Photo ID: 113035 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's eastbound MGJNY is holding on the main at Rocky as a westbound coal empty rolls by in the siding. The coal train will run through the siding without stopping. A ballast regulator and a tamper are tied down on the Rocky Flat Industrial Lead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113036 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 59 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Hello old friend! It's been just over two years since I last saw UP 1989, the Rio Grande heritage unit here in Colorado. This morning, it is the third unit on UP's MGJNY on the main at Rocky. Turns out the unit has been flagged as a bad order, and it is making its way toward North Platte, NE so it can be repaired. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113037 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 47 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After meeting a westbound coal empty (which is visible in the distance), UP's thrice-weekly MGJNY is ready to roll east out of Rocky toward North Yard in Denver. The train is quite short this morning, with only 30 cars or so (give or take). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113038 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 55 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The clouds were kind of all over the place this morning, which was casting some crazy shadows and creating a lot of contrast. UP's MGJNY, led by a graffiti-ridden ES44AC, rolls into the OS at East Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113039 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 54 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Not the best lighting, but I could not pass up an opportunity to grab a shot of the Rio Grande Heritage Unit! It is pretty hard to believe that this unit is nearly 20 years old! It was unveiled at North Yard in June 2006. The paint is a bit dirty and could certainly use some touch up. The unit is headed to North Platte, NE for engine work. Perhaps it'll end up getting a paint job before its 20th birthday next summer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113040 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 51 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific If you are familiar with the Moffat, then you are probably well aware that in the early 2000s, coal was king on the line. You could expect to see as many as 16-20 coal trains (half westbound empties and half eastbound loads) in a 24 hour period. Now, coal train have essentially become the rarest train type (of the train types that run) on the Moffat. UP 7861 leads this westbound at Plain. Note the missing number board on the engineer's side. there is an array of LEDs providing lights for the should-be number board. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113041 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 50 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As this westbound coal empty, with four units on the point, heads west on the main at Plain, you might notice that there is ballast that appears much lighter in places. UP is in the process of essentially re-ballasting the entire Moffat right now! A project, along with tie and tie plate replacements, is supposed to last the next three months. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113042 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS025 (West Plain) Jefferson County, CO 45 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At the west switch of Plain, a westbound coal empty is getting ready to dive into the Tunnel District! As the lead unit rounds the bend, the crew is looking straight into the east portal of Tunnel 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113043 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 51 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It was this time of year roughly 12 years ago that a "500 year storm" hit Colorado when it rained for four days straight. In that storm, the fill between Tunnel 2 and Tunnel 3 completely washed out, shutting down the Moffat for roughly two weeks. Fast-forward to this day as a westbound coal empty crosses the fill, through the cut, and toward Tunnel 3. In the distance to the left, you can see the back half of the train, still coming through Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113044 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 38 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 7816 leads a coal empty out of the west portal of Tunnel. Just around the curve behind the camera and to the right is Tunnel 4. Through the tunnel district, it can feel like you spend as much time in tunnels as out of them! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113045 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 12, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is making track speed here in Barbara's Gulch as it hustles west, right on time this morning. The dust you see is actually from a lot of fresh ballast that was recently laid along the mainline here. Wind from the fast-moving Zephyr is blowing the dust up around the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.