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Photo ID: 114342
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS049 (East East Portal)
Gilpin County, CO
30
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
After an accident in May took the Canyon Spirit GP40-3s out of service, the train borrowed a pair of UP SD70Ms for power. Over the summer, PTC was installed in the SD40M-2 (SD45 car body), so the Spirit now only requires a single UP SD70M to assist. UP 4073 currently has the assignment here at the east end of East Portal.
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Photo ID: 114341
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS050 (West East Portal)
Gilpin County, CO
30
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
The Provo-Denver has emerged from the Moffat Tunnel. I was a little surprised to find eight units on the head end of the manifest. Most of the units were not online, so not sure why they were being transported. As you can see here, the fourth unit is a Norfolk Southern unit.
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Photo ID: 114340
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles)
Gilpin County, CO
33
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
After meeting its counterpart at Winter Park, BNSF's Provo-Denver is about a mile away from the east end of the Moffat Tunnel. As part of the ventilation system for the tunnel, there is a large curtain that closes just inside the east portal of the tunnel. This prevent wind from working against the fans that vent the tunnel. It is always cool when an eastbound is approaching and the curtain opens, allowing for a view of the headlight off in the distance under the Continental Divide.
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Photo ID: 114339
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
East Portal (5,750 ft)
Gilpin County, CO
31
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
Fall colors are kind of all over the place as a westbound Denver-Provo approaches the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. September 20th is still a little early (on average) for fall colors to reach their peak here at 9,000-feet. The train will be the third train since sunrise to pass through the Moffat Tunnel.
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Photo ID: 114338
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
East Portal (5,750 ft)
Gilpin County, CO
27
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
An AC4400CW and two ES44ACs lead a westbound manifest pass by a pond at East Portal. You can see the east leg of the wye that is at East Portal breaking away from the siding alongside the head end. The wye follows the original grade that use to make a 180º curve and start the steep climb up Rollins Pass.
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Photo ID: 114337
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
East Portal (5,750 ft)
Gilpin County, CO
26
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
At East Portal, BNSF's Denver-Provo is on the main as many trees are reaching their peak here at 9,000 feet. The train has the pretty standard trio of units on the head end, and there are a lot of tank cars in the train's consist.
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Photo ID: 114335
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Cliff (6,900 ft)
Gilpin County, CO
26
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
BNSF 5616 is pulling into the siding at Cliff, approaching a red signal at the west end. It is getting in the clear so the morning Zephyr can overtake the train. The Zephyr will pass by on the main track. DS-378 is doing his best to keep Amtrak moving, giving it the highest priority he can.
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Photo ID: 114334
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS032 (West Crescent)
Boulder County, CO
17
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
The westbound Zephyr took the siding at Crescent. The westbound Denver-Provo manifest went into emergency and stopped just shy of the west switch. The conductor is walking back to the head end after inspecting the train (and finding nothing). The train will soon continue west and take the siding at Cliff to allow the Zephyr to overtake it.
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Photo ID: 114333
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
CP DS032 (West Crescent)
Boulder County, CO
25
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF
This westbound BNSF manifest (two DPUs seen on the rear here) went into emergency and has come to a stop. Unfortunately, the head end of the train is right in the middle of Tunnel 22. That has made it a little more difficult as the head end cannot communicate with DS-378. The conductor walked the train and found no problems. She the used the radio in the DPU to update DS-378. After the long walk to the head end, the train is going to continue west.
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Photo ID: 114289
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Antelope Mine
Converse County, WY
75
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
From around 1996 until 2005 or so, BNSF's SD70MACs reigned on coal train. Over the next decade, as ES44ACs and SD70ACes started to come on the scene, the SD70MAC presence started decreasing. Today, SD70MACs have almost completely disappeared. Most are in long term storage, and many have met the torch and been scrapped. Over the course of the two days I spent in the Powder River Basin, BNSF 8908 here was the only SD70MAC that I saw.
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Photo ID: 114287
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Black Thunder Mine
Campbell County, WY
66
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
An overview of the main Black Thunder Mine facility here in the Powder River Basin. You can see the incredible mining effort, and the valleys that have been created, to get to the low sulfur "black diamonds".
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Photo ID: 114286
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Black Thunder Mine
Campbell County, WY
72
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
A Union Pacific coal empty is waiting for its turn to start loading as a BNSF train (with an MRL SD70ACe in the consist) is in the process of loading. Black Thunder can load a 125-car train in about two hours. With a 30 minute break (give or take) between, the mine could probably load around 10 trains in a 24 hour period.
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Photo ID: 114285
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Black Thunder Mine
Campbell County, WY
77
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
One BNSF train is making its way around the Black Thunder Mine load out, in the process of loading. A second train is already staged behind, ready to follow the first in and start its own loading process. Trains load in a counter-clockwise movement around the balloon track here.
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Photo ID: 114284
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Black Thunder Mine
Campbell County, WY
75
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
You can see three different coal trains here at the Black Thunder Mind load out. You can see the massive mine to the right. The load out can completely load a 125 car train in about two hours.
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Photo ID: 114283
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Black Thunder Mine
Campbell County, WY
77
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
I like this shot as you can clearly see the multiple tracks that lead from the triple track main to the Black Thunder Mine load out. The single track to the right leads to the Black Thunder East Mine load out.
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