Photo ID: 113209 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Volcano to Toponas (MP 143.6 to MP 151.3) Routt County, CO 28 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just around the corner from Tunnel 49, this once-weekly manifest has completed most of the steepest parts of the climb between Bond and Phippsburg. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113208 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 49 (MP 144.1, 299') Routt County, CO 25 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This 70-car manifest on the Craig Branch is leaving Volcano behind and is approaching the east portal of Tunnel 49. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113207 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS144 (West Volcano) Routt County, CO 44 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At the west switch of Volcano, this westbound UP manifest is making its way from Bond to Phippsburg. Volcano was named after a now-extinct volcano here in the area. It is the longest siding between Bond and Phippsburg at 7,470 feet. 20 years ago when multiple coal trains ran each day through here, Volcano was the only siding between Bond and Phippsburg long enough to accommodate meets. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113206 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rock Creek Canyon (MP 139.7 to MP 141.5) Routt County, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Rock Creek Canyon is a tremendously scenic part of the (former) Rio Grande. You can see the tracks to the right and the left. The tracks head away from the camera roughly one mile and then come back out, slowly gaining altitude. You can see the westbound manifest on the left, exiting the canyon. Note the substantial difference in elevation between the tracks to the right and the tracks to the left. A little fall foliage at the base of the canyon is just an added bonus. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113205 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 48 (MP 141.3, 290') Routt County, CO 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three GEs lead this westbound manifest, consisting almost exclusively of frac sand, as the head end crosses the bridges in Rock Creek Canyon. The train is also in Tunnel 48, Tunnel 47 (hidden behind Tunnel 48), and Tunnel 46. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113204 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 46 (MP 140.8, 656') Routt County, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This westbound manifest is existing Tunnel 46 and is approaching Tunnel 47 deep in Rock Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113203 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 30 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Routt County Road 4 runs from CO-131 from McCoy up to Crater. It is a dirt road that crosses the tracks at two grade crossing in close proximity at the Crater Loops. UP 6362 is approaching the upper grade crossing right now. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113202 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific 20 years ago, multiple coal trains traversed the Crater Loops here every day. Now, there are only two trains per week (save for the occasional extra here or there) that run on the Craig Branch between Bond and Phippsburg. This is one of the two trains, running from Bond to Phippsburg. There are two coal mines on the Craig Branch. There are a handful of power plants in the Steamboat and Craig area, all of which have planes to shift from coal to natural gas before 2030. As a result, one of the two remaining mines, Axial, is planning to stop coal operations by the end of 2025, moving from mining to reclamation (cleanup). The other mine, Energy, is still in operation with no immediate plans to shut down as of October 2025. The mine has 7-10 years of remaining coal in the current seam, but recent approval for expansion can add 1-2 years to that number. However, with that said, Energy is not loading coal trains that are leaving the Branch as of October 2025. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113201 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 33 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The "Crater Loops", which are a series of two 180° curves, were constructed to allow the railroad to climb at no more than a 2% grade as the Craig Branch makes its way from Bond up to Phippsburg (and beyond toward Steamboat and Craig). A mining operation, which has been in operation here for decades, is visible in the distance. Scoria (volcanic) rock is mined here and used in many places in Colorado and beyond. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113200 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 30 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6362 is climbing through the lower half of the long, winding S-Curve known as the Crate Loops. Crater comes from the name of a cinder cone that once dominated the landscape. It was a vent for a nearby (not extinct) volcanic system. The result of the volcanic system was millions of tons of scoria (volcanic rock) that has been mined for decades. In fact, the Denver and Rio Grande Western used the scoria for ballast. You can see the mining operation (which is still active in 2025) in the distance in this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111045 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 49 (299') Routt County, CO 238 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just west of Tunnel 49, the Phippsburg Local curves along the mainline of the Craig Branch on its journey west from Bond to the yard in Phippsburg. UP used to run a train between North Yard and Phippsburg (and back), but stopped doing that about five years ago. Now, instead, the MNYGJ and MGJNY pick up and/or setout cars at Bond for the Phippsburg Local. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111044 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 49 (299') Routt County, CO 345 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Not too far west of the siding of Volcano, the track make a near 180° turn to head toward Toponas (the next siding west) and, eventually, Phippsburg, CO. On the first curve, the tracks pass through Tunnel 49. A pair of GEs lead the Phippsburg Local as it approaches the tunnel. After this tunnel, there are six more the train will pass through prior to reaching the yard in Phippsburg. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111043 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS144 (West Volcano) Routt County, CO 285 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At the west end of Volcano, UP 6038 and UP 6543 lead 38 covered hoppers west on the Craig Branch. Volcano is the longest siding between Bond and Phippsburg, at 7,470 feet in length. It was a common place for coal loads to meet empties 20 years ago, when multiple coal trains were loaded a day on the branch. Today, the siding sits empty, no meets being required. Note the classic Denver and Salt Lake searchlight signals. It is not worth the investment from UP to upgrade the signals on this, the least-used stretch of mainline track with CTC in the country. Its almost surprising that UP hasn't shut down the CTC in favor of track warrants. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111042 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rock Creek Canyon Routt County, CO 253 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific When the Moffat route was originally built and the railroad was faced with Rock Creek Canyon, there were two options. Build a roughly 1,800 foot long bridge across the canyon, or build back into the canyon roughly a mile in and back out, where a fill and four tunnels could facilitate the journey. The railroad chose the latter option. The westbound Phippsburg Local has just completed that journey in and out, and is now continuing west toward Phippsburg. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111041 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 48 Routt County, CO 368 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Deep in Rock Creek Canyon, the Phippsburg Local emerges from Tunnel 48 on the Craig Branch. The west portal of Tunnel 46 is also visible on the right side of the frame. Tunnel 47 is obscured behind a curve. There are rumors that UP is trying to negotiate with UP to potentially bring daily passenger runs between Denver and Steamboat Springs. That would be great, allowing people to see the amazing scenery. Scenery that hasn't been scene by train passengers since the demise of the Yampa Valley Mail, the final train running on April 8, 1968. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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