higher. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111979 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS097 (East Troublesome) Grand County, CO 44 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's MNYGJ knocks down a clear (green) signal at the east end of Troublesome. This exact location was the scene for a terrible tragedy in the 1950s. The crew on an eastbound Rio Grande manifest missed an Approach (yellow) signal at the west end of Troublesome. The first signal that wasn't green since departing Bond. A westbound Rio Grande manifest was entering the siding here at the east switch for a meet. Because the eastbound did not see the yellow signal, the engineer was not slowing to come to a stop at the red signal here at the east end. By the time the crew realized it and put the train in emergency, it was too late. The eastbound impacted with the westbound, causing a significant derailment. This led to Rio Grande producing its own 22-minute training/safety video about the incident. The video was titled "The Trouble at Troublesome". The invention and implementation of PTC should, in theory, prevent that type of accident from ever happening again. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111978 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Byers Canyon Grand County, CO 52 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A single ES44AC brings up the tail end of UP's westbound MNYGJ in the middle of a snowy Byers Canyon. Unlike most of the canyons the Moffat travels through, you can drive through Byers Canyon (across the river from the track) on US-40. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111977 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Byers Canyon Grand County, CO 62 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The head water of the Colorado River are mainly ice-covered in the middle of Byers Canyon, just west of Sulphur. This UP manifest is making good time as is rolls down grade through the canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111976 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby to Sulphur (MP 76.2 to MP 84.6) Grand County, CO 38 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 7504 leads the only UP manifest that still runs on the Moffat, the manifest that runs between North Yard in Denver and the Grand Junction Yard. Typically, the westbound train departs North Yard in the darkest hours of the night. However, problems with UP's MPUNY (on the Joint Line) resulted in the power on that train getting to North Yard much later than expected. That power as needed for the MNYGJ (seen here), delaying the departure of the MNYGJ. The result was a great daylight chase on the Moffat. The ski resort you see in the distance in the small resort of Granby Ranch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111975 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby to Sulphur (MP 76.2 to MP 84.6) Grand County, CO 53 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's MNYGJ is in one of the few stretches of track on the Moffat where the maximum authorized speed for freight trains is 60 MPH (and for passenger, it is 70 MPH). This is just west of Granby, on a stretch of track with minimal curves. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111958 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tabernash (9,830 ft) Grand County, CO 36 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 7 and AMTK 23 lead the westbound Zephyr, running right on time as it heads west on the main at Tabernash. The Zephyr still runs exclusively with P42DCs. The new ALC Chargers require a fuel additive called DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) as they are Tier-4 compliant. Rumor has it that Amtrak has been unable to find a DEF provider for Denver. Denver is the refuel spot for the Zephyr between Chicago and Emeryville. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111957 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS065 (East Tabernash) Grand County, CO 45 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak It's station stop in Fraser complete, the westbound California Zephyr passes underneath US-40 on a clear (green) signal at East Tabernash. Note the slopes of the Winter Park Resort. Around 400 of the skiers on those slopes took the morning Winter Park Express! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111033 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Gore Canyon Grand County, CO 176 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The mountain walls of Gore Canyon tower in the distance as a westbound coal empty emerges from Tunnel 38 on the approach to Azure. Six units lead the empty, which is headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111032 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 38 (MP 110.0, 100 ft) Grand County, CO 124 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The last tunnel at the west end of Gore Canyon is Tunnel 38. It is 100 feet in length and gives way to the open valley between Gore Canyon and Little Gore Canyon. Six units move through the tunnel on the point of a westbound coal empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111031 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Gore Canyon Grand County, CO 113 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound coal empty approaches an intermediate signal near the west end of Gore Canyon. The Colorado River is near its lowest point now toward the end of summer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111030 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 37 (MP 109.0, 134 ft) Grand County, CO 222 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In 1906, surveyors for David Moffat decided that Gore Canyon was the route the railroad would take on its way west. Four tunnels were built through some of the solid rock faces. 118 years later, a westbound UP coal empty, headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Sub, is moving through Tunnel 36 and Tunnel 37 toward the west end of the canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111029 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 37 (MP 109.0, 134 ft) Grand County, CO 186 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific One of the most scenic (and inaccessible) canyons the Moffat travels through is Gore Canyon. Steep canyon walls on both sides of the canyon create incredibly dramatic views. A westbound coal empty moves in and out of both Tunnel 36 and Tunnel 37 as it navigates the canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111028 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sulphur to Flat (MP 86.2 to MP 92.3) Grand County, CO 123 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The mainline between Sulphur and Gore Canyon straightens out...at least relative to most of the mountain railroading of the Moffat...allowing for an increase in speed. Amtrak can actually go 70 MPH through here. This coal empty has accelerated up to around 50 MPH as it approaches a clear (green) signal at the east end of Flat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

Next Page