Photo ID: 103915 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 14 Arvada, CO 1643 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Weather conditions in Denver were very interesting on the morning of September 16th. As you can see, the city was pretty well fogged in, but as you gained a little elevation to the west, you escaped the fog. Here, the Zephyr is running on clear signals above the fog level, the top of Denver's skyline just clearing the fog. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103916 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 48 (Tolland) Tolland, CO 1731 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak It is still a few weeks too soon for the aspens to change color, even in the Colorado high country. However, this is still a nice scene as the westbound California Zephyr has clear signals through Tolland. Three more miles and the passengers will be stuck in the darkness of the Moffat Tunnel for about 15 minutes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103917 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 48 (Tolland) Tolland, CO 2093 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A couple of branches from an aspen tree frame the lead unit on the westbound Zephyr quite nicely as the train head west on the main at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103918 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS043 (West Rollins) Rollinsville, CO 1527 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The conductor on the MNYRO gives a friendly wave as the manifest charges west out of Rollins. The train had stopped for about 20 minutes on the main to wait for maintenance to clear up ahead of them. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103919 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 46 Tolland, CO 1474 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific About a half mile from the east switch of Tolland, the tracks cross over from the far side of South Boulder Creek to the near side (with respect to the road). Coming around the curve to the bridge which takes the tracks across, the MNYRO is on the move. The train will enter the siding at Tolland to wait for an eastbound coal train that was in the Moffat Tunnel at the time this picture was taken. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103920 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 46 Tolland, CO 1484 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As the technology has become more and more reliable, Union Pacific is running (remote controlled) DPU's on manifests in addition to coal trains. The North Yard to Roper manifest was no exception on this morning, with a C44AC-CTE and an SD9043MAC shoving on the tail end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103921 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS047 (East Tolland) Tolland, CO 1630 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After meeting the westbound MNYRO at Tolland, this eastbound coal train is still on the roll as it continues on the main. With the compression of a 300mm lens, you can clear see the mid-train swing helpers coming up toward the end of the manifest at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103922 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 46 Tolland, CO 2138 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is quite a hike to get to this spot, but it is well worth the effort! From this wonderful perch, not only can we observe this eastbound coal load crossing South Boulder Creek, but we can see a manifest in the siding at Tolland, and of course the Continental Divide! The divide is shrouded in clouds as a September storm pushes its way east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103923 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 46 Tolland, CO 1698 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The mid-train swing helpers on this coal train are crossing over South Boulder Creek. The second unit is of particular interest...and ES44AC! It is a little uncommon to see newer AC power (i.e. ES44ACs and SD70ACes) on coal trains. UP's AC4400CWs and C44AC-CTEs are definitely the dominate work horses on Colorado coal trains these days. One additional thing to not about this picture is the third unit, UP 6316. Although you really can't tell from this shot, Espee scarlet and gray probably lies under that armor yellow for that units used to be SP 271! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103924 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 31 (Crescent) Arvada, CO 1579 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Up close and personal! A good look at the C44AC-CTE leading this eastbound coal train at Crescent. UP was the only railroad to purchase the C44AC-CTE, which looks identical to an AC4400CW. From what I understand, the differences are internal and relate to emissions standards set forth by the EPA. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103925 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 31 (Crescent) Arvada, CO 1776 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A C44AC-CTE brings up the rear of this eastbound coal train, loaded at the Somerset mine on the North Fork branch in western Colorado. The unit is facing the "wrong way", which really only means anything to railfans! In reality, thanks to DPU technology, the direction the DPU's are facing is irrelevant. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103926 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 23 Arvada, CO 1415 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The clouds are not cooperating for this shot of an eastbound coal train descending the grade from Tunnel 1 toward the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103927 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 23 Arvada, CO 1441 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Hmmm...two units and nothing else? Turns out this light power has been assigned to work train duty. The crew is taking the power up to Rollins where it will tie on to the waiting train in the house track. This was a pleasant surprise because it's not too often that you can find a C41-8W on the Moffat! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103928 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 23 Arvada, CO 1671 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After disappearing a bit in the last few years, the SD9043MACs seem to be making a bit of a come back in Colorado. After 2008 or 2009, it became nearly impossible to find one on a coal train. Now granted, this isn't a coal train, but it is still nice to see the beasts out running again. I honestly wonder how much life these units have left in them as the units pass their 16th birthday. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103929 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 16, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 7 Arvada, CO 1761 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Golden (BNSF) BNSF Okay, a BNSF C44-9W. So what, right? At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything special about the unit. However, it is the first C44-9W that I have seen wearing the New Image scheme instead of the Heritage II scheme! On this Friday afternoon, the unit is sitting on BNSF's Golden Branch, shut down, on a work train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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