Photo ID: 111097 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 487 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In a shot that, at this point, is perhaps rather cliche for the Moffat, three units lead UP's thrice-weekly eastbound manifest across the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive on a pleasant September afternoon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111096 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 386 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead a manifest comprised almost exclusively of loaded coal hoppers and covered hoppers through the S-Curves at Coal Creek Canyon and by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111095 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 413 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific I set the location of this shot as Tunnel 1, although Tunnel 1 is technically hidden from view, just around the bend. UP's MGJNY is descending the roughly 2% grade from Tunnel 1 down toward the bridge that crosses CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111094 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS032 (West Crescent) Boulder County, CO 473 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 8944 and train just knocked down a clear (green) signal at the west end of Crescent. The crew on this train had to do some work at Bond and they are starting to run short on their hours of service. DS-378 has informed them they will be recrewed at Rocky, about 15 rail miles ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111093 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 19 (MP 32.1, 1,059 ft) Boulder County, CO 397 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead UP's MGJNY on the approach to the west end of Tunnel 19 in the Tunnel District. In the distance, you can see a few cranes working on reinforcing and increasing the height of Gross Dam. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111092 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 22 (MP 33.0, 164 ft) Boulder County, CO 344 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The head end of UP's MGJNY approaches the west end of Tunnel 21. The train is also in-and-out of the short Tunnel 21, and the back half is still in Tunnel 23 in the heart of the Tunnel District. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111091 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins to Tolland (MP 41.2 to MP 45.8) Gilpin County, CO 384 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The clouds are finally starting to break up this afternoon, with one floating through the scene just west of Rollins. The head end of UP's MGJNY breaks into daylight along South Boulder Creek as it approaches the west end of Rollins. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111090 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 455 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The trees around and behind the Moffat Tunnel are at their absolute peak brilliance as an SD70ACe and two GEs lead UP's MGJNY east out of the tunnel. You can see the significant change in grade here at East Portal as the train really starts to head downhill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111089 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 390 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's eastbound MGJNY (Manifest, Grand Junction, CO to North Yard, CO) emerges from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel under mostly cloudy conditions. 1 hour and 40 minutes earlier, I shot a westbound oil train going into the tunnel here. That time...1 hour and 40 minutes...is how long it took for the oil train to get to Tabernash and for the MGJNY to, in turn, reach East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111088 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 347 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The crew on this westbound oil empty is prepping for 12 to 15 minutes of darkness as the train will pass beneath the Continental Divide in the 6.2 mile long tunnel. There is actually a lot of infrastructure here at East Portal, built to ventilate the tunnel from exhaust between trains. The tunnel itself (within the mountain) starts several hundred feet back. On a side note, you can see water spilling out of the Moffat Water Tunnel, transported to the east slope from the Winter Park area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111087 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 329 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Union Pacific has built two new buildings in the last 15 years up here at East Portal. You can see them both in this picture behind the oil train. They presumably house various maintenance of way equipment, protecting them from the elements...particularly in winter! Today, however, it is overcast and chilly near the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111086 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 429 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five units lead a westbound oil train on the main at East Portal at an altitude of over 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level, the Moffat is the highest active mainline of any Class 1 Railroad in the United States. About 15 years ago, UP extended Tolland siding, increasing its length from 5,600 feet to over 9,000 feet. Consequently, the siding at East Portal is seemingly never used for meets these days. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111085 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 393 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After waiting patiently in the siding at Tolland for both the westbound Zephyr and the westbound Rocky Moutaineer to overtake it, it is finally this westbound oil empties turn to head west into the Moffat Tunnel. The train is wrapping its way through the curves between Tolland and East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111084 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 266 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific In between trains, I thought I'd grab a shot of one leg of the wye off the siding at East Portal. A century ago, this track led to the mainline that ran over Rollins Pass. The 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel was under construction in September 1924, but was still 3 1/2 years away from opening. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111083 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 358 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer With a clear (green) signal dead ahead, the Rocky Mountaineer kicks up some exhaust as it accelerates toward the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

Previous Page     Next Page