Photo ID: 110835 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A BNSF manifest heads east on the main at East Portal, passing by a pond about halfway through the siding. The train went into emergency in the Moffat Tunnel, but the crew was able to resolve the issue and continue east. Fortunately, the issue did not return. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110836 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 59 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF In about two months, this scene should be shining with fall colors. For the time being, the green of summer looks pretty fantastic as an eastbound BNSF manifest rolls on the main alongside South Boulder Creek, approaching the east end of East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110837 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 49 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak After meeting a BNSF manifest at Tolland, the westbound Zephyr is on the move again as it crosses over Tolland Road, which leads to the trail heads at the west end of East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110838 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Running about 45 minutes late, the westbound Zephyr is approaching the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. Here, at East Portal, the tracks run parallel to South Boulder Creek. The water for which is primarily sourced from the west slope after coming through the Moffat Water Tunnel. We are right around 9,200 feet above sea level, the highest point on Amtrak's system, and the highest active point on Class 1 railroads. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110839 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 61 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The trailheads at East Portal are a very popular destination for hikers, particularly on the weekend. You can see dozens of cars parked in the lots and long the road. Some of these hikers no doubt take notice of the westbound Zephyr as it approaches the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110840 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 57 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 71 and AMTK 142 peek through pine trees lining South Boulder Creek. The train is facing a red signal as it waits for the Moffat Tunnel to finish venting after an eastbound BNSF manifest exited about 20 minutes earlier. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110841 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Passenger on the westbound Zephyr prepare for about 12 minutes of darkness as the train gets ready to plunge in to the 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel. The train is passing underneath a small signal bridge that actually holds several cameras that UP can monitor from Omaha. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110842 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 60 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The lounge car, along with the rest of the westbound Zephyr, is about to pass underneath the Continental Divide. What you may not know, is that the actually bore in the mountain is still above 500 feet ahead of the lounge car in this shot. There is a significant structure that houses the equipment for ventilating the tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110843 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins to Tolland (MP 41.2 to MP 45.8) Gilpin County, CO 54 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Not too far east of the east switch of Tolland, a loaded UP oil train is leaving the Continental Divide behind, running between Tolland Road and South Boulder Creek. Clouds are starting to move in over the divide as rain is expected later in the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110844 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins to Tolland (MP 41.2 to MP 45.8) Gilpin County, CO 67 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A quartet of GEs leads an eastbound oil train across the bridge at MP 45.2, moving from the south side to the north side of South Boulder Creek. Three of the four units on the head end are slightly older AC4400CWs, with a single ES44AC in the consist, second out. In the distance, you can see the top of the Continental Divide. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110845 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Boulder County, CO 55 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After developing some air issues that caused the train to go into emergency in the Moffat Tunnel, BNSF's Provo-Lincoln manifest tied down in the siding at Cliff as the crew was getting short on time. Meanwhile, an eastbound UP manifest overtakes the manifest on the main. Note the two smiley faces drawn into the dirt on the nose of UP 6570. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110846 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crescent to Cliff (MP 31.8 to MP 36.7) Boulder County, CO 50 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just below Cliff, an eastbound UP oil train follows South Boulder Creek as it enters in to the upper end of the Tunnel District. Steep canyon walls and sharp drop-offs are ahead. Clouds are moving in this afternoon, so lighting is starting to get a little sketchy. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110847 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific Two things I have never seen before, prior to today. First is the West Local running on a Sunday. But even more interesting is the power. A pair of SD40-2s are working the local. I've never seen six axle power run on the Rocky Flats Industrial lead. The local just arrived at the aggregate plant at the north end, but the plants car mover is in the way of the inbound track. The crew is working on a solution to move the track mover. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110848 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 57 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) CSFN At the absolute end of the Rocky Spur, on the other side of the Acrosa aggregate plant loadout. This G8 was built in the late 1950s by General Motors Diesel, the Canadian plant for EMD. The unit went to Canadian National and spent a lot of time around the CN system. It was eventually bought by Texas Industries Inc (TXI), and moved here, to the aggregate plant along CO-93. The unit became redundant when the aggregate plant purchase a track-mobile to switch cars. The unit has sat quiet in this same spot for the last 17 years, not being used since 2007. Fortunately, it has been donated to the Pueblo Railway museum. It will eventually be moved and restored. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110849 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jefferson County, CO 52 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific A pair of SD40-2s are working on the west local today. The first time I have ever seen six axle power working on the west local. Six axle power is not permitted on the wye on the branch, so if the local returns with cars, they will have to run around them at Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

Previous Page     Next Page