Photo ID: 108261 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 714 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak There isn't a cloud in site on the first morning of July as the Zephyr enters the siding at Plain. A "Big Game" unit is number two in the lineup today. The train will be meeting an eastbound BNSF Provo-Denver that is out of Crescent. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108262 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 758 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Passenger on board the Sightseer Lounge car enjoy the view of the plains from the Zephyr at Plainview. A few passengers may have picked up on the drone, hovering not too far off in order to get the shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108263 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 669 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Looking west through the siding at Plain from above the westbound Zephyr. There is currently a 15 MPH slow orders in the siding at Plain, so the Zephyr is creeping along toward the west switch. Once there, the train will wait for a few minutes until BNSF's Provo-Denver arrives. The manifest is currently out of Crescent, a few miles to the west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108264 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 680 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr has changed a lot over the last few decades. It used to be quite a bit longer, not only in terms of Superliners, but for many years, Amtrak hauled some freight in boxcars and trailers at the back of the train. However, that is no longer the case as Amtrak got out of the freight business entirely and now a passenger can stand at the back of the train and look right out the window and gaze upon the tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108265 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 759 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The signal on the main at the east end of Plain is showing a clear (green) aspect for BNSF's Provo-Denver, which is currently at Tunnel 4. Early in the 21st Century, UP gave all control points a designation for use when issuing track and time, flagging past red signals, etc. The east switch of Plain is CP DS024. The "CP" is short for "Control Point". The "DS" designation comes from "Denver & Salt Lake". The "024" indicates this control point is near milepost 24. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108266 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 724 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF The Provo-Denver typically has 3-4 units, but today it had a bit of a bump with six units on the head end (and two more DPUs on the rear). The "green and cream" paint scheme is becoming less and less common, but one still shows up ever now and then! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108267 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 724 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Just east of Plain, the Provo-Denver is on the approach to Tunnel 1 with six units on the head end. The train departed Provo at 5:20pm the previous evening, so it took about 16 hours to get here, and will take right around 17 hours to get in to Denver. Two crews (Provo to Grand Junction, Grand Junction to Denver) can pretty easily handle the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108268 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 72nd Avenue Arvada, CO 777 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF It is not yet 10 o'clock in the morning, yet the sun is already getting high enough for shading to appear alongside the side of the Provo-Denver as the train approaches the grade crossing at 72nd Ave in Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108269 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 72nd Avenue Arvada, CO 774 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF This scene is going to change rather drastically in the next two years or so. In 2018, Arvada residents voted to widen 72nd Avenue (from two lanes to four lanes) between Kipling Street and Swadley Court. 72nd Avenue is seen here as the Provo-Denver crosses. Not only will the road be widened, but a grade separation is also part of the project. 72nd Avenue will be lowered underneath the tracks and a new bridge will be built for the Moffat. I'll try to get some aerial footage of the work as it progresses. Plans for the underpass are slated for completion in Q2 of 2021. Construction will theoretically start in Q4 of 2021 and completion of the entire project at the end of 2022. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108270 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 72nd Avenue Arvada, CO 694 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Cars on 72nd Avenue wait for two DPUs to bring up the end of this eastbound Provo-Denver to clear the crossing so they can continue on their way. A few years from now, and these cars should not have to stop here at all anymore as 72nd Avenue will run underneath the tracks on a new grade separation. It is interesting to note that, once this grade separation is complete, there will be about 7,000 feet between Kipling Street and Simms Street. Enough room for a train to stop (if it needs to) without blocking any crossing. Something that cannot really be done today throughout most of Arvada east of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108271 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 72nd Avenue Arvada, CO 681 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A pair of ES44C4s bring up the tail end of BNSF's Provo-Denver manfiest. The train has 80 cars today, with six units on the head end in addition to the two DPUs. The train is just a handful of miles away from its destination at the yard in Denver. It originated yesterday evening in Provo, UT. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108272 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 724 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF No sooner had BNSF's Provo-Denver arrived in town that the Denver-Provo departed! The trains actually met at Arvada. Immediately thereafter, the Denver-Provo got a signal to head westbound. Here, the train is entering the east end of Barbara's Gulch east of Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108273 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plastic (MP 16.1) Arvada, CO 708 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF's Denver-Provo passes by an Approach Diverging (yellow over yellow) signal on the approach to Rocky. The train is running in and out of the siding at Rocky due to maintenance on the main. Closer to the top of the frame, you can see some of the hundreds of new houses that have been built in the northwest Arvada neighborhood of Candelas. Indeed, some portions of the neighborhood are still under construction! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108274 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plastic (MP 16.1) Arvada, CO 712 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF mainly moves tank cars between Denver and Salt Lake City (well, Provo) over the Moffat. However, every once in awhile, you'll see something less common, such as these track bins riding in well cars past the intermediate signal at MP 16.1 in Barbara's Gulch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108275 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS013 (West Leyden) Arvada, CO 742 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It has been 18 months since I shot a westbound UP manifest on the Moffat! After getting rid of the MNYRO and MRONY in December 2018, UP started running the MNYGJ and MGJNY, each three times a week. Typically, the MNYGJ departs after dark on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights. However, there were no rested crews in Denver last night! The first crew was rested at 12:15pm today, and the train was then called. Here, the manifest crosses Indiana Street coming out of the west end of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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