Photo ID: 109950 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Byers Canyon Grand County, CO 448 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The rails in this part of Byers Canyon are just barely lit by the sun in the far western sky. A single ES44AC brings up the tail end of this eastbound oil train, slowly snaking its way along the Colorado River. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109949 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sulphur to Flat (MP 86.2 to MP 92.3) Grand County, CO 392 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Oil trains on the Moffat have basically become a successor to coal trains as far as "energy" trains go. While the oil trains are not as ubiquitous as coal trains once were, they have become more common in the past year. Here, an eastbound example rolls toward the west entrance to Byers Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109944 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Troublesome (5,570 ft) Grand County, CO 388 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After running through canyons (include Gore Canyon) nearly nonstop since leaving Bond, the valley opens up east of Kremmling. Here at Troublesome, this eastbound unit oil train is actually able to reach speeds of 45-50 MPH. Not bad for the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109943 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Troublesome (5,570 ft) Grand County, CO 404 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific 2 1/2 hours after pulling out of Bond, this eastbound oil train is on the main track at Troublesome. Ironically, it was here at Troublesome where a significant derailment occurred in the late 1950s. That derailment involved the crew of an eastbound missing an approach (yellow) signal at West Troublesome and hitting a westbound that was entering the siding at East Troublesome. It led to Rio Grande creating a safety/training video called "The Trouble at Troublesome". Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109942 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS129 (Bond) Bond, CO 453 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 8230 and UP 5871 are in the OS at Bond, sometimes referred to as Orestod. Here, there are crossovers between the main and the east and west sidings at Bond, as well as Craig Branch. The name Orestod comes from Dotsero spelled backward. It is here that the Dotsero cutoff was built in the 1930, connecting the original Denver and Rio Grande Western (at Dotsero) with the Denver and Salt Lake (here at Bond, or Orestod). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109941 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS129 (Bond) Bond, CO 381 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Right at the transition from the Glenwood Springs Sub to the Moffat Tunnel Sub, an eastbound oil train creeps along on the siding at Bond. A fresh crew just got on the train and is preparing to depart eastbound. Note the rails breaking away and climbing a grade above the oil train. This is the Craig Branch that heads to Steamboat Springs and ultimately Craig. Once busy with coal traffic, the line between Bond and Phippsburg now sees about two trains per week on average. Locals from Phippsburg down to Bond and back. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109901 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 10, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W005 (Sand Creek Junction) Commerce City, CO 551 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Greeley (UP) Union Pacific It is hard to believe, but it has been five years (almost to the day) since UP ran a regular freight over the Moffat between Denver and Salt Lake City. The final MRONY (Manifest, Roper, UT to North Yard, CO) ran on December 8, 2018. Any freight traffic running from Denver to Salt Lake on UP now travels on this train. The MNYGR (Manifest, North Yard, CO to Green River, WY). From there, cars are placed on a new train, the MGRRO (Manifest, Green River, WY to Roper, UT). The train is just getting underway out of Denver, passing through Commerce City and crossing Sand Creek by the Suncor refinery. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109900 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 10, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W005 (Sand Creek Junction) Denver, CO 501 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Greeley (UP) Union Pacific UP's North Yard to Green River manifest is passing by the Suncor refinery in Commerce City, ready to start its journey north on the Greeley Sub. The train occasionally has work that needs to be done between Denver and Speer along the Greeley. But not today! It will be a straight shot for the crew. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109899 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 10, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS004 (Pecos X-Over) Denver, CO 337 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A trio of GEs has been cut out of the middle of a loaded oil train. The power will ultimately return to be fueled in North Yard and the crew will put the train back together. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109898 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 10, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS004 (Pecos X-Over) Denver, CO 432 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three mid-train swing helpers are about to be cut out of the middle of an eastbound loaded oil train. You can see the crossover is reversed from Bypass 1 to Bypass 2. The engines will move east of the OS at Pecos, and then run back west to C&S to take one of the two units off the back of the oil train as well. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109895 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 366 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This work train went west on the Moffat just over a week ago. It was sent to pick up scrap from a lot of work UP has been doing on the Moffat. Today, it heads back east toward North Yard. These two units are actually on the tail end of the eastbound train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109894 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 66th Avenue (MP 9.25) Arvada, CO 379 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP has been doing a lot of work on the Moffat in the past two months or so. Here, an eastbound work train carrying away a lot of scrap, such as used tie plates, rolls east through Arvada. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109890 Date Shot Photo By Monday, December 4, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS013 (West Leyden) Arvada, CO 392 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 5978 crosses over Indiana Street on the approach to the west end of Leyden. The bridge over Indiana still displays it's "Rio Grande" lettering. This bridge's days are certainly numbered as the City of Arvada would like to widen Indiana to four lanes. Doing this will (obviously) necessitate a new bridge. With that said, funding is not available for the project, so for now, the bridge is not in imminent danger. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109889 Date Shot Photo By Monday, December 4, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden to Rocky (MP 13.4 to MP 17.4) Arvada, CO 375 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A quartet of GEs lead up an eastbound coal load away from the high country and out toward the plains. The train is approach a clear (green) signal at the west end of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109888 Date Shot Photo By Monday, December 4, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 422 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Four GEs lead an eastbound UP coal load past the intermediate at MP 14.6. Coal trains typically have a 2x3x1 configuration. However, those coal trains are typically 105-110 cars. This coal train is only 78 cars, so the power is set up in a 4x2 configuration. 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