Photo ID: 113152 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 109 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Fall has descended on the Colorado high country, when some fantastic yellows up at the Moffat Tunnel, around 9,000 feet above sea level. There is a work train currently tied down (without power) in the siding. UP in investing a lot of time and money into maintenance for the Moffat in the coming months, including fresh ballast and many new ties. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113153 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 104 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific On a beautiful late-September morning, UP's thrice-weekly MGJNY has emerged from the Moffat Tunnel, passing by a work train that is currently tied down in the siding here at East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113154 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 127 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific When it comes to rail photography (or outdoor photography in general), there is no better time to get out in the Colorado high country than the last week of September! An eastbound UP manifest has just emerged from the Moffat Tunnel and is rolling eastbound. James Peak and surrounding peaks have a dusting of snow, and fall colors are about at their peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113155 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 101 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Unfortunately, it feels as though UP found one of the grungiest units to lead the MGJNY this morning as the train rolls through the east switch of East Portal. At least the flag decal is in really good shape, even if the paint behind it is practically faded to white. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113156 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 103 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 5622 and two addition GEs are the sole power on this eastbound MGJNY, crossing over East Portal Road between East Portal and Tolland. The train will meet an already-waiting westbound Zephyr at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113157 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 87 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A nice treat this morning was to find Amtrak's Phase 4 heritage unit, AMTK 164, leading the westbound Zephyr as the train crosses East Portal Road between Tolland and East Portal. Fall colors are about as good as they are going to get, offering a spectacular ride for passengers. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113158 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 129 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After meeting the westbound Zephyr, this eastbound UP manifest still has to wait a bit longer here in the siding at Tolland. An eastbound UP coal load broke a drawbar climbing the hill to the Moffat Tunnel on the west slope and had to back down to the siding at Granby. Two rescue units have been sent west out of Denver, and will meet the MGJNY here at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113159 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby (7,325 ft) Granby, CO 106 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While taking some pictures around the Moffat Tunnel, I learned about two units sent west from Denver to assist a coal train at Granby. I decided to head to the west slope for some pictures. It is pretty crazy that, when I was at East Portal, I was only a little over six miles away from Winter Park (via the Moffat Tunnel). Yet by road, it was a 55 mile drive that took about 90 minutes! I finally made it to Granby, where I found the two units on the main, getting ready to work on the DPUs on the eastbound coal load. A new (heated) concrete platform at the Granby depot is nearing completion! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113160 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby (7,325 ft) Granby, CO 104 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This eastbound coal train broke a drawbar when climbing the grade between Tabernash and the Moffat Tunnel overnight. As a result of the delay, one of its units also ran out of fuel and shut down! The train had to back down to the siding at Tabernash. 10 hours later, and a new crew is going to add two new units to the head end to get the train over the grade. Of note, the current lead unit, UP 6278, started its life in May 1995 as SP 187. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113161 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby Overlook Grand County, CO 94 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer A few miles west of Granby, the eastbound Rocky Mountaineer passes a green intermediate signal as it passes through a cut of golden cottonwood trees. This is a shot I've wanted to get for several years, and I was happy the opportunity finally presented itself! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113162 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby Overlook Grand County, CO 88 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Unfortunately, one of the two Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s was down for the count and spending some time in the shop, so RMRX 8600 was filling in on this trip. The engineer offers up a friendly wave as the train passes Grand County Road 57. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113163 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby Overlook Grand County, CO 73 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Rocky Mountaineer heads away from the camera along the headwaters of the Colorado River with some fantastic fall colors west of Granby. As you might imagine, this is the best season for the Rocky Mountaineer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113164 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS074 (East Granby) Granby, CO 98 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The original crew on this UP coal train went "dead" on their hours many hours ago. Once a crew "dies" (runs out of hours to work), they are not allowed to lift a finger. When the new crew arrived, the old crew simply sat in the cab of the previous lead unit and waited. They finally get to head home, catching a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer. The Mountaineer just came to a stop to pick them up and take them home to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113165 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Fraser to Tabernash (MP 63 to MP 65) Grand County, CO 82 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer After picking up a UP crew that went dead on their hours at Granby, the Rocky Mountaineer is again on the move, heading east out of Granby toward Fraser Canyon along the Fraser River. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113166 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS074 (East Granby) Granby, CO 107 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The (relief) crew on this eastbound UP coal load are getting close to being ready to head east. The conductor is knocking off hand brakes. Unfortunately (for the crew), DS-378 will be holding them here at Granby until the eastbound Zephyr passes by. Certainly the correct call by the dispatcher to try to keep the Zephyr moving. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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