Photo ID: 111001 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 32 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The sun is getting much lower in the western sky earlier in the day as we get closer to the end of the summer. Passengers on the eastbound Zephyr enjoy last afternoon views as the train accelerates into Barbara's Gulch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111000 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak In the rays of the setting sun, you can see a little exhaust kicking up on the Zephyr as the train accelerates a bit, approaching the east end of Rocky where speed limits increase. The westbound oil empty on the siding is starting to accelerate as well, the head end already past west Rocky and out on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110999 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 30 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak With a westbound oil train in the clear in the siding at Rocky, the Zephyr is looking at a clear (green) signal at the west end of Rocky. When Daylight Savings time ends in November, the sun will have set here by the time the eastbound Zephyr arrives, even when it is running right on time. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110998 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 29 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr is creeping along at 10 MPH due to a slow order around Big Ten Curve. The slow order is in place due to the risk of sun kinks in the rails as a result of hot summer temperatures. Granted, at this point, it is only about 80°F (27°C) out. You can just barely see the east end of Rocky and the start of Barbara's Gulch in the top left portion of the image. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110997 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak As the Zephyr rounds Big Ten Curve, you can clearly see the roughly 2% grade of the tracks as they descend down from the mountains. Off in the distance, the buildings consisting of the skyline of downtown Denver stand tall. In an hour, give or take, the Zephyr will be amongst those iron giants for its station stop at Denver Union Station. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110996 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 30 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Most of Eisele (Clay) is cast in the shadows of the mountains at 5:45pm this time of year. However, there are a few sections toward the east end that are still lit, and the head end of the Zephyr enters one such section here. Not the westbound UP oil train in the distance at Little Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110995 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 31 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound empty oil train, led by an SD70ACe and two ES44ACs pull along the jointed rail of the siding. The house track, which is currently empty, has the derail aligned at the east end. The train will not have long to wait as it is waiting for the eastbound Zephyr. The Zephyr is currently at Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110994 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 28 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The signal at the east end of Rocky show a Diverging Approach (red over yellow) signal for an approaching westbound oil train. Note the switch, which is bent for the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110985 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 37 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The siding of Plain was originally named Plainview. Rio Grande shortened the names of many of its sidings to save time when talking about them. Plainview was changed to Plain. Pinecliff to Cliff. Rollinsville to Rollins. Plainview's name is very well deserved as you can see out and over the plains of Colorado. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110984 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific One of the routes originally explored by David Moffat's team involved going up Coal Creek Canyon. The route would have required a tunnel a couple miles long and the route was originally scrapped in favor of the route we have today. CO-72 now follows much of that route surveyed, crossing underneath the tracks here at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110983 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 31 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An SD70ACe leads three GEs through the S-Curves at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. The body of water off in the distance is Standley Lake, a main source of drinking water for the Denver suburb of Westminster. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110982 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 32 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Wrapping through the S-Curves at Blue Mountain Drive, an empty oil train heads west. It will load at the transload facility in Wash, UT. UP is pretty inconsistent with the power it places on westbound oil trains. This particular one is running with four units on the head end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110981 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound oil empty comes around the bend from Eisele (Clay) on the approach tot he grade crossing at Blue Mountain. Really like how well the Denver skyline shows up from this perspective. Fortunately, it is a crystal clear day as well. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110965 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 30, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 40 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Since the Dotsero Cutoff was completed in the summer of 1934, the owner of the line (Rio Grande, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific) ran manifests between Denver and Salt Lake City. That is, until December 2018 when UP ran the last MRONY (Roper, UT to North Yard, CO). Amazing it has been almost six years since then! Now, UP runs a manifest three days a week between Denver and Grand Junction (and back). Here, the eastbound version of the MGJNY is leaving the east end of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110964 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 30, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After meeting the Zephyr at Rocky, this MGJNY is headed east on the main at Leyden. The train likely has more empties than loads, as the two GEs on the point are the only two units on the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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