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Monday, March 2, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1352 (Add a Comment)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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Union Pacific
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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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Monday, February 2, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1707 (Add a Comment)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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Amtrak
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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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Friday, January 23, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1918 (2 Comments Posted)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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Union Pacific
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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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Friday, January 23, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1363 (Add a Comment)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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BNSF
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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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Friday, January 23, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1415 (Add a Comment)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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BNSF
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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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Friday, January 23, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1395 (Add a Comment)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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BNSF
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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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Wednesday, January 7, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Chemical (MP 14.5)
Arvada, CO
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1405 (Add a Comment)
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Moffat Tunnel (UP)
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Union Pacific
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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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