Photo ID: 111315 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 113 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The morning Zephyr is just a little bit behind schedule as it crosses over Blue Mountain Drive. There is still a fair amount of snow on the ground here from multiple storms the week before that left nearly a foot of snow on the ground. Today, however, the temperature will climb to around 50°F (10°C), melting a bit more of the remaining snow. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111316 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 178 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Two elephant-style P42DCs lead a typical Zephyr consist west on the climb toward Tunnel 1 from the base of Coal Creek Canyon. So far, no construction has started on any houses in the new Canyon Pines neighborhood, the main road for which is just visible along the top of the frame. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111317 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS032 (West Crescent) Boulder County, CO 116 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak At the west switch of Crescent, the westbound Zephyr appears from around the bend on the main track, knocking down a clear (green) signal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111318 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 19 (MP 32.1, 1,059 ft) Boulder County, CO 177 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Just at the east portal of Tunnel 19, the westbound Zephyr crosses over a fill and prepares to start the upper end of the Tunnel District. In the distance, construction continues on the dam at Gross Reservoir. The dam is being raised by 131 feet to triple the capacity of the reservoir. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111319 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 634.5 (Sandown) Denver, CO 132 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific A UP oil load rolls east on Main 1 alongside Central Park Station. Just over 30 years ago, this would have been on the north edge of the field of Stapleton International Airport. Go further back in time, this was once the location of Sandown Junction, where the Rock Island left the KP to the right (where the covered hopper sits) over to the Belt Line and the connection to the Rio Grande at North Yard. That connection has since been severed, however. Now, the area has been completely redeveloped for both commercial and residential purposes. Most recently, the RTD A-Line (commuter rail) to DIA was built. RTD was able to use UP's Limon Sub corridor for the alignment. As part of the deal for the land, RTD paid for UP to install CTC and a second main track through the corridor. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111320 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sandown to Roydale Denver, CO 101 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific UP 6360, former SP 316, leads an eastbound loaded oil train underneath Central Park Blvd. Half of this overpass was built in 2012 to accommodate the growing commercial and residential neighborhoods on the former Stapleton International Airport land. At that time, the bridge carried one lane of traffic each direction. In 2018, the bridge was doubled in width, and there are now two lanes in each direction on the bridge. The train is about to cross Sand Creek on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111321 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mesa (8,880ft) Aurora, CO 100 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific This loaded oil train is headed east on the main alongside the nearly-9,000 foot long siding of Mesa in Aurora on the KP. After a couple of snow storms hit the week before, the peaks of the Rockies are now pretty well covered in snow off in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111322 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mesa (8,880ft) Aurora, CO 111 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific Three GEs lead a loaded unit oil train east toward the plains of eastern Colorado on the KP. Of interest, the first two units are both former Espee units! UP 6360 was originally SP 316, delivered in July 1995 and patched to UP on August 1, 2003. UP 6344 was originally SP 298, also delivered in July 1995. It was patched to UP on January 18, 2002. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111323 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tonville Weld County, CO 122 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 9256 and MRL 4319 sit in the siding at Tonville, waiting to head west to BNSF's 31st Street Yard. It is not entirely clear why the train is currently stopped. In the distance, you can see the headlight of an approaching westbound coal load that will overtake the manifest. That alone does not seem like the reason for the manifest to be held. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111324 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tonville Weld County, CO 144 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) Montana Rail Link, BNSF One of the 29 MRL SD70ACes is the second unit on this westbound Lincoln, NE to Denver, CO manifest sitting in the siding at Tonville. All 29 SD70ACes, as well as the rest of MRLs power, transferred over to BNSF ownership at the start of 2024 after BNSF bought out the contract with MRL. The contract was formed in 1987 and was originally signed for 60 years, set to expire in 2047. With increasing traffic on BNSF's norther Transcon, BNSF wanted to reclaim possession of the MRL. Both railroads came to agreement on the terms, and the STB approved the early contract termination in March 2023. On January 1, 2024, the MRL ceases to exist, with all assets absorbed by BNSF. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111325 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Tonville Weld County, CO 154 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 9208 leads a westbound coal load through the west end of Tonville and across a bridge over a small pond. The train has green signals the rest of the trip in to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111326 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Irondale to Barr Commerce City, CO 113 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF While the plains are, obviously, significantly flatter than the mountain, that is not to suggest that they are entirely flat. As you can see here, there is a hill east of Denver on the Brush Sub that this westbound coal load has just climbed over. This train was loaded at the Rawhide coal mine in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and is headed for Smithers, TX. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111327 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Irondale to Barr Commerce City, CO 110 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF After a westbound coal load overtook this Lincoln, NE to Denver, CO manifest at Tonville, the manifest got its turn to continue east toward Denver. The train is slowing as it has an Approach (yellow) signal at the east end of Irondale. It will be meeting an eastbound coal empty there. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111328 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Irondale Commerce City, CO 130 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF Something of a rare pair of units lead an eastbound coal empty on the siding at Irondale. A Heritage AC4400CW and an MRL SD70ACe are the power today. Interestingly, the SD70ACe (and possibly the AC4400CW) were put on the train in Denver. Not sure if the power was swapped out, or simply needed servicing before continuing east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111329 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Irondale Commerce City, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) Montana Rail Link, BNSF While I was very sad when MRL (Montana Rail Link) ceased to exist at the start of 2024 after BNSF took it over, the one possible benefit is that all the MRL power is now owned by BNSF. And, as a result, MRL units are now roaming BNSF's system, offering greater opportunities to get shots of units outside of Montana. Such is the case here as an MRL SD70ACe is the second unit on an eastbound coal empty headed for the Powder River Basin. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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