Photo ID: 111087 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 161 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Union Pacific has built two new buildings in the last 15 years up here at East Portal. You can see them both in this picture behind the oil train. They presumably house various maintenance of way equipment, protecting them from the elements...particularly in winter! Today, however, it is overcast and chilly near the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111086 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 227 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five units lead a westbound oil train on the main at East Portal at an altitude of over 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level, the Moffat is the highest active mainline of any Class 1 Railroad in the United States. About 15 years ago, UP extended Tolland siding, increasing its length from 5,600 feet to over 9,000 feet. Consequently, the siding at East Portal is seemingly never used for meets these days. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111084 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 137 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In between trains, I thought I'd grab a shot of one leg of the wye off the siding at East Portal. A century ago, this track led to the mainline that ran over Rollins Pass. The 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel was under construction in September 1924, but was still 3 1/2 years away from opening. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111083 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 164 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer With a clear (green) signal dead ahead, the Rocky Mountaineer kicks up some exhaust as it accelerates toward the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111082 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 173 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Between the 2023-2024 seasons, the Rocky Mountaineer leased this (former) SD45, now an SD40-2 internally. An SD18 was also leased to shuffle cars around in Denver. The GP40-3s have had a lot of mechanical issues and the RM has had to lease power from UP. Apparently, the lease of both of these units is less expensive than the cost to lease on UP SD70M. It took most of the 2024 season for PTC to be installed in RMRX 8600. But with it now installed and operable, it is on the train west with one of the GP40-3s at East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110840 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 254 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 71 and AMTK 142 peek through pine trees lining South Boulder Creek. The train is facing a red signal as it waits for the Moffat Tunnel to finish venting after an eastbound BNSF manifest exited about 20 minutes earlier. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110839 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 169 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The trailheads at East Portal are a very popular destination for hikers, particularly on the weekend. You can see dozens of cars parked in the lots and long the road. Some of these hikers no doubt take notice of the westbound Zephyr as it approaches the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110838 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 189 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Running about 45 minutes late, the westbound Zephyr is approaching the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. Here, at East Portal, the tracks run parallel to South Boulder Creek. The water for which is primarily sourced from the west slope after coming through the Moffat Water Tunnel. We are right around 9,200 feet above sea level, the highest point on Amtrak's system, and the highest active point on Class 1 railroads. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110836 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 151 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF In about two months, this scene should be shining with fall colors. For the time being, the green of summer looks pretty fantastic as an eastbound BNSF manifest rolls on the main alongside South Boulder Creek, approaching the east end of East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110835 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 154 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A BNSF manifest heads east on the main at East Portal, passing by a pond about halfway through the siding. The train went into emergency in the Moffat Tunnel, but the crew was able to resolve the issue and continue east. Fortunately, the issue did not return. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110756 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 193 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A long string of tank cars are just ahead of two DPUs, bringing up the rear of BNSF's Denver-Provo manifest. The units are helping to push the train in to the 6.2 mile long bore underneath the Continental Divide. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110755 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 168 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF It seems like there have been more C44-9Ws wearing the original Heritage scheme running around lately. These units earned the nickname "goat boats". The history there is in two parts. "Goat" comes from logo of the Great Northern railroad, from which much of the inspiration of the Heritage scheme was taken. "Boat" comes from the reference to 1st and 2nd generation GE units as "U-Boats", from their model IDs (U25B, U30C, etc). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110752 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 172 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Two SD70ACes are the bookends to a Heritage 2 C44-9W, the three units leading the westbound Denver-Provo manifest on the main at East Portal. Since Elderado Canyon near Tunnel 8, the tracks have (off and on) been following South Boulder Creek, located to the right of the tracks in the frame. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110437 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 175 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The ditch lights on the eastbound California Zephyr are currently oscillating back and forth as the horn blows for the approaching grade crossing with Tolland Road. The train emerged from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel just moments earlier, and is continuing east toward Denver on a clear (green) signal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110436 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 174 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak In the midst of the valley leading up to the Moffat Tunnel and the Continental Divide, we find the eastbound Zephyr on the main at East Portal on its way east toward its next station stop at Denver. 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