Photo ID: 111088 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 170 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The crew on this westbound oil empty is prepping for 12 to 15 minutes of darkness as the train will pass beneath the Continental Divide in the 6.2 mile long tunnel. There is actually a lot of infrastructure here at East Portal, built to ventilate the tunnel from exhaust between trains. The tunnel itself (within the mountain) starts several hundred feet back. On a side note, you can see water spilling out of the Moffat Water Tunnel, transported to the east slope from the Winter Park area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111089 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 210 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's eastbound MGJNY (Manifest, Grand Junction, CO to North Yard, CO) emerges from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel under mostly cloudy conditions. 1 hour and 40 minutes earlier, I shot a westbound oil train going into the tunnel here. That time...1 hour and 40 minutes...is how long it took for the oil train to get to Tabernash and for the MGJNY to, in turn, reach East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111090 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 225 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The trees around and behind the Moffat Tunnel are at their absolute peak brilliance as an SD70ACe and two GEs lead UP's MGJNY east out of the tunnel. You can see the significant change in grade here at East Portal as the train really starts to head downhill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111091 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins to Tolland (MP 41.2 to MP 45.8) Gilpin County, CO 200 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The clouds are finally starting to break up this afternoon, with one floating through the scene just west of Rollins. The head end of UP's MGJNY breaks into daylight along South Boulder Creek as it approaches the west end of Rollins. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111092 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 22 (MP 33.0, 164 ft) Boulder County, CO 155 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The head end of UP's MGJNY approaches the west end of Tunnel 21. The train is also in-and-out of the short Tunnel 21, and the back half is still in Tunnel 23 in the heart of the Tunnel District. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111093 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 19 (MP 32.1, 1,059 ft) Boulder County, CO 210 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead UP's MGJNY on the approach to the west end of Tunnel 19 in the Tunnel District. In the distance, you can see a few cranes working on reinforcing and increasing the height of Gross Dam. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111094 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS032 (West Crescent) Boulder County, CO 245 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 8944 and train just knocked down a clear (green) signal at the west end of Crescent. The crew on this train had to do some work at Bond and they are starting to run short on their hours of service. DS-378 has informed them they will be recrewed at Rocky, about 15 rail miles ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111095 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 207 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific I set the location of this shot as Tunnel 1, although Tunnel 1 is technically hidden from view, just around the bend. UP's MGJNY is descending the roughly 2% grade from Tunnel 1 down toward the bridge that crosses CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111096 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 203 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead a manifest comprised almost exclusively of loaded coal hoppers and covered hoppers through the S-Curves at Coal Creek Canyon and by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111097 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 201 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In a shot that, at this point, is perhaps rather cliche for the Moffat, three units lead UP's thrice-weekly eastbound manifest across the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive on a pleasant September afternoon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111098 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 148 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 7873 leads a westbound oil train around the bend from Eisele (Clay) and toward the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive. Off in the distance, the skyline of Denver stands amidst a sea of trees that, within the next 2 to 4 weeks should turn to fire with fall colors. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111099 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 142 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is quite impressive watching the energy transition from coal to oil on the Moffat. 20 years ago, the Moffat saw as many as 16-18 coal trains in a 24 hour period. While oil trains have not (yet) become that common, their presence is absolutely increasing. Two years ago, there might be one UP oil train ever two days. Now, there seems to be an average of at least three oil trains every 24 hours. The train pictured is no exception, three UP units leading the train west at Blue Mountain Drive. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111100 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 129 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The two SD70ACes that are trailing on this oil train look a bit dirty on their engineers side, but they are significantly dirtier on the other side! They, along with ES44AC UP 7873 have the duty of taking this empty train to Wash, UT for loading. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111101 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 132 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Akron (BNSF) Union Pacific A westbound oil empty emerges from Tunnel one on a beautiful September afternoon. The day did not start quite as beautiful as it was overcast, drizzling, and cold this morning. In fact, I took a picture of another oil empty at this same spot in the morning. Note the crazy change in weather! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111102 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 183 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A Phase 7 P42DC, AMTK 187, leads the eastbound California Zephyr out the east end of East Portal amidst a beautiful, vibrant sea of fall colors. The sun managed to peak out from mostly cloudy skies just in time to light the scene to perfection. 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