Photo ID: 112512 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 65 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF oil empty has a very unique look to it, with a BN caboose on the tail end of the train! The caboose is now referred to as a shoving platform as the doors and windows are boarded up. The train is entering the siding at Rocky and will meet UP's MGJNY, holding the main at Eisele (Clay) in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112513 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A long lens look at an eastbound unit oil train on the main at Plain. The train is following UP's MGJNY, which is currently on Big Ten Curve, a few blocks ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112514 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 70 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A trio of SD70ACes leads an eastbound oil train on the main at Plain. The conductor on BNSF 9160 is giving a friendly wave out the cab window as the train rolls along at track speed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112515 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Six units lead a westbound BNSF oil train at Plain. Six units on the point of these oil empties is very common (on BNSF) on the Moffat as BNSF runs the trains 3x3 when they return east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112516 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 81 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF 2025 or 1985!? The paint may not be in great shape, but seeing a caboose on the tail end of a non-local train on the mainline was something special to see. More than likely, this caboose (now called a shoving platform) is likely being sent to Grand Junction for use on locals. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112517 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 70 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF When looking at this caboose on the end of this westbound oil train, you might notice the bars welded across the door and windows. The cabooses that remain on the rosters of class one railroads these days are generally blocked off and are referred to as shoving platforms. They are generally used on locals to allow crew members to ride during switching, rather than hanging on to freight cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112518 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 69 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF I missed the era of caboose running on the backs of trains on the mainline. So, I was pretty happy to receive a tip that BNSF was transporting this caboose (shoving platform) from Denver to (most likely) Grand Junction. It may not be a "real" caboose in 2025, but still looks fine on the end of the oil train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112519 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 64 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Despite the fact that we are about three weeks away from the start of summer the aspen trees here at Tolland still bare of their leaves. The eastbound Zephyr is running around 90 minutes late as it approaches the grade crossing at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112520 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 59 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak It is lightly sprinkling at Tolland as the Zephyr hustles along east at track speed, trying to make up a bit of time. Two private passenger cars are bringing up the end of the Zephyr today. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112521 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 60 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Under gloomy, stormy skies, the eastbound Zephyr passes by the Hotbox Detector at MP 22.6 at Blue Mountain. With my drone currently in the shop for repairs, it was good to get a classic shot here at the S-Curves. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112522 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 65 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak As the Zephyr passes by at Blue Mountain Drive, the engineer opens the window and gives a friendly wave to the camera as it passes on by. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112523 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 55 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The privately owned Pullman-built Pennsylvania car "Colonial Crafts" and Budd-built New York Central car "NYC-3" are both hitching a ride on the end of the eastbound California Zephyr as the train passes near the east end of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112524 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak With the increased costs of transporting private passenger cars on Amtrak trains, it has become far less common for private cars to appear on the end of the Zephyr. However, on this evening, private cars "Colonial Crafts" and "NYC-3", the first in a Pennsylvania railroad scheme, and the second in a New York Central scheme, ride along on the back of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.