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Photo ID: 113008
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rocky (7,330ft)
Arvada, CO
315
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Herzog
This westbound ballast train stopped in the siding at Rocky to meet the westbound Rocky Mountaineer. After the Mountaineer passed, the ballast train started pulling west and broke the drawbar on the west end of the lead ballast car!
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Photo ID: 113009
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS019 (West Rocky)
Arvada, CO
292
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Herzog
Union Pacific is starting a significant maintenance project on the Moffat. It appears they are going to re-ballast much of the line (if not the entire thing). They are also going to re-tie the Moffat Tunnel itself. Here, a ballast train was preparing to head west and drop ballast. Unfortunately, the train broke the drawbar on the lead ballast car, so it is not going anywhere anytime soon!
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Photo ID: 113010
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rocky (7,330ft)
Arvada, CO
263
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Herzog
A westbound ballast train has suffered a broken drawbar. When the drawbar broke, the engines (obviously) pulled away from the cars, putting the train into emergency.
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Photo ID: 113011
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rocky (7,330ft)
Arvada, CO
281
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Herzog
This westbound ballast train was setup in a 3x2 configuration. However, when it started pulling out of the siding at Rocky, the drawbar on the front of the lead ballast car broke, and the train went into emergency. Fortunately, the train was not further west when it broken, as there is a chance the train would've blocked the mainline.
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Photo ID: 113012
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rocky (7,330ft)
Arvada, CO
282
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Herzog
A pair of GEs brings up the tail end of a westbound ballast train, currently in the siding at Rocky. These ballast cars, incidentally, are pretty amazing. They each have onboard computers and satellite link-ups. Each car knows where it is on the rails and how fast the train is moving (when it is moving). This allows the ballast cars to automatically dump ballast at the exact correct rate. As a result of being GPS enabled, the cars stop dumping ballast when crossing grade crossing and over switches.
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Photo ID: 113013
Date Shot
Photo By
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Rocky (7,330ft)
Arvada, CO
272
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Herzog
Some maintenance of way cars are stored in the house track at Rocky, waiting for their next assignment. As part of ballast and tie replacement project UP is undertaking, there are some new ties along the house track. The gondolas are filled with tie plates.
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