Photo ID: 112697 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 29, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 31 (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 46 (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 37 (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 45 (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 69 (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 70 (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 81 (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 91 (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. Photo ID: 112514 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 70 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A trio of SD70ACes leads an eastbound oil train on the main at Plain. The conductor on BNSF 9160 is giving a friendly wave out the cab window as the train rolls along at track speed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112513 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A long lens look at an eastbound unit oil train on the main at Plain. The train is following UP's MGJNY, which is currently on Big Ten Curve, a few blocks ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112490 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Jefferson County, CO 96 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific From this view at Plain, you can see Union Pacific Grand Junction, CO to North Yard, CO, stretching out the west end of Plain and through Tunnel 2, Tunnel 3, and around into Tunnel 4 in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112489 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Jefferson County, CO 104 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead UP's thrice weekly MGJNY on the main at Plain. The west end of Plain is quite different from the east end, tucked away against the mountains amidst a sea of pine trees. Really enjoy this view. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112439 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 74 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer An eastbound UP manifest is tied down on the main, short of the grade crossing, at Plain. The manifest is waiting for a crew to untie the train and take it east to North Yard. Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountaineer rolls west through the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112264 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 22, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 96 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF 6386 passes by a tramper and a regulator that are tied down in the house track at Plain. These guys have been working on the main in various locations between Rocky and Crescent recently. For a few days, they were tied down on the bottom end of the Rocky Spur. The oil empty passing by is headed for the oil transload facility at Wash, UT to load up. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112263 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 22, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 90 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF After getting stuck in the siding at Rocky for about an hour to wait on maintenance working on the track, this BNSF oil empty finally got the green signal to continue west. Here, the train is headed west on the main at Plain. After loading, the train will return east in a 3x3 configuration. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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