Photo ID: 109959 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 106 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The final westbound Zephyr out of Denver in 2023 has navigated through the S-curve at Eisele (Clay) and it is headed out the west end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109960 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 103 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Sunlight has not quite hit the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive, but it is lighting up the landscape just west (geographically north) as the westbound Zephyr passes through the scene, right on time. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109961 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Final shot of the Zephyr in the year 2023 for ColoradoRailfan. The morning Zephyr is right on time as it climbs the grade up toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109962 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Yard Denver, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Union Pacific North Yard in Denver was originally built by the Denver and Salt Lake. It then went to the Rio Grande, followed by Southern Pacific, and now, Union Pacific. There are around 25 yard tracks in North Yard. As you can see, there are cars on most of the tracks, although many of the tracks are not particularly full. If you note the light blue building in the distance (with one white door and one blue door)...this was the car repair facility (called the RIP facility - Repair In Place). On December 5, 2023, UP management decided to close the shop. 13 car repairmen were immediately laid off and escorted off the property! No more car repair facilities in Denver. North Platte is now the closest for repairs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109963 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Utah Jct Denver, CO 108 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific UP's North Yard, CO to Green River, WY has assembled its train and it is departing the yard on the Belt Industrial Lead. Right as the Belt Lead starts, it passes underneath the RTD B/G Commuter Rail Line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109964 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS902 (Broadway) Denver, CO 128 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific Trains departing UP's North Yard to the east do so on the Belt Industrial Lead. About a half mile east from the yard, this manifest is approaching the control point at Broadway. It is here that the Bypass tracks (visible to the right) converge with the Belt Lead. The Bypass tracks were built around 2004 as a shortcut for coal trains that did not need to enter North Yard. Note the old water tank at Utah Junction visible in the distance to the right. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109965 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South Platte River Denver, CO 103 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Belt Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific UP 5742 leads UP's MNYGR...the final one for 2023...across the South Platte River on the Belt Industrial Lead. Xcel Energy's Cherokee Power Plant is pumping out steam in the background. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109966 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W005 (Sand Creek Junction) Commerce City, CO 133 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Greeley (UP) Union Pacific A trio of C44s leads a northbound UP manifest off the Inbound track and across Sand Creek at Sand Creek Jct. The train is passing through Suncor's oil refinery in Commerce City and is about to cross the BNSF Brush Sub. The line was built in to Denver by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, reaching Denver in 1882. The line would become Burlington Northern's in 1971 after its creation (and absorption of the CB&Q), and finally BNSF in 1995. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109967 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Tonville Weld County, CO 113 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF At first glance, you might guess this is a BNSF Z-Train. Particularly with the appearance of JB Hunt containers. However, this is actually a "Q" train that originated in Alliance, TX and is headed for Portland, OR, by way of Denver. The train is moving at track speed as it approaches a clear (green) signal at the east switch of Tonville. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109968 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Keensburg Keensburg, CO 112 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF About a mile west of "downtown" Keensburg, an eastbound BNSF mixed intermodal/manifest Q-train rounds the curve. Once reaching Brush, the train will turn north and continue on the Brush Sub to Sterling, then north on the BNSF Angora Sub in to Nebraska. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109969 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crest to Wiggins Morgan County, CO 105 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF After meeting a westbound at the siding of Crest, this eastbound on the move again between Crest and Wiggins. The siding of Crest itself is somewhat isolated and not easily accessible. Whereas the other sidings on the Brush Sub are visible from I-76. While most of this Q-Train consists of double stack containers, if you look toward the end, you'll notice a handful of auto racks and a few general manifest cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109970 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of New Hillrose Morgan County, CO 144 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF Approaching the east end of BNSF's Brush Subdivision, this Q-Train is crossing the South Platte River on the final day of 2023. Not far ahead, the train will (seamlessly) move from BNSF's Brush Sub to UP's Julesburg Sub. BNSF has trackage rights on the Julesburg Sub between Union (just ahead) and Sterling, CO. Indeed, BNSF is the only railroad that uses this 24-mile stretch of UP's Julesburg Sub. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109971 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Brush Brush, CO 115 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF A BNSF GP39-2 and an SD40-2 sit with a single covered hopper in Brush. There is currently no crew on board, likely due to the fact that it is both a Sunday and New Year's Eve. Note the cab...or at least the number boards...look to have been rebuilt on the GP39-2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109972 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Brush Brush, CO 107 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF Here at Brush, the BNSF Brush Sub continues to the north toward Sterling, while the BNSF Akron Sub breaks off and starts heading east toward Lincoln, NE and (eventually) Chicago, IL. The signals in the distance are where the two subdivision converge when heading west toward Denver. Power for a local sit alongside the two mainlines. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109973 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 31, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 100 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP oil train empty is slowly rolling west in the siding at Rocky. The train will come to a stop at the west end of the siding to wait for an eastbound loaded oil train which, currently at Crescent. On a side note, this would be the final picture in direct sunlight taken in 2023! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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