Photo ID: 105887 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 10, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1437 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The two DPUs on the tail end of this coal empty are passing from sunlight toward shadow amongst a lot of foliage at the west end of Barbara's Gulch. The gulch gets very narrow for the last few hundred feet. Note the bridge to the left. This is the CO-93 overpass. Also, in the distance toward the top of the frame, you can see the wind break hoppers on Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105886 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 10, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1386 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Chicago North Western On was on the wrong side of the train (light-wise) to get a great shot of this guy, but thought it was worth adding, regardless. A former CNW AC4400CW assists on this westbound coal empty. Prior to being assimilated by Union Pacific, this unit was CNW 8820. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105885 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 10, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1289 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Who would have thought (even two years ago) that coal trains would become something of a rarity on the Moffat? With the sharp decrease in demand for coal, the Moffat is only seeing a couple of coal trains per week. One such example was this West Elk-bound empty. The train will meet an eastbound manifest at Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105884 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 10, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1321 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An early morning coal empty rolls west in Barbara's Gulch. This coal train is part of a contract for a few businesses in Texas. It will load at the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch and then return east and south to Texas. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105864 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1506 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The power on this manifest, setup "elephant-style", represents many decades of motive power! It is led by a C44AC-CTE, followed by an SD70AH, an SD70M, a GP38-2 leaser, and a GP40-2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105863 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 7, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1502 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An interesting collision of both light and shadow in Barbara's Gulch as the eastbound MRONY (Manifest, Roper, UT to North Yard, CO) glides east. A winter storm is spilling in over the mountains, encroaching on the morning light. This shot, from the south side of Barbara's Gulch, is one that I've wanted to try for awhile! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105814 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1476 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific I didn't have quite enough time to set up for a better picture of the MNYRO on this morning. A pair of units lead up a train of 60 or so cars in Barbara's Gulch. The last 40 or so cars are all empty coal hoppers. Most likely, they will be dropped off in Grand Junction, loaded on the North Fork Branch, and return to Denver and spotted in the Arvada siding to be used as coal for Coors in Golden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105808 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 8, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1301 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific So this is what constitutes a train on the Moffat in 2016, eh? This light power move is actually headed for Phippsburg on the Craig Branch. UP runs coal trains that are "captive" to the Craig Branch. Essentially, the trains run from the Axial Mine to the Ute and Hayden power plants. All of this is located on the branch. The power used on those trains needs to be switched out from time-to-time (for maintenance, etc). So this power will be left in Phippsburg and, in a few days, the current shuttle power will likely run light back to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105717 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 10, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1579 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is approaching the narrowest part of Barbara's Gulch as it heads west through Arvada. Note the baggage car, one of the brand new baggage cars delivered to Amtrak in 2015. The new cars are climate controlled and allow Amtrak to far better-manage bags. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105716 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 10, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1264 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Running 4 1/2 hours late, the westbound Zephyr attempts to make up some time as it heads west through Barbara's Gulch. I'm not entirely sure what the cause was, but virtually all the time was lost the previous night between Lincoln and Hastings, NE. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105235 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1453 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While my oldest daughter was her horseback riding lesson, I had an hour of free time on Independence Day 2015. I heard a westbound on the scanner and headed for Barbara's Gulch just east of Rocky. The westbound, much to my delight, turned out to be a coal empty. With the sharp drop in coal demand in the last few years, it seems that coal trains are becoming more and more a novelty on the Moffat. An C44AC-CTE and a C44/60CW were the only two units on this light westbound. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104987 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 25, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1314 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This eastbound coal load is passing underneath CO-93 and headed in to Barbara's Gulch. The train has a single DPU here on the tail end - an SD70AH. This unit differs slightly from a standard SD70ACe because it weighs 7,000 pounds more. The frame is slightly thicker to add some extra weight. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104966 Date Shot Photo By Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1335 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A shortened westbound California Zephyr (only six Superliners instead of the typical seven) heads west through Barbara's Gulch. In peak passenger seasons, the Zephyr will run with nine Superliners. Eight tends to be the average. During the slow passenger season (typically winter), you'll usually find seven Superliners on the train. It has been said that Amtrak is taking advantage of the slow season to repair and/or refurbish some of the Superliners, hence only six on the train right now. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104965 Date Shot Photo By Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1577 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is running right on time as it enters the east end of Barbara's Gulch. Note the Lounge Car located directly behind the baggage car. This is a fairly recent change for the Zephyr. The theory that has been floated is that the change was made to reduce the exhaust fumes in the coach cars (where more passengers are theoretically located) caused by the train going through tunnels. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104960 Date Shot Photo By Friday, January 23, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1386 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An eastbound BNSF train makes its way east through Barbara's Gulch. If you look just above the train (on the left side of the photo), you can make out the tracks as they cut across the mountain at Eisele (formerly Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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