Photo ID: 109165 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 321 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak It is becoming less and less common to find "private varnish"...privately owned passenger cars...on the tail end of Amtrak. Amtrak has raised the rates and limited the cities they'll pick up or drop off. However, on this afternoon, a nearly four hour late #5 has three as the train climbs toward Big Ten Loop. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109079 Date Shot Photo By Monday, May 8, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 379 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak May and June are my two favorite months in the Denver area. They tend to be the two greenest months of the year. The fields here are greening up in the temperate weather after some good snow and a few rains earlier. The Zephyr is climbing toward Big Ten Loop and, in just a few minutes, will be knocking down a clear (green) signal at the east end of Eisele (Clay) near the top of the shot in the background. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109061 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 30, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 353 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is a beautiful afternoon on the final day of April for 2023 as a unit UP oil train descends from Big Ten Loop, through the S-Curve, toward the west switch of Rocky. The terrain is starting to green up a bit after a fairly wet winter. Most of the tress in the area are still largely naked as a colder-than-average March and April have delayed the appearance of leaves. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108977 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, February 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 403 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The best winter mornings in Colorado are the ones that have a crystal clear blue sky the the day after several inches of fresh snow fell. Such was the case on this February morning as the westbound Zephyr, running about 30 minutes late, rounds Big Ten Curve. You can clearly see the hoppers filled with concrete and dirt on the inside of the curve, now having served as a wind break for over 50 years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108976 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, February 16, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 432 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak You could not ask for a better morning to be riding the westbound Zephyr out of Denver! A blizzard the day before left about 6 inches of fresh snow across the Front Range. It is only 14°F (-10°C) outside as the Zephyr climbs up to Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108954 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, January 24, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 320 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak, BNSF The westbound Zephyr typically leaves Denver during the morning hours and is generally backlit from the morning sun. So when the Zephyr is running late, there is a chance the sun will be far enough to the west for some front lighting. Ironically, on this day, the Zephyr was so late (at over seven hours), the train was already in the shadows of the mountains by the time it reached Big Ten Loop! A BNSF ES44C4 leads the train west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108914 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 18, 2022 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 392 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Three units lead up the westbound Denver-Provo as the train passes by the hoppers that have served as a wind break on the inside of the curve for the past 50 years. All of the cars have been covered in graffiti from top to bottom. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108913 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 18, 2022 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 414 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF's Denver-Provo was called in Denver at 7:05am. Four hours later and the train is climb the through the S-Curve from the west switch of Rocky (out of frame to the right) up to the top of Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108844 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 11, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 612 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak After climbing up and around Big Ten Loop, the Zephyr is now moving northwest (geographically) after having been moving southeast just minute earlier. The train is looking at an Approach (yellow) signal at east Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108843 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, November 11, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 638 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Just west of Rocky, the westbound Zephyr is climbing up toward Big Ten Loop. Within just a few minutes, the train will be headed the opposite direction on the track higher up in the shot. The Zephyr is also rolling very slow at 10 MPH as there is a slow order around Big Ten Loop due to high winds on this morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108839 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 7, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 672 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An eastbound BNSF (empty) grain train slowly descends down from Big Ten Loop toward a red signal at the west switch of Rocky. UP's dispatcher is waiting to hear from the BNSF yard master as to whether or not they can take the train. If the wait will be too long, the train can be lined in to the siding at Rocky. As it turns out, the wait was not long, and the empty received a clear signal after just a few minutes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108781 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 15, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 739 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) RMR It would appear the conductor on the westbound "Rockies to the Red Rocks" in taking in the views with a few shots from along the long hood as the train climbs up Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108677 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 4, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 731 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An AC4400CW, an ET44AC, and an ES44AC lead a westbound coal empty as it snakes its way around Big Ten and toward a clear signal at the east end of Eisele (Clay). After getting flagged by a red signal at west Rocky, the coal empty has creeped up Big Ten! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108657 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 3, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 654 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF In the distance, a westbound BNSF manifest sits in the siding at Rocky while its eastbound counterpart slowly makes its way around Big Ten Curve, descending from Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108656 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 3, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 810 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF You have to appreciate the design and engineering that went in to the create of Little Ten and Big Ten curves. In a time before computers or drones, engineers found a way for the tracks to rapidly gain elevation over a very short distance (as the crow flies). An eastbound and a westbound manifest demonstrate the architecture in this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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