Photo ID: 106318 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 8, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1506 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak To help advertise the Winter Park Express (the new Ski Train), Amtrak applied some wraps to three Superliners and the trailing F40PH. Hopefully, the wrap will help in attracting customers to the train, helping it to be successful. The train will run on weekends through March 26, 2017. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106275 Date Shot Photo By Monday, December 12, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1586 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF It is a beautiful Colorado morning in December, and this eastbound BNSF manifest sports quite a load of power! Seven units (not all of which are online) lead up the Lincoln, NE-bound train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106274 Date Shot Photo By Monday, December 12, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1544 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An eastbound BNSF manifest passes by a UP track gang at Plain. The track gang is currently having a job briefing regarding the work they are going to get done for the day. The BNSF train will meet Amtrak at Rocky. After the Zephyr passes by Plain, the track gang will get some track and time and get to work. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106223 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1567 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus still moves from city-to-city by rail. It is by far the most efficient way to move such a large operation. The circus actually has two shows running somewhere in the United States at any one time. As a result, the circus actually has two complete train sets. One is referred to as the "Red Train" and one is referred to as the "Blue Train". This is the Blue Train, and an example coach car on it. Performers essentially live on the train through the 11 month tour season. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106222 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1699 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey On a beautiful, crystal clear Colorado morning, the eastbound circus train descends down the main at Plain on its way into Denver. UP found some very nice power for the "Blue Train" for its trip from Salt Lake City (where the show closed two days earlier) to Denver (where the show opens the in two days). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106221 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1489 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey With elephants no longer a part of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus, the circus train is now once again running over the Moffat (rather than through Wyoming) when moving between Denver and Salt Lake City. Such was the case on this morning as the circus is coming to Denver! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106065 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1308 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A single SD70ACe leads an eastbound coal load down the main at Plain. The train held the main at Crescent in order to meet a very late (six hours) California Zephyr. After clouds build, threatening the possibility of a thunderstorm. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106064 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1329 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific I was trapped on the uphill side of this coal train (meaning I could not drive away until it passed), so I decided to wander around the area and came up with a bit of an artsy shot between a pair of trees not far away from the tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106063 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1978 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific What's this? A coal train!? Funny how ten years ago, the Moffat was busting at the seams (no pun intended) with coal trains. Now, the Moffat regularly goes days between coal trains. In fact, there are only two mines left in Colorado (as of this photo) that are loading on trains*. The West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch and the Energy Mine on the Craig Branch. This particularly train loaded at Energy. * Axial Mine on the Craig Branch does still loads trains, but they are "captive trains"...they run between the mine and the Hayden and Ute Power Plants in the Steamboat and Craig area. The trains never leaves the Craig Branch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106062 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1519 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound appears from behind the trees at Plain on the approach to the grade crossing. The two cars in the house track actually derailed on the MNYRO nearly two months ago. There is apparently no urgency to get them fixed and on their way! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106005 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, May 26, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1680 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound California Zephyr, running about 15 minutes early, rolls down the main track at Plain. Amtrak is the third of three non-freight trains to descend the Moffat this afternoon! UP's Engineering Special and EMD's Testing Special have both already passed by. Amtrak here is sporting a standard consist that includes two P42DCs, baggage car, three sleepers, dining car, sightseer lounge car, and three coaches. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105940 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1528 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF I was really hoping the sun would still be far enough to the east to offer up some light along the left side of the train. Turns on the train was headed directly into the sun at this point, so neither side would have been ideal. Ah well! Six units lead up BNSF's Provo to Lincoln manifest as it glides down the main at Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105939 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1611 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An eastbound BNSF manifest comes through Rainbow Cut and approaches the grade crossing at Plain. Also at Plain are a pair of cars involved in a derailment a week earlier. They have been sitting on the siding (making it unusable for meets) ever since. Later in the afternoon, the West Local would come up to Plain and move the cars from the siding over to the House Track, finally freeing the siding up for DS-82. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105930 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, April 30, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1475 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of cars that were involved in a derailment a few days earlier sit on the siding (not the house track) at Plain on the last day of April. A descent winter storm blew through the area five weeks after winter ended. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105929 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, April 30, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1504 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A few days prior to this picture, the MNYRO derailed a few cars between Plain and Crescent. It was a minor derailment (no cars fell over), but the two cars involved were set out at Plain. For reasons unknown to me, the cars were not spotted on the house track. Instead, they were put on the siding just west of the grade crossing and a portable derail was put on the rail. The cars would remain there for a week, preventing Plain from being used for meets. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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