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Photo ID: 105043
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, March 2, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1387
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
The weather was a bit curious on this cold March morning. 15 minutes before taking this picture, you could clearly see all the way to Eisele to the west. Then, this fog rolled in, seemingly from nowhere! An eastbound coal load with a pair of SD70ACes emerges from the fog at Chem Spur. The train is headed for Xcel Energy's Valmont Power Plant in Boulder.
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Photo ID: 105042
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, March 2, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1352
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
Prior to this train, I don't recall the last time I saw a pair of EMDs leading a coal train on the Moffat! After several years of SD70ACes never showing up on UP coal trains, they have started showing up a lot more in the last year or so. It was a welcome site (and sound) when these two SD70ACes appeared out of the fog here at the east end of Barbara's Gulch at the old Chem Spur switch.
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Photo ID: 105000
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, February 2, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1707
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
A major snow storm hit the Illinois area the previous day, wreaking havoc on trains. Unfortunately, the Zephyr fell victim to the bad conditions and lost six hours between Chicago, IL and Omaha, NE. While not great for the passengers, it is nice for photography! When on time, both Zephyrs (eastbound and westbound) are always back lit around Denver. So it is nice to get some afternoon light here as the Zephyr heads west of Leyden on clear signals, trying to make up for some lost time.
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Photo ID: 104974
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1434
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
Now this is a bit odd. Four mid-train swing helpers! While I think I may have seen this once or twice in the past, I do not specifically recall when or where. Regardless, on this particular day, an ES44AC, an AC4400CW, a C44AC-CTE, and an SD70ACe all work together to control the coal loads speed as it heads in to Leyden.
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Photo ID: 104972
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1616
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
An eastbound coal load approaches West Leyden. The coal is headed for Xcel Energy's Cherokee Power Plant in northeast Denver. That power plant receives around three coal loads per week. Including empties, that is about six trains. Once the power plant is burning all natural gas (delivered via pipeline) by the end of 2017, it'll be that many fewer trains on the Moffat each week.
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Photo ID: 104971
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1531
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
It seems strange, but this is the first coal train I've shot on the Moffat in several weeks (if not months). Whereas the Moffat used to be running near capacity due to all the coal traffic, it almost seems to be a novelty to catch a coal train anymore. Here, this eastbound is running parallel to CO-72 west of Leyden.
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Photo ID: 104969
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1918
(2 Comments Posted)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
The power on this westbound manifest seems to reflect the current builder preference by railroads. GE is definitely the preferred builder over EMD and has been since the mid-to-late 1980s. The third unit is somewhat noteworthy. It is one of only C40-8Ws on UP's roster. The third unit, for that matter, is also somewhat rare. It is one of only 278 C44-9Ws that UP has. I say "rare" in the context of over 7,000 units on UP's roster as over 1,500 C44-9Ws on BNSF's roster.
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Photo ID: 104968
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1504
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
A westbound manifest (with a patched Espee leader) is about to pass by "Leyden Rock", a new neighborhood under development in between Leyden and Rocky. You can see some of the moved earth and marker sticks in the foreground. A year from now and this shot will be obscured by new houses that will soon be built here.
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Photo ID: 104964
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1363
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
Always nice to get a shot of a "goat boat" from time-to-time. The original Heritage scheme (seen here) is very close to the Great Northern railroad (ancestor of Burlington Northern), which had a goat in its herald, hence the "goat" part of the nickname. Second generation GE diesels (U25B, U30C, etc) were referred to as "U-boats". While a C44-9W is not necessary a "U-boat" in that sense, "boat" rhymes with "goat", so there ya go!
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Photo ID: 104963
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1415
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
Over the course of the last decade, BNSF's SD75Ms and SD75Is have bounced between active service and storage. With the recent boom in oil-by-rail, they have been reactivated. I am personally grateful for this as I never complain about seeing a Warbonnet through the view finder! Note the one (out of place) door on the long hood. You may also notice that the first number on the cab seems to be covered. That is because, in order to fit the (re)activated SD75s in to the roster, they were renumber from the 8200-series to the 200-series (their original numbers when delivered to Santa Fe).
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Photo ID: 104962
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1458
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
An eastbound BNSF manifest sports a mighty fine (and diverse) consist of power just west of Leyden. A BNSF ES44DC in the New Image scheme is on the point. A (borrowed) UP ES44AC is second out. The Warbonnet SD75M and (Original) Heritage C44-9W are looking pretty good.
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Photo ID: 104961
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1395
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
Most shots between Leyden and Rocky are taken from the north side of the tracks. However, with the continuing construction of Leyden Rock (a new neighborhood in Arvada) on the south side of the tracks, it is a bit easier to find new angles from the south side. Such is the case here as a BNSF manifest makes its way east toward Leyden where it will take the siding.
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Photo ID: 104929
Date Shot
Photo By
Thursday, January 15, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1391
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
An eastbound oil train passes by the location of what used to be Mesa Oil. This industry was served by UP's West Local. However, it moved to Denver a few years ago and is now served by the Denver and Rock Island. Mesa Oil allegedly moved because they were unhappy with UP's service.
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Photo ID: 104914
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1405
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
A recently set sun provides for a glowing backdrop as this eastbound coal load passes by a snow-covered fence and field just west of Leyden. Coal trains are slowly losing ground on the Moffat as the demand for coal decreases. On the North Fork Branch, Bowie Mine has reduced production and Somerset Mine has completely shutdown. Bowie Mine recently lost its coal contract with TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). On the Craig Branch, the mine at Energy produces roughly one loaded train per day. Energy is the supplier of coal for the Valmont Power Plant in Boulder and the Cherokee Power Plant in northeast Denver. Both of these plants will have switched to natural gas by the end of 2017. Those changes will probably eliminate 8-10 coal trains per week (loads and empties) from the Moffat.
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Photo ID: 104855
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
1586
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific
The west local head west, ducking under some low hanging clouds, as it passes the intermediate signal at Chemical. In addition to its standard compliment of covered hoppers, the train has eleven high side gondolas that will be dropped off at Rocky (in the house track) for maintenance of way.
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