Photo ID: 108662 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 3, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 838 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr has a Clear (green) signal at the east end of Eisele (Clay) as it rolls on to the single track main and out and around Big Ten Curve. The train is actually 15 minutes early this afternoon, and has nothing but green signals the rest of the way in to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108661 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 3, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 831 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr rolls east (well, currently geographically south) on the main at Eisele (Clay), while a westbound BNSF (also currently geographically south) manifest waits in the siding at Rocky. The Zephyr will be down to the manifest, heading geographically north, in just a matter of minutes. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108660 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 3, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 1060 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr rolls east on the main at Eisele as it continues the journey east toward Denver and points beyond. Eisele is really the last place the eastbound Zephyr will skirt the front range of the Rockies before leaving the mountains behind after descending down from Big Ten Curve ahead. The siding was originally called Fire Clay, due to the red clay rock found in the area. When Rio Grande shortened many siding names on the system, it was shorten to just Clay. Then, just over eight years ago, on April 2, 2013, UP changed the name from Clay to Eisele in honor of Charley Eisele, a UP official that retired. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108652 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 849 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr rushes away from the Rocky Mountains and the rapidly setting sun in order to reach Denver and continue on to points east toward Chicago. The just passes a Clear (green) signal at east Rocky and is now headed in to Barbara's Gulch. While you probably cannot tell at first glance in this shot, but the lead unit was one of the 44 P40DCs Amtrak took delivery on. It has since been upgraded to P42DC specs, but it still wears the number of a P40. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108651 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 841 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr wraps around the curve at the base of Coal Creek Canyon, having just descended from Tunnel 1. Mother nature can sometimes be cruel. I had selected this location because it is one of the few spots on the Moffat where you can get an eastbound headed into the sunlight in the evenings. Of course, two minutes before the Zephyr showed up, a large, fluffy cloud floated by and obscured the sun. Two minutes after the Zephyr was gone, the cloud cleared. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108639 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 931 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr wraps around the east leg of Big Ten Loop alongside a sting of hoppers on the inside of the track. These hoppers were placed here around 50 years ago. They were filled with cement and dirt and the track they are on was severed from the main track. A few of the cars are even welded to the rails. These hoppers serve as a wind break. Winds can come rolling off the Rockies and straight across here at speeds of 70+ MPH (110+ KPH) at times. Prior to the wind break being put in place, one or two lighter trains derailed after being blown off the track! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108638 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 772 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak At the start of the S-Curve on the north side of Big Ten Loop, the westbound Zephyr climbs toward the wind break hoppers located on the inside of the curve atop Big Ten. These hoppers have now been here for 50 years, helping provide protection from trains from the 70+ MPH winds that can come swooping down off the mountains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108637 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 1132 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Just east of Rocky, in Barbara's Gulch, the first westbound Zephyr to leave Denver on a Wednesday morning in almost eight months approaches a Clear (green) signal at the east end of Rocky. A lone car crosses over the tracks on CO-93, likely oblivious to the train passing underneath it. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108633 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Little Ten Curve (MP 18.7 to MP 18.9) Arvada, CO 895 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr wraps through the 10° curve of Little Ten Curve near the west end of Rocky. Up until the early 1980s, the west switch of Rocky as at the start of the curve to the left of the frame. At that point in time, there was only a single track wrapping around Little Ten Curve. However, the increased size of coal trains led to Rio Grande lengthening several sidings, including Rocky. The Zephyr glides through the curve on the main amidst a field of green under a blue sky filled with non-threatening clouds. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108632 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 1330 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak It is the perfect evening to capture the return of the Zephyr to daily service in Denver. Running close to on time, the first eastbound Zephyr on a Tuesday in to Denver since last September descends down the northern leg of Big Ten Loop, turning toward the west switch of Rocky. A wet spring has created some fantastic green scenes around Denver. A great break from the typical dullish brown that tends to cover the landscape for 9-10 months out of the year. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108631 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 1038 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The evening Zephyr slowly descends down the north leg of Big Ten Loop. The train is under a 10 MPH slow order that started at Plain and will continue down to Rocky. Great for me as that allowed me to get ahead of the train a couple of times for additional shots. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108630 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 960 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak AMTK 196 and AMTK 126 have the honor of leading the first Zephyr east in to Denver on a Tuesday evening in nearly eight months. Starting last October, the Zephyr went from daily service to just three days a week each direction. With funding provided to Amtrak by Congress about three months ago, long distance trains that were daily before COVID-19 are again returning to daily service! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108629 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 1148 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A wet spring has led to a lot of green in the Denver-Metro area here in late May. A beautiful landscape at Blue Mountain Road as the eastbound Zephyr approaches the hot box detector at MP 22.6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108628 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 840 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The days are now long enough that the tracks are still lit in the evenings between Plain and Tunnel 1 for the eastbound Zephyr. With the Zephyr's return to daily service, this is the first Tuesday since September 2020 that has had an eastbound Zephyr descending the front range in to Denver. Great to have it back on a beautiful evening. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108619 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 820 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Just about 24 miles west of Denver Union Station, the westbound Zephyr has emerged from Tunnel 1 and is approaching a clear at the east switch of Plain. With the return to daily service, the Zephyr has a baggage car again and is sporting seven Superliners today. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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