Photo ID: 108649 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 576 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A shorter-than-normal coal train (79 cars) has resulted in only two mid-train swing helpers instead of the typical three. It does appear that the first mid-train swing helper may have a bit of an issue as it is smoking a bit more that is usual these days. This unit was once an AC6000CW, a 6000 HP unit from the late 90s. When the 6000 HP experiment was essentially deemed a failure (for both GE and EMD), the existing AC6000CWs were downgraded to 4400 HP. They have many different designations now, depending on where you look. I go with "C44/60AC". Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108648 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 614 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific When I set out to get a picture of an eastbound this afternoon, I was expecting BNSF's Provo-Denver. I was surprised to find a loaded UP coal train rolling east instead! The train is actually shorter than most coal trains that run on the Moffat. Instead of the normal 105 (give or take) cars, this train was only 79 cars. As a result, there are only two mid-train swing helpers, and you can clearly see the end of the train stretched along the straightaway here alongside CO-72 and Welton Reservoir. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108646 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 28, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 618 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF An exceptionally long BNSF Provo-Denver manifest glides downgrade by two new "self storage" facilities, both built in the last 18 months. In the distance, you can see Welton Reservoir, which was constructed about 20 years ago as a water supply for the ever-increasing population in the Denver-Metro area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108625 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 613 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP is continuing the investment in the Moffat! A ballast train of roughly 100 cars is going to dump ballast from Rocky up to Crescent in the coming days. The ballast train is seen here, but it is actually back down the grade in to the siding at Leyden. A unit on the train died and, as such, it does not have the necessary power to pull up the 2% grades. It is also a great day to do a little plowing in the field! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108624 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 528 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This loaded UP ballast train is actually backing down the main away from the camera, into the siding at Leyden. One of the engines on the train failed, meaning the train will not be able to make the grade west. So, the train is backing in to the siding and the first half of the train will be taken west to dump ballast. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108592 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, April 21, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 628 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF On a rather gloomy Wednesday morning, a rather unique test train shows up west of Leyden. The train is doing a test run, loading at Axial mine on the Craig Branch! From there, it will run to a power plant in Tucson, AZ. That plant typically receives coal from New Mexico, but if the mine likes the Colorado coal from Axial, then there is a chance this train could be seen more often on the Moffat! Note: The train symbol CGJGJ is something of a mystery as the train is loading at Axial! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108583 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, April 17, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 596 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Hallelujah! A UP coal train on the Moffat! Who, in 2004, would have thought that was something that would one day be said. Once the life blood of the Moffat, coal trains are now few and far between. Days and even weeks will pass between them. However, got lucky on this Saturday morning with an empty heading for the mine at West Elk on the North Fork branch. The train is just west of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108582 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, April 17, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 580 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead a westbound UP coal empty out of Leyden. The train is following a few blocks behind a BNSF Denver-Provo. The coal empty is headed for the only-remaining mine on the North Fork, West Elk. Rumor has it that the mine has picked up a new contract that might produce 20 or so trains in the next few weeks or months. While not a ton, it is better than nothing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108366 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 17, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 756 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A trio of units...an ES44AC, an AC4400CW, and an SD70M...lead the westbound North Yard to Grand Junction manifest. With an unusual morning departure from North Yard, the train will have to take the siding at some point in order to let the westbound Zephyr get around it. The Zephyr is almost ready to depart Union Station at the time of this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108365 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 17, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 856 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Southern Pacific As the MNYGJ passes by the red "Cold War Horse", we observe a what is becoming an increasingly rare site...a patched Espee AC4400CW! The train is also passing by the neighborhood of Leyden Rock, over to the left. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108364 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 17, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 785 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific On a great July morning, UP's MNYGJ heads west out of Leyden as you can see Denver's skyline in the background. This train usually departs North Yard at night, but a delay resulted in a morning departure today. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108362 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 792 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A pair of DPUs, an SD70ACe and an ES44C4, push on the tail end of the westbound Denver-Provo just west of Leyden. For several years after the UP/SP merger, when BNSF first got trackage rights on the Moffat, BNSF ran manned helpers from Denver to East Portal, cutting off at East Portal and running back to Denver light. Sadly, those day are now long gone, as DPUs now rule. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108303 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 4, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 777 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr is approaching a 40 MPH slow order near Leyden underneath some stormy skies and clouds with Rocky Mountains basking in the light of a still-clear sky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108236 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 26, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 749 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A single ES44AC brings up the tail end of this eastbound coal load as the train crosses over Indiana Avenue and heads down the main at Leyden. Today's Zephyr is running five hours late, so there was no westbound resistance for the load to have to worry about coming down from the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108235 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 26, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 761 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It's been quite awhile since I've taken some shots of mid-train swing helpers on an eastbound coal load on the Moffat! January 2019, to be exact. Coal trains have become few and far between, on the Moffat, so it was nice to see two ES44ACs and an AC4400CW cut in to the middle of this coal train that loaded at Energy Mine on the Craig Branch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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