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Photo ID: 113232
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, October 17, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rocky (7,330ft)
Arvada, CO
97
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Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
One of the shortest BNSF Provo-Denver manifests I've seen, comprised entirely of tank cars, is in the process of tying down in the siding at Rocky. The conductor has just set the derail and is walking back to the lead unit. If you are wondering how you can tell this is not an oil train, the lack of a buffer car (typically a covered hopper) right after the lead power is a dead tell.
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Photo ID: 113231
Date Shot
Photo By
Thursday, October 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
77
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF
MRL 4310 has been hanging out in the Denver area lately. Or, more specifically, it has made a few round trips between Denver and Provo over the Moffat. It was the last DPU on this Provo-Denver this morning...unfortunately, facing into the train. A horse grazes on some grass for breakfast in the distance.
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Photo ID: 113230
Date Shot
Photo By
Thursday, October 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9)
Arvada, CO
77
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Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
Three SD70ACes lead an eastbound BNSF manifest, the daily Provo-Denver, out the east end of Leyden, trees still holding a lot of their falls colors here at roughly 5,500 feet above sea level.
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Photo ID: 113229
Date Shot
Photo By
Thursday, October 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
76
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
BNSF's daily Provo-Denver rolls east on the main track at Leyden. Trees are all in various states of fall color transformation, with a lot of maple trees sporting a bright red.
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Photo ID: 113186
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2)
Arvada, CO
134
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
You can see three mid-train swing helpers off in the distance, and a single one at the tail end of this MNYGJ. This thrice weekly manifest is typically called in the evening, around 6pm. And, as a result, it typically departs North Yard westbound well after dark. However, it was called at 2pm today (for whatever reason), and made it west just before the light was gone.
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Photo ID: 113185
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2)
Arvada, CO
137
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
The sun has just dipped behind the Rocky Mountains to the west as a single DPU on the tail end of this manifest, headed for Grand Junction, rolls west through Barbara's Gulch. Due to the length of the train (117 cars), there is also a trio of mid-train swing helpers.
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Photo ID: 113184
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2)
Arvada, CO
144
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
It is just moments before the sun dips behind the Rocky Mountains to the west, although direct sunlight is not apparent here as there are clouds in the western sky. This MNYGJ has 117 cars and is roughly 7,000 feet in length as it roles west through Barbara's Gulch.
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Photo ID: 113183
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2)
Arvada, CO
136
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
The second of two UP manifests heads west through Barbara's Gulch. This is the first time in I don't know how many years that UP ran two manifests on the same day. Even more impressive is that both ran in daylight. This MNYGJ is headed for Grand Junction. It has 117 cars!
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Photo ID: 113182
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft)
Arvada, CO
169
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
An 84-car extra rolls west on the main at Eisele (Clay). Of the 84 cars on the train, 81 of them are loaded! If you look closely, you might notice a pair of mid-train swing helpers right at the east switch of the siding right now.
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Photo ID: 113181
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay))
Arvada, CO
141
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
Two GEs and an SD70ACe lead a very rare extra manifest at the east switch of Eisele (Clay). The crew for the train went on duty at 12:30pm. Since UP eliminated hostlers in Denver, the crew had to get the power and build the train themselves. That took the better part of five hours to accomplish. The train is setup in a 3x2x1 configuration, and there are 84 cars on the train.
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Photo ID: 113180
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2)
Arvada, CO
150
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
At first glance, this might appear to be a unit covered hopper train. While it is almost exclusively covered hoppers, you can see two tank cars off in the distance. This is an extra train, with the symbol MDVBOX-27. All the cars on this train are headed for industries on the Craig Branch. Normally, the cars would be added to the MNYGJ and the cars would be set out at Bond. However, the sheer volume of cars have necessitated this extra train. A rare sight indeed on the Moffat.
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Photo ID: 113104
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, September 15, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Plain (6,530 ft)
Arvada, CO
334
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
An eastbound BNSF oil train passes by a UP work train at Plain. UP is in the process of changing out ties on the Moffat. The work train has tie plates in the gondolas, and will drop tie plates in piles along the right-of-way so they are ready to be used with new ties. The conductor from the work train is on the ground, giving a roll-by to the long BNSF oil train.
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Photo ID: 113103
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, September 15, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rainbow Cut
Arvada, CO
323
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
A trio of GEs, setup elephant-style, lead a loaded oil train east at Plain. The train is on the main as it comes through Rainbow Cut. I really like this perspective as you can see back to the west end of Plain, Tunnel 2, and Tunnel 3. The train is still making its way through both of those tunnels.
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Photo ID: 113093
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, September 15, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS016 (East Rocky)
Arvada, CO
288
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
The Zephyr has reduced its length from nine Superliners to seven Superliners, cutting one sleeper and one coach. This is pretty common at the end of the summer, when demand for Amtrak rail travel decreases a bit.
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Photo ID: 113092
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, September 15, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS016 (East Rocky)
Arvada, CO
329
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
Two Patrick Henry cars are catching a ride on the back of the westbound California Zephyr. The Zephyr is taking the siding at Rocky to meet an eastbound BNSF manifest, which you can see holding the main in the distance.
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