Photo ID: 107993 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Pinecliff, CO 841 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF It is a little unusual to find a trio of Heritage 2 units (and no New Image units) on a train these days. But that was the case on this morning as three C44-9Ws lead BNSF's Provo-Denver, currently tied down in the siding at Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107992 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Pinecliff, CO 787 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Sometime in the pre-dawn hours of the morning, this eastbound BNSF Provo-Denver manifest tied down in the siding at Cliff. A fresh crew will need to come up to bring the train the rest of the way in to the yard. The track to the left is the house track at Cliff, used for occasional storage of work cars, or for setting out bad orders. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107952 Date Shot Photo By Friday, January 3, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Pinecliff, CO 830 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While the drone was in the area for some aerial shots, I was on the ground (of course) with the trusty Canon 7D for shots of the eastbound oil train. Nice to kick off the new year with something a little different. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107951 Date Shot Photo By Friday, January 3, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Pinecliff, CO 766 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific To kick off the new year (and the new decade), we start with a loaded UP oil train at Cliff. Showing up somewhat regularly in 2018, they disappeared for awhile, now two showed up within two days to start 2020. South Boulder Creek gets little light here during the winter, so it is not surprising to find it frozen over. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107808 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1033 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The long shadows of December keep much of South Boulder Creek in relative darkness as a colorful coal load rolls east on the main at Cliff. The train loaded at the West Elk Mine on the Craig Branch the day before. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107807 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1006 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While waiting for an eastbound coal load, I grabbed a picture of this old Missouri Pacific gondola. The car is loaded with boulders and is sitting on the house track at Cliff. Not entirely sure what the boulders are for or where (or when) the car (and its six siblings) will leave. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107806 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1027 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific One of my favorite units of the 21st Century, a Phase II SD70M, leads a work train (consisting of a mere four cars) rolls east toward a clear signal at East Cliff. I am a fan of the Phase II SD70M specifically because of the (slightly) angled radiator intake, but original UP wide nose cab. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107805 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1115 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A coal train that will soon load at the West Elk Mine will need three mid-train swing helpers for the journey back east to Denver. Three such units on are their way as the cruise west on the main at Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107795 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1150 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An all-EMD lash up leads the final MRONY eastbound on the main at Cliff. For what may be the final UP manifest train to run over the former Grande between Salt Lake City and Denver, it somehow seems fitting that it should have all-EMD power on the head end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107794 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1220 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is a bit of a sad morning as this eastbound manifest may mark the end of an era. This is the MRONY. Manifest, Roper, UT to North Yard, CO. Since the UP/SP merger in 1996, a manifest has run between Denver and Salt Lake City over the former Rio Grande, just as many such freights ran on Espee and the Grande before. Now, however, thanks to Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), UP is eliminating the train (and its westbound counterpart, the MNYRO). PSR aims to reduce car dwell times and focus on moving cars rather than trains. UP believes that Roper Yard in Salt Lake City is redundant to the other SLC Yard and its Ogden Yard. As such, Roper's usage will be reduced and traffic between Denver and Salt Lake City will move via Ogden (and the Overland Route) moving forward. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107793 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 8, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1258 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An SD70ACe-T4, an SD70M, and an SD70ACe lead an eastbound MRONY past some MOW equipment that is tied down on the siding at Cliff. UP recently replaced the bridge over South Boulder Creek located about halfway through the siding of Cliff. The old wood bridge was replaced with a new steel and concrete bridge. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107384 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 17, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Pinecliff, CO 1045 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Upon seeing this covered hopper on this BNSF sand train, I started wondering if I might win a prize if I send the picture to BNSF. "Find the pink car, win a prize"! In all seriousness, this was the only car on the train painted in this gumball color. A very interesting car indeed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107044 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 27, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1025 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Even though UP is likely the single biggest customer of EMD engines, it is still more common to catch a GE leading a coal train on the Moffat. So, when an SD70ACe does happen to find itself on the point, it's always nice to get a few shots. Such is the case here as an SD70ACe heads toward the bridge that crosses over South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107043 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 27, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 1081 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound coal empty, led by a SD70ACe and four GEs, kicks up a bit of exhaust as it charges up the main at Cliff. Note the huge piles of old wooden ties toward the right side of the frame. Also not the code line on the right side of the image. This is used for PTC. This code line will not be found everywhere...only in places where reception is less than great. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106877 Date Shot Photo By Monday, December 18, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Pinecliff, CO 1081 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Despite being very close in number, these two units are actually very different models. The leader is an ET44AH. The unit is compliant with the Tier-4 emissions requirements put out by the EPA. The second unit is an ES44AC, which is compliant with the Tier-3 emissions requirements in effective up until January 1, 2016. Together they lead an eastbound coal load on the main at Cliff past some "stick track" laying on the ground near the east end of the house track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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