Photo ID: 109252 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 320 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific The West Local has just dropped three cars at the Arcosa Lightweight aggregate plant at the west end of the Rocky Flat Industrial Lead. With no cars to pick up today, the local is departing with just the two GP40-2s to head back to the main and back to Denver. An intense afternoon storm is currently resting over Boulder to the north. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109251 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 365 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific Many mainlines in the country have a lot of industries along the line that are serviced by local freights. Alas, the Moffat is not one of those mainlines. In fact, the only remaining industry served by a local between Denver and Bond is the Arcosa Lightweight aggregate plant. It is located at the far north end of the Rocky Flat Industrial Lead, about four miles north of Rocky. Here is an overview of the plant and almost two dozen covered hoppers at the plant. A pair of GP40-2s just dropped off three more covered hoppers for the plant. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109250 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 335 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific The Arcosa Lightweight aggregate plant at the west end of the Rocky Flats Industrial Lead has a lot of covered hoppers lined up on the two tracks at the plant, with UP 1507 spotting three more. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109249 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 300 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific At the Acrosa Lightweight aggregate plant at the west end of the Rocky Flat Industrial Lead, a pair of GP40-2s spot three covered hoppers. UP 1507, sporting baby wings, started life as SP 7129. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109074 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 5, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 5 (MP 26.1, 866 ft) Jefferson County, CO 185 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A little over a mile west of Plain, the westbound Zephyr is between Tunnel 5 and Tunnel 6, moving along at track speed. In just over half a mile, the Zephyr will make a hard turn to the left and dive into the Rocky Mountains, leaving amazing scenes of the plains behind. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109073 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 5, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 5 (MP 26.1, 866 ft) Jefferson County, CO 170 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is approaching Tunnel 5 in the Tunnel District. At 636 feet in length. Tunnel 5 is the longest tunnel the train will pass through so far on its way west. But there are plenty of tunnels ahead and that are quite a bit longer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109072 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 5, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 191 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak As the sightseer longue car emerges from the west end of Tunnel 3, the head end approaches the east end of Tunnel 4. This is why this area is called the Tunnel District! Trains just move in and out of tunnel for miles. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109054 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 5 (MP 26.1, 866 ft) Jefferson County, CO 223 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In between Tunnels 4 and 5, an AC4400CW brings up the end of a westbound empty oil train. The covered hopper visible in the shot is what is known as a "buffer car". It buffers the engine (or engines) and, therefore, any crew members from the tank cars that, once loaded, will be carrying crude oil. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109053 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 4 (MP 26.0, 174 ft) Jefferson County, CO 226 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A single AC4400CW brings up the tail end of an empty unit oil train as the train ahead of the DPU disappears in to Tunnel 4. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109052 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 4 (MP 26.0, 174 ft) Jefferson County, CO 205 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Over 100 tank cars snake their way through the lower part of the Tunnel District westbound. A sole DPU brings up the tail end of this empty unit oil train, which current has parts of the train in Tunnels 3 and 4. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109051 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 181 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP (empty) oil train emerges from the west portal of Tunnel 3. From Tunnel 1 to Tunnel 8, the tracks skirt the very eastern edge of the Rockies Mountains, offering amazing view of the plains. In the distance on the west side of the frame, you can catch a glimpse of the back half of the unit tank train, still on the main at Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109050 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 199 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In between Tunnels 2 and 3, three SD70ACes have this westbound oil empty on the move. In September 2013, the large fill on the left side of the frame was washed out by record levels of rail fall. The Moffat was closed for about a week as UP worked tirelessly to rebuild the fill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109045 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS025 (West Plain) Jefferson County, CO 281 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF In this shot, you can see from the head end of this manifest on the main at Plain on the left, all the way back to near the tail end at Tunnel 4 on the right. Despite having clear (green) signals coming down the Tunnel District, the crew was surprised to find a red signal at the west end of Plain when they emerged from Tunnel 2. The engineer put the train in emergency and toned the dispatcher. It appears it was an issue with PTC/CTC. Both ends of Plain were showing as "out of correspondence". The train recovered its air and continue east. While it did technically run through the red signal, there was zero advanced warning that the signal would be red, and the crew responded as best they could, acting in exactly the correct manner. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108922 Date Shot Photo By Friday, January 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS025 (West Plain) Jefferson County, CO 232 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Winter Park Express The 2023 Winter Park Express Ski Train leaves the west end of Plain and approaches the east portal of Tunnel 2. This year, the train only has five Superliners (four coaches and a lounge car). Demand must be a little lower for the season compared to previous years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108811 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 26, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 565 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 1982 leads a loaded unit oil train east through Tunnel 3 at the east end of the Tunnel District. The head end is passing the fill that washed out in 2013 after a "500 year flood" hit the Denver-Metro area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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