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Photo ID: 113720
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
56
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer
One things that is not always immediately obvious when seeing shots of the nose of the GP40-3s on the Canyon spirit is that the shield/logo on the nose is not actually on the nose! It is a physical shield mounted ahead of the hand rails, above the anti-climber. You can clearly see it in this shot. The nose itself is just blue. Here, the Canyon Spirit is just east of Tunnel 1, descended toward the base of Coal Creek Canyon.
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Photo ID: 113719
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
46
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer
Not sure if it was due to Union Pacific slow order, mechanical issues, or just a choice to provide passengers longer views, but the Canyon Spirit was rolling along at 12 MPH here just east of Tunnel 1. One of the great things about the Canyon Spirit is that passengers are allowed to actually open vestibule doors and look out. A practice that Amtrak banned years ago.
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Photo ID: 113718
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Jefferson County, CO
38
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer
The Canyon Spirit rolls by the new Canyon Pines neighborhood, annexed by the City of Arvada about a decade ago. While roads are all complete for the neighborhood, no construction on any houses has actually started yet. The Canyon Spirit is coming up to the west portal of Tunnel 1. Eventually, a few houses will be located atop of Tunnel 1 (though north of the actual rails).
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Photo ID: 113717
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Jefferson County, CO
39
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer
Just east of Plain, the eastbound Canyon Spirit is on the move and approaching Tunnel 1. Way off in the distance, you can see the Valmont Power Station. The power plant shut down its last coal generator in 2017. It now has solar arrays onsite, and a natural gas generator that can provide 70 MW during peak demands. Although you cannot see it, the BNSF Front Range Sub runs right by the reservoir.
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Photo ID: 113651
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
60
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer
Both Canyon Spirit GP40-3s were mechanically good to go to start the 2026 season. Under overcast skies, the first revenue run of the Canyon Spirit rolls west of Tunnel 1, headed for Glenwood Springs today. The train departs Denver on Tuesdays and stays overnight in Glenwood Springs. On Wednesdays, it continues to Moab, UT. On Thursdays, it now continues west to Salt Lake City, UT (running over Soldier Summit). Fridays, it starts the return journey and stays in Moab again. Saturdays, it'll go east to Glenwood Springs, and Sundays, it returns to Denver. It does not run on Mondays.
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Photo ID: 113650
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
70
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer
One of my personal favorite aspects of having the Canyon Spirit running on the Moffat is the power. Having the unique passenger train is certainly great, but as a railfan that grew up with Rio Grande in the 1980s, seeing class EMD spartan cabs makes me very happy. Here, the Canyon Spirit has emerged from Tunnel 1 and is continuing west toward Plain.
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Photo ID: 113645
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
69
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
This Tuesday morning started with overcast skies that would eventually clear up for some sun. The clouds actually added some nice dynamics in this shot of the westbound Zephyr, which just left Tunnel 1 and is approaching the east switch of Plain around the bend to the west.
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Photo ID: 113571
Date Shot
Photo By
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
101
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
This morning's Zephyr is almost two hours late after a delay in Denver. The lead unit on the Zephyr, AMTK 150, was taken from the Winter Park Express power. It is unclear why it was necessary to swap power. It is possible that AMTK 150 is due for a 92-day inspection and, as a result, had to be swapped and sent west to Emeryville. In any case, the Zephyr is just west of Tunnel 1, coming up to Plain.
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Photo ID: 113564
Date Shot
Photo By
Monday, March 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
82
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
Just a little over an hour late, the Zephyr climbs the grade from the base of Coal Creek Canyon up toward the east portal of Tunnel 1.
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Photo ID: 113490
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
134
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
Skiers have to be pretty happy to see a fresh dusting of snow along the Front Range as the Winter Park Express climbs the grade from the base of Coal Creek Canyon toward Tunnel 1. While it is only 7°F (-14°C) here along the Front Range, it around 25°F (-4°C) in Winter Park. Still cold, but not quite a frigid as here.
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Photo ID: 113488
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, January 23, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
182
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
On an frigid, overcast morning, the westbound Winter Park Express rounds the curve from Eisele (Clay) on the approach to the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive.
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Photo ID: 113434
Date Shot
Photo By
Thursday, December 4, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
158
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
The morning Zephyr has wrapped around the base of Coal Creek Canyon and is now heading geographically east as it heads timetable west, climbing up the grade toward the east portal of Tunnel 1.
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Photo ID: 113284
Date Shot
Photo By
Thursday, November 6, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
181
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
The Zephyr is just starting is journey up and into the Rocky Mountains as it wraps around the curve toward Blue Mountain Drive. The Denver skyline stands tall off in the distance, 23 rail-miles to the east.
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Photo ID: 112972
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 31, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
535
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
This is the way to tour the country! The Northern Sky belongs to Northern Sky Charters, and as the name implies, you too can charter this car. Not sure what the cost is, but it is looking pretty good on the tail end of the Zephyr this morning, just west of Eisele (Clay).
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Photo ID: 112663
Date Shot
Photo By
Friday, June 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0)
Arvada, CO
325
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak
One of the most uniquely painted locomotives is certainly AMTK 203. It was painted in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Operation Lifesaver. I think the designers did a very good job of using one of the two parts of the cross in the railroad crossing signal to wrap around the base of the nose. Unfortunately, the unit was the trailing unit this morning.
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