Photo ID: 105645 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1401 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer A couple of old friends were in town over Christmas. When Phil Anschutz sold the Ski Train equipment in 2009, he kept the California, Utah, and Kansas. He relocated them to California (Los Angeles) and started a new railcar charter company called American Railway Explorer. I'm guessing that Phil was actually in Denver for Christmas and used the California and Kansas to get here! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105646 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1441 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer It was great to see the California in Denver on Track 5 at Union Station over Christmas. Looks as though Phil Anschutz may have been in town for the holiday. I sure miss the days of the domed classic being on the Ski Train... Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105647 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1383 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer Had the Ski Train not stopped in 2009, this scene might be a regular occurrence here in 2015! The California and Kansas sit on Track 5 at Union Station, in town during Christmas. The Utah apparently stayed behind out in Los Angeles. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105648 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1386 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer The construction around Union Station that has taken place over the last 15 years (and, in particular, over the last 5 years) is really incredible. New lofts and office buildings have popped up on all sides of the old station. One such (new) building towers over the California and Kansas, in town on Track 5. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105649 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1698 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer I am extremely lucky in that, even at the ages of 10 and 13, my daughters still enjoy coming along with dad to take train pictures. Jaina, my 10 year old, came with me on this particular day and poses with the California. My Canon Digital Rebel XT is slung over her shoulder as she works on her own photographic skills. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105650 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1355 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer A last shot of the California and Kansas sitting on Track 5 under the new artsy Union Station canopy. It was great seeing these classic cars in town once again. Soon, they will likely be behind Amtrak on their journey back to California. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105651 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 1441 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) American Railway Explorer Here is a scene that, in most ways has changed dramatically in the last five years. The shot is taken from 17th Street looking (obviously) toward Union Station. Most of the buildings on this side of the station didn't exist just five years ago. As an added bonus, the former Ski Train veteran "California" sits on Track 5 at the station. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105652 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1372 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF manifest, with a trio of elephant-style C44-9Ws (all in Heritage 2 paint) head west on the siding at Plain. An eastbound UP manifest is out of Crescent and will meet the train soon. BNSF has recently changed its crew structure on the Moffat. Until recently, a Denver-based crew would take a train from Denver to Kremmling. Then, a Grand Junction-based crew would take the train from Kremmling to Grand Junction. BNSF has eliminated the crew change point at Kremmling and now Grand Junction-based crews are used on all the BNSF trains on the Moffat. The crew will take an eastbound as close to Denver as possible. Then, a Denver crew will "dog catch" the train and bring it the rest of the way in. The Grand Junction crew will be bussed to Denver to rest before taking a westbound back to Grand Junction. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105653 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1366 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Being rather heavy, this westbound BNSF manifest merits two DPUs on the tail end. The train has come to a stop on the siding at Plain, waiting for an eastbound. Another 25 feet and the train could have cleared the grade crossing! A car might be able to sneak around the last unit, but that would be an extremely dangerous move! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105654 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1660 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound UP manifest meets a westbound BNSF manifest at Plain. Sadly, coal traffic on the Moffat has decreased by 80% (yeah, that is not a typo!) since 2005. That translates to an average of only 2 coal trains (one load, one empty) on the Moffat each day now. Ten years ago, there were roughly 14 coal trains each day! At this point, the future of the Moffat is not exactly shining bright... Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105655 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 1554 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, Union Pacific With the main now clear, the pair of DPUs on the tail end of a westbound BNSF manifest push as the train continues west. The sole DPU on the tail end of the eastbound manifest that it met rolls down the main. Although a BNSF ES44C4 is bringing up the rear, it is actually a UP train that it is assisting. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105656 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue Arvada, CO 1564 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound UP manifest rounds the curve on the approach to the 66th Avenue grade crossing in Arvada. This train, and its counterpart, are about the only UP trains you can count on seeing on the Moffat these days! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105657 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue Arvada, CO 1545 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The city of Arvada installed "quiet zones" at four grade crossing a couple of years ago. Now, they are working on installing a few more. However, these quiet zones will have a different configuration. The existing zones utilize a raised median on the road to prevent cars from driving around the lowered crossing arms. The new zones will simply have "quad gates", so both lanes of traffic (in both directions) are blocked. You can see the new crossing in the process of being installed as the MRONY rolls east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105658 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue Arvada, CO 1551 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, Union Pacific A single BNSF ES44C4 brings up the tail end of UP's eastbound MRONY (Manifest, Roper, UT to North Yard, CO) as the train continues past the grade crossing at 66th Avenue in Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.