Photo ID: 103117 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 29, 2009 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Church Ranch Lake Westminster, CO 2719 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF For a few months, the Valmont coal train loaded exclusively on BNSF in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. That has changed, however, as the train is now loading in western Colorado (on UP) once again. As a result, the power on the Front Range Sub is once again mixed between BNSF and UP as the Valmont train wraps around Church Ranch Lake. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102872 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 1698 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The ES44C4 (shown here) is something of joint venture between BNSF and GE. 25 units have been delivered to BNSF. They are A1A-A1A units, meaning the center axle on either truck is a dummy axle; it does not have a traction motor. The theory is that 4 AC traction motors provide roughly the same tractive effort (at track speed) as 6 DC traction motors. If the units pan out, BNSF plans to run them on intermodal trains on the Transcon to save on traction motor costs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102871 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 1974 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Two ES44C4s lead BNSF's QTACDEN around the fill in Westminster. This is near the location of the derailment of the Longmont Local 10 months earlier when the train struck a deliberately-placed tree stump. The QTACDEN consists of unit auto racks on the first half of the train and double stack (COFC) cars on the second half of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102870 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 1634 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Not long before this shot, BNSF received 25 ES44C4s. Two of those units happened to appear on the QTACDEN, which came down the south end of the Front Range Sub in late afternoon light. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101937 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 22, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Church Ranch Lake Westminster, CO 1810 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF In Westminster, the northbound Longmont Turns passes by Church Ranch Lake. The train is just about to pass under US-36. This was the exact site of a head-on collision that occurred in August 1985 between two BN trains. The fireball from that collision was so hot, the I-Beams for the overpass literally melted! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101931 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 15, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Church Ranch Lake Westminster, CO 2237 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) Alaska Railroad The southbound HPASSAG passes by Church Ranch Lake on a beautiful (albeit cold) morning. In tow are two DIC (Dead-In-Consist) Alaska Railroad GP49's. The units were built in May 1985 and were retired by Alaska in 2006. Now, they are headed for a very different climate in Houston, TX. There, they will work for Specialized Rail Transport. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101930 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 15, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 2738 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) Alaska Railroad This is one of only nine GP49's ever produced by EMD. It is very similar to a GP50, although it only has 12 cylinders and is rated at 2,800 HP. This unit hasn't been in the continental United States since May 1985 when it was delivered to the Alaska Railroad. The unit was retired in 2006 and is now headed to Texas for its "next life". This is also the very first picture I've ever taken of an Alaska Railroad unit! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101929 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 15, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 2085 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF This southbound HPASSAG (Pasco, WA to Saginaw, TX) definitely took its time coming down the Front Range Sub. Not as though the train or crew had a choice in the matter, but the train went through Ft Collins - about 60 miles north - nearly 24 hours earlier! Worked out well for me, as the last two units are Alaska Railroad GP49's, which have been sold to Specialized Rail Transport in Houston, TX. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101854 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 24, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Church Ranch Lake Westminster, CO 2132 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Power from the HPASSAG heads north by Church Ranch Lake, leaving the Valmont coal load behind after helping the train up Westminster Hill. The power will clear up on the main at Broomfield, allowing the coal train to get a warrant into the siding at Broomfield. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101853 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 24, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 1747 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Something of a unique view in this shot as two units pull away from the Valmont coal load to head back to Broomfield. The two units helped pull the coal load up Westminster Hill where it stalled out earlier in the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101852 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 24, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Church Ranch Lake Westminster, CO 1747 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF With a little help on the point, the Valmont coal train comes to a stop near Church Ranch Lake. Here, two units that helped pull the train up Westminster Hill will cut off the train and return to Broomfield. There, their train is waiting in the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101849 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 24, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Church Ranch Lake Westminster, CO 1897 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The Valmont coal load stalled out on Westminster Hill. To lend a helping hand, the power from the HPASSAG (Pasco, WA to Saginaw, TX) cut away from its train and is heading south here around Church Ranch Lake. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101842 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11.5 Westminster, CO 1680 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF With instructions to clear the main track on the siding at Broomfield, this QDENTAC is only moving along at 10 MPH. The switch at the sound end of Broomfield must be aligned for the siding, so the conductor will have to get out. The DENTAC usually consists entirely of COFC (Containers on Flat Car), but on this day, a few cars carrying concrete ties were found on the front of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101794 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Westminster, CO 2400 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Clipping through the snow, BNSF's QTACDEN (Tacoma, WA to Denver, CO) train has a warrant all the way into the yard. The "TAC-DEN" is typically composed of auto racks and double stacks. On this day, all the auto racks were on the point and the double stacks are on the rear. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 101768 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 11 Wesminster, CO 1686 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The Valmont coal empty is coming close to the end of its trip (this time around) on BNSF. The train is about to pass underneath US-36 (near 112th Avenue) as it proceeds toward Denver. Once in Denver, the BNSF SD70MAC will be removed and the train will be turned over to UP. UP will take the train west to a Colorado mine. The train will come back to Denver, will be turned over to BNSF, and the process will repeat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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