Photo ID: 110206 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 121 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The head end of a UP oil train passes by the detector at MP 22.6, just west of the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive. Across CO-72 in the distance, three GEs are serving as mid-train swing helpers on the train, descending from Tunnel 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110207 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 145 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific This scene is a very well known one to railfans, including many that have never visited Colorado. You can view nearly an entire train as it wraps down the grade from Tunnel, through the curves and across Blue Mountain Drive. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110208 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 109 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just east of the overpass over CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon, a trio of ES44s are serving as mid-train swing helpers on this eastbound oil train. You can also clearly see the single SD70ACe-T4 that is bringing up the rear of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110209 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 72nd Avenue (MP 10.23) Arvada, CO 183 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This is a scene that is going to change rather substantially over the course of the next two years or so. The City of Arvada will be widening 72nd Avenue to four lanes, while also creating a grade separation with the tracks. So this grade crossing, at which several cars are stopped for the eastbound oil train, will soon be disappearing and cars will pass underneath the tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110210 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Kipling Street (MP 9.81) Arvada, CO 122 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of ES44ACs lead an oil train across the Kipling Street grade crossing. The train passed a clear (green) signal at the intermediate, indicating the train will use either Bypass 1 or 2 in Denver for a recrew. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110211 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It would have been very interesting to see the geography of the land right here before the construction of the tracks. The tracks are built on a fill that helps create Oberon Lake Number 1. Folks driving on the opposite side of the fill, and Oberon Road, cannot see the lake and many have no idea it is even there. An eastbound oil train crosses the fill as it heads east through Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110212 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, January 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 121 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific To date, Union Pacific is one of only two Class 1 railroads to order any SD70ACe-T4s. CSX also ordered 10 units in 2019, but returned them to Progress Rail in 2023. The SD70ACe-T4 is the EPA Tier-4 compliant engine built by EMD. So far, it has not proven nearly as popular as the ET44AC, the GE counterpart. UP 3059 is as example of an SD70ACe-T4, the first four-stroke diesel-electric locomotive that EMD has offered. Even though the unit is less popular than the ET44AC, neither model has enjoyed wide ranging success. The maintenance cost (and complexity) of the Tier-4 units is a turnoff for railroads, and many are simply rebuilding old units at this point to save on money. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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