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Photo ID: 106386
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1390
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
I was hoping that this 14-hour-late Zephyr might actually be late enough to be held at Rocky or Leyden in order to meet the morning Zephyr. Turns out that wasn't the case...dispatch got the train as close to Denver as possible. #6 had to hold at the Pecos Crossover to wait for #5, causing it to lose even more time. The station in Denver can now only support two non-commuter trains. Most of the year, that would allow both #5 and #6 to be in the station at the same time if necessary. But right now, in January, the Winter Park Express Ski Train is taking up one of the tracks, requiring the very late #6 to wait at Pecos. Here, the train is headed toward a clear signal at east Leyden.
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Photo ID: 106385
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1441
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
One of the challenges of shooting the Zephyr in the Denver area is the time of day the train comes through. Both Zephyrs are typically backlit as the westbound Zephyr leaves in the morning and the eastbound Zephyr arrives in the evening. Once in awhile, though, one of the Zephyr will run late...so late that the tables are turned. Such a turning of the tables happened on this frigid January morning when the eastbound Zephyr (from the day before) was 14 hours late! That allowed for a run in to Denver in the early morning light. Here, the train is moving at track speed on the main at Leyden. A fresh dusting of snow on the mountains in the distance.
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Photo ID: 106384
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1447
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
The eastbound Zephyr heads down the main at Leyden in...morning light? Yep! Due to problems on Donner Pass, yesterday's Zephyr got delayed 14 hours!!! While I certainly feel bad for the passengers and crew, it was great shooting the Zephyr in Denver in morning sunlight.
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Photo ID: 106383
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1446
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
While the MRONY had an all-EMD consist on the head end, it is not an all-EMD consist for the entire train! The sole DPU on the tail end is an ES44AC. This train must have topped 6,000 feet in length.
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Photo ID: 106382
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1453
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
This GP40-2 (of Espee heritage) is catching a lift on the MRONY from Grand Junction to Denver. It is likely due for a 90 day inspection that will be done at North Yard. Hopefully no major issues are found. With Burnham closing nearly a year ago now, if there are any major issues, the unit will need to be shipped to North Little Rock, AR for repairs.
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Photo ID: 106381
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1497
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
One particularly nice thing about overcast days like this one is it allows for some good shots from the north side of the rails! On a sunny day, regardless of the time of year, most of this eastbound manifest would be cast in shadows here at Leyden.
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Photo ID: 106368
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, January 21, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1271
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
BNSF 4700-4719 were the last units delivered to BNSF in the Warbonnet scheme before orange completely took over. One of the units from this range (as well as one of the older ones from the 3-digit range) showed up on the Denver-Provo on this Saturday morning.
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Photo ID: 106367
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, January 21, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1349
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
I got a heads up Saturday morning that BNSF's westbound Denver-Provo manifest would likely have two Warbonnets in the consist. Based on the way it appeared in the computer, it looked as though the Warbonnets were going to be the DPUs on the end of the train. Alas, the computer was playing games. Turned out they were second and third. But still, a pair of Warbonnets, regardless of where in the consist, is something I'll take any day!
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Photo ID: 106366
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1307
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
The power on the head end of this eastbound has a pretty good variety of "through the years GE engines"! The first and fifth units are good old AC4400CWs. The second and third units are much newer ES44ACs. The fourth unit is a C44/60AC. This was once an AC6000CW with a 6000 HP prime mover. But after the relative failure of the 6000 HP experiment of the late 1990s and early 2000s, UP has converted it back to a 4400 HP prime mover.
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Photo ID: 106365
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1304
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
These days, it is fairly typical for UP to run trains over the Moffat (including manifests) with 3-4 units on the point and 1-2 DPUs on the tail end. A little unusual to find five units all on the point. No complaints here though! The five GEs look good leading a unit covered-hopper train east toward North Yard.
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Photo ID: 106364
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1311
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
An unusual eastbound UP manifest heads down the main at Leyden. Five units on the point and then a train of covered hoppers. Other than the MNYRO/MRONY, this is the only other manifest that runs semi-regularly on the Moffat. This is the MPHNYX. It came from Phippsburg on the Craig Branch and most of these covered hoppers came from customers in the Craig, CO area. I say this train (and its counterpart, the MNYPHX) is semi-regular because it only runs once a month or so! It only runs as necessitated by demand. That is why the "X" is on the end of the symbol. That indicates "Extra", or unscheduled. Catching it at Leyden on this day was pure luck!
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Photo ID: 106363
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1240
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
An eastbound BNSF manifest holds in the siding at Leyden due to a switch malfunction at Fox Jct. When DS-86 attempted to throw the switch, it failed halfway through is throwing motion, leaving the points centered and no route aligned! The switch could not even be taken into hand throw. So, unable to reach the yard, the Provo-Denver waits! (I am not sure why the train couldn't cross over to BNSF's main at Utah Jct and run through Rennicks to Prospect Jct.)
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Photo ID: 106360
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1371
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) NS, BNSF
It's been awhile since I had seen an SD9043MAC on the Moffat! UP has sold off much of their SD9043MAC fleet in the last few years. In fact, one such SD9043MAC went from UP to CIT Leasing (and Indiana Railroad) and now to Norfolk Southern. It is the third unit on this Denver-Provo at Leyden...light quickly fading.
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Photo ID: 106359
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1403
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) NS, BNSF
Normally, I wouldn't bother trying to get a shot in such extreme low-light conditions. However, with SD9043MACs all but gone from US railroads, I figured it was worth it! This SD9043MAC went from UP to Indiana Railroad. The shortline received four of these (on lease) from CIT Leasing in July 2016. It was either a very short lease, or Indiana Railroad was not happy with the units. Whatever the reason, Norfolk Southern bought them and, as you can see, patched them. But for now, they are still in Indiana Railroad colors. So this was an interesting catch worth the low-light conditions!
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Photo ID: 106358
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Leyden (7,020ft)
Arvada, CO
1372
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
Apologies for the grainly/low-light shot here. It is nearly a half hour past sunset as this BNSF Denver-Provo manifest heads slowly west at Leyden. The train would have arrived much sooner (and with more light), but it developed engine problems after leaving Denver and creeped up and in to Leyden at 10 MPH. The train will stop ahead between switches to figure out the problem.
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