Photo ID: 112557 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 47 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak After several weeks of overcast, gloomy morning, there isn't a cloud in the sky as the Zephyr departs the west end of Rocky, starting the climb up Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112558 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 47 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 51 and AMTK 14 lead the westbound Zephyr by the recent construction site on Big Ten, where Union Pacific spent a few weeks putting new rock down to reinforce the grade here on the north end of Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112559 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 49 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Since COVID in 2020, the Zephyr has pretty consistently been running with a baggage car and seven Superliners. A few weeks ago, a third coach started appearing on the Zephyr, increasing the length of the train to eight Superliners. On this particular morning, as the Zephyr heads west on the main at Eisele (Clay), the train is a bit longer with nine Superliners in tow. Granted, the very last car is a sleeper that is just deadheading out to California. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112560 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 57 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This spring has been quite a bit cooler in the Denver area than the average area, and it certainly has been a wetter spring than on average. In May, 3.9" of rain fell in Arvada, nearly double the average of 2.2" for the month. The result has been the greening up of the area. The valley here at Blue Mountain Drive looks fantastic and alive as the morning Zephyr heads west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112561 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 61 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr approaches the east portal Tunnel 1 above CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. When the Denver and Salt Lake (or, at the time, the Denver, Northwestern, and Pacific) first started investigating routes to head west through The Rockies, Coal Creek Canyon was one of the routes surveyed. The route would have necessitated a 2-3 mile long tunnel. As such, the route along the Front Range and South Boulder Canyon, through the Tunnel District, was chosen instead. Today, of course, CO-72 heads west up Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112562 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 58 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Just west of Tunnel 1, the morning Zephyr is running about 45 minutes late. You can see Canyon Pines Drive, the road that accesses the new Arvada neighborhood of Canyon Pines. The neighborhood will have custom home builds, but several years into the project, no houses have actually popped up just yet. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.