Photo ID: 111113 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Boulder County, CO 291 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 8879 is about to come to a stop on the siding at Cliff. A westbound empty oil train is about 20 minutes away. After meeting the oil train, the coal load will continue east, meeting the Zephyr at Crescent. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111112 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Boulder County, CO 288 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This eastbound coal load is slowing as it rolls through the siding at Cliff. The house track is located to the left and the main, still cast in shadows, is on the right. The train will wait for a westbound unit oil train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111111 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins to Tolland (MP 41.2 to MP 45.8) Gilpin County, CO 278 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP coal load wraps around one of the last curves in the narrow part of the valley leading up to the west end of Rollins. The fall colors around Rollins are really hitting their peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111110 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 278 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This UP coal load is about to cross Tolland Road at the grade crossing near the east switch of East Portal. If you look off in the distance, you can actually see the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111109 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 286 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP coal load snakes out of the valley that the Moffat Tunnel is located in, following alongside the siding at East Portal on one side and South Boulder Creek on the other side. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111108 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 276 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP coal load passes by some maintenance of way equipment currently tied down in the house track at East Portal. The coal load has the standard 2x3x1 setup as far as power goes. Dynamic brakes are starting to whine in the valley as the grade downhill grade increases. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111107 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 348 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An SD70ACe and an AC4400CW lead a loaded coal train out the Moffat Tunnel at the end of September, just as fall colors are hitting their peaks. The coal train loaded at the West Elk mine on the North Fork Branch. There only seems to be about one coal train every few weeks on the Moffat these days, so this was a nice morning surprise. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111106 Date Shot Photo By Monday, September 23, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 300 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound coal load...one of few that run on the Moffat these days...emerges from the tunnel in glorious morning light amidst a sea of fall colors. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111105 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 48.0) Gilpin County, CO 276 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific If you look close, you'll notice a few wires cutting across and near the top of the frame. These wires are part of the high/wide detector at MP 48.0. The detector protects against cars...or more likely anything sticking out from a car...that would not clear a tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111104 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS048 (West Tolland) Gilpin County, CO 281 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just west of the west end of Tolland, a UP oil empty makes its way west amongst a sea of fall colors in the last bit of direct sunlight before the sun dips behind the mountains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111103 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 246 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As the sun approaches the western horizon (well...mountains), the crew of a UP oil empty approaches a clear (green) signal at the west end of Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111102 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 412 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A Phase 7 P42DC, AMTK 187, leads the eastbound California Zephyr out the east end of East Portal amidst a beautiful, vibrant sea of fall colors. The sun managed to peak out from mostly cloudy skies just in time to light the scene to perfection. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111100 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 283 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The two SD70ACes that are trailing on this oil train look a bit dirty on their engineers side, but they are significantly dirtier on the other side! They, along with ES44AC UP 7873 have the duty of taking this empty train to Wash, UT for loading. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111099 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 301 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is quite impressive watching the energy transition from coal to oil on the Moffat. 20 years ago, the Moffat saw as many as 16-18 coal trains in a 24 hour period. While oil trains have not (yet) become that common, their presence is absolutely increasing. Two years ago, there might be one UP oil train ever two days. Now, there seems to be an average of at least three oil trains every 24 hours. The train pictured is no exception, three UP units leading the train west at Blue Mountain Drive. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111098 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 296 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 7873 leads a westbound oil train around the bend from Eisele (Clay) and toward the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive. Off in the distance, the skyline of Denver stands amidst a sea of trees that, within the next 2 to 4 weeks should turn to fire with fall colors. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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