Photo ID: 109449 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 265 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Fall colors are just barely starting to show at Tolland as the Sunday Rocky Mountaineer crosses the grade crossing at Tolland on its journey west. It is so fantastic having such a unique passenger operation running on the Moffat. After losing the American Orient Express (later the Grande Luxe Express), the Ansco Ski Train, and the Circus Train, it is great having something diverse still running. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109450 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 304 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is between Tolland and East Portal. For that past several months, the Mountaineer has been running with some leased UP SD70Ms while work was done on the GP40-3s. As you can see, the GP40-3s are back on the train, looking sharp matching the passenger cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109451 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 227 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF For the past few months, BNSF has occasionally run a loaded westbound coal train up the Moffat. The train is loaded in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, and is on its way to Valmy, NV where BNSF has picked up a contract to provide coal for a power plant. BNSF is running the train with three units on the point and three units on the end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109452 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 283 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF This westbound BNSF (loaded) coal train, headed for Valmy, NV, has been stuck in this spot for nearly two hours. When the train was climbing out of Rocky, it went in to emergency. After a second attempt, it happened again when the train started to load. BNSF mechanical has been called out to check out the train and attempt to find the cause. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109453 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Little Ten Curve (MP 18.7 to MP 18.9) Arvada, CO 281 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Looking past the nose of BNSF 9021, the lead unit on this westbound BNSF coal train, we see the three DPUs at the tail end, just beyond the grade crossing at Little Ten. The train has gone in to emergency each time it attempts to load. You can see a BNSF mechanical truck sitting near the DPUs. It would be determined that a low-hanging air hose was bumping against the plow of one of units, causing the air to be lost and the train to go in to emergency. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109454 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 209 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP oil empty sits stopped just east of the east end of Rocky. The train has been looking at a red signal for close to two hours due to a BNSF coal load that is broken down ahead. Shortly after this shot was taken, the BNSF coal load would roll back between switches at Rocky on the main, and the oil empty would get a light to head in to the siding around the load. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109455 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 216 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP oil train, running through the siding at Rocky, overtakes a BNSF coal load that is stopped between switches on the main. As I thought a bit about it, I realized the irony of an oil train overtaking a coal train, as oil has very much overtaken coal and the primary unit bulk trains found on the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109456 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Little Ten Curve (MP 18.7 to MP 18.9) Arvada, CO 209 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While BNSF mechanical inspects the BNSF coal load on the main at Rocky, which goes in to emergency when attempting to load, an empty UP oil train slowly passes by the coal train through the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109457 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 212 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In the early 2000s, when coal trains were "a dime a dozen" on the Moffat, it was quite common to find a westbound coal empty stopped short of the grade crossing at Plain. The tail end of the hoppers would hang out the east end of Tunnel 1. That does not happen often these days. However, on this afternoon, a westbound empty oil train is stopped short of the grade crossing. Indeed, its tail end is out the east end of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109458 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 202 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An empty unit oil train is stopped short of the grade crossing at Plain, waiting for maintenance to clear up. Indeed, one of the hyrailers the train is waiting for is in the process of setting off of the main. In the distance, a westbound BNSF coal load pulls west on the main at Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109459 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 222 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Just west of the hotbox detector at MP 22.6, three BNSF units (elephant style) navigate the curves at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109460 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 249 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of UP units leads a short eastbound MGJNY across South Boulder Creek on the main at Cliff. In a few more weeks, fall colors should be in full effect here. This would end up being one of my personal favorite shots of the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109461 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Gilpin County, CO 219 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Caliente (UP) Union Pacific I'm not entirely sure where this short covered hopper train originated or where it is headed, but two GEs lead the train east on the main at Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109462 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Gilpin County, CO 201 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound empty UP oil train takes the siding to meet with a unit covered hopper train that is holding on the main. Neither train would ultimately hold here at Cliff; both continuing on toward their destinations. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109463 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 26 (MP 35.2, 320 ft) Gilpin County, CO 214 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound loaded BNSF coal train is in the middle of the Tunnel District, emerging from the west portal of Tunnel 26. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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