Photo ID: 113104 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 15, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 283 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An eastbound BNSF oil train passes by a UP work train at Plain. UP is in the process of changing out ties on the Moffat. The work train has tie plates in the gondolas, and will drop tie plates in piles along the right-of-way so they are ready to be used with new ties. The conductor from the work train is on the ground, giving a roll-by to the long BNSF oil train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113041 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 294 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As this westbound coal empty, with four units on the point, heads west on the main at Plain, you might notice that there is ballast that appears much lighter in places. UP is in the process of essentially re-ballasting the entire Moffat right now! A project, along with tie and tie plate replacements, is supposed to last the next three months. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113040 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 298 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific If you are familiar with the Moffat, then you are probably well aware that in the early 2000s, coal was king on the line. You could expect to see as many as 16-20 coal trains (half westbound empties and half eastbound loads) in a 24 hour period. Now, coal train have essentially become the rarest train type (of the train types that run) on the Moffat. UP 7861 leads this westbound at Plain. Note the missing number board on the engineer's side. there is an array of LEDs providing lights for the should-be number board. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112849 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 21, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 272 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr has slowed to a stop in the siding at Plain. The train, now over seven hours late, is waiting on the eastbound Zephyr, which is out of Crescent. Alas, my battery was running low, so I was unable to get a shot of the meet with the eastbound Zephyr. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112848 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 21, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 297 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Slowly wrapping through S-Curve in the middle of Plain, the westbound Zephyr is slowing as it approaches a red signal at the west end. The eastbound Zephyr is out of Crescent, and will continue east on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112847 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 21, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 275 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A seven-hour-late westbound California Zephyr enters into the siding at Plain. The train was severely delayed when departing Chicago. It is entering the siding at Plain to meet with the eastbound Zephyr. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112844 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 20, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 292 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak After making its way through the western suburbs of Denver, the California Zephyr is now entering the rural Rocky Mountains as it heads west on the main track at Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112697 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 29, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 235 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The final bit of sunlight for the day is reflecting off some thunderclouds over the plains, the Denver skyline visible toward the left in the distance. This UP officer special has come to a stop just short of the grade crossing at Plain. The train will wait here for the eastbound California Zephyr. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112641 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Jefferson County, CO 204 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five UP maintenance workers are walking the rails between Tunnel 2 and Tunnel 3, checking for defects. They found several tie plates that needed to be replaced, and marked them accordingly for a maintenance crew that will come out of Plain and replace them. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112640 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Jefferson County, CO 182 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak While the east half of Plain is one of the most commonly photographed portions of the east side of the Moffat, the west half is likely one of the least photographed portions as it is quite remote. Here, the Zephyr has come to a stop on the main at the west end of Plain. Passengers are going to have to be patient and wait for about 90 minutes for some track plate repairs to take place between Tunnel 2 and Tunnel 3. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112638 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 195 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is slowly heading west on the main track at Plain, overtaking a maintenance vehicle on the siding. The Zephyr had an approach (yellow) signal at the east switch, and will be coming a stop at a red signal at the west end. UP found a few tie plates west of Tunnel 2 that need to be replaced before another train runs over the rails, so the Zephyr will be stopped for about 90 minutes, waiting. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112518 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 195 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF I missed the era of caboose running on the backs of trains on the mainline. So, I was pretty happy to receive a tip that BNSF was transporting this caboose (shoving platform) from Denver to (most likely) Grand Junction. It may not be a "real" caboose in 2025, but still looks fine on the end of the oil train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112517 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 200 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF When looking at this caboose on the end of this westbound oil train, you might notice the bars welded across the door and windows. The cabooses that remain on the rosters of class one railroads these days are generally blocked off and are referred to as shoving platforms. They are generally used on locals to allow crew members to ride during switching, rather than hanging on to freight cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112516 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 211 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF 2025 or 1985!? The paint may not be in great shape, but seeing a caboose on the tail end of a non-local train on the mainline was something special to see. More than likely, this caboose (now called a shoving platform) is likely being sent to Grand Junction for use on locals. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112515 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 248 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Six units lead a westbound BNSF oil train at Plain. Six units on the point of these oil empties is very common (on BNSF) on the Moffat as BNSF runs the trains 3x3 when they return east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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