Photo ID: 110729 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 316 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Six units lead a UP coal empty up the north edge of Big Ten Curve. It is pretty easy to play the "one of these things is not like the others" game. The fourth unit is a recently rebuilt C44ACM. The unit was an AC4400CW and it received a fresh coat of paint. Looks pretty great, despite being on a grungy coal train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110728 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 313 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific There aren't too many coal trains left on the Moffat, but there is a westbound empty on the move in the siding here at Rocky. It is meeting the MGJNY, and the meet will come close to being a rolling meet. A rolling meet is a meet in which neither train actually comes to a stop. The coal empty will continue rolling without stopping, but the manifest will come to a stop for about two minutes while the empty clear. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110727 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 312 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific With all the different trains and railroads that run on the Moffat (UP, BNSF, Amtrak, the Rocky Moutaineer), it almost seems like a rare event to catch a meet between two UP trains. That is just what is happening here at Rocky as a westbound coal empty rolls through the siding as the Grand Junction to North Yard rolls east on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110726 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 303 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is such a cool things to see the same train twice in one scene, like you see here. The head end of the train descends down Big Ten toward an Approach (yellow) signal at West Rocky. At the top of the scene, the tail end of the train is in the OS, about to leave Eisele (Clay) eastbound. The crew has a fantastic view of their DPU! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110725 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 311 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Don't you just hate it when the unit with the shabbiest paint scheme is the one that happens to wind up on the point of the train. Such was the case with this MGJNY as it exits Eisele (Clay) and comes around Big Ten Curve. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110724 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 306 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five units, four GEs and an SD70ACe leads the eastbound Grand Junction to North Yard manifest on the main at Eisele (Clay). The train has an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) signal at the east end. It will be holding the main at Rocky, meeting a westbound coal empty that is currently in Barbara's Gulch, east of Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110723 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 313 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five units lead an eastbound manifest through the S-curve between Tunnel 1 and the east end of Plain. This is currently the only regularly scheduled manifest UP runs on the Moffat. The train runs six days a week (three days west, three days east) between North Yard and Grand Junction. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110722 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 364 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At the east end of Plain, UP's thrice weekly manifest from Grand Junction to North Yard is coming out of the siding and onto the main track. It'll continue down to Rocky and meet a westbound coal empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110721 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 316 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's MGJNY held in the siding at Plain for two westbound. The Zephyr, and the Rocky Mountaineer. With the Mountaineer now in the clear near the west end of Plain, the manifest as received a clear (green) signal out of the siding from DS-380. In the distance, you can clearly see the east portal of Tunnel 4. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110720 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 395 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer, Union Pacific The RM has a pair of leased SD70Ms for this Wednesday trip west. I will say that UP certainly is providing some great looking units. They are very clean and the paint is fresh. Here, the Rocky Mountaineer is emerging from Tunnel 1 westbound. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110719 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 437 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer, Union Pacific Traction motors issues on the Rocky Mountain GP40-3s have them out of service at the moment. The leaser unit the RM got this past spring is not yet ready as PTC is being installed. So, for the time being, a pair of SD70Ms (Phase 2) are on loan from UP. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110718 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 339 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF A rare visitor to the Moffat to be sure, MRL 4303 was the trailing DPU on this eastbound BNSF manifest. The train is crossing Simms Street in Arvada, headed for BNSF's 31st Street Yard. BNSF took over the MRL on January 1, 2024. Since then, MRL units have started to roam the BNSF system. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110717 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 380 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF On January 1, 2024, the lease that created the MRL on October 31, 1987 was terminated early. In 2022, BNSF agreed to pay MRL $2 billion to terminate the lease early. The lease was originally created for 60 years, set to expire in 2047. With BNSF taking over the MRL, the MRL power (now owned by BNSF) left Montana to explore the BNSF system. MRL 4303 happened to be the rear DPU on BNSF's Provo-Denver this afternoon. BNSF will eventually repaint the units, and the classic blue and large "W" will fade into rail history. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110716 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 351 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF With MRL (Montana Rail Link) now owned by BNSF, former MRL units are roaming free on the BNSF system. One of the 29 SD70ACes happened to be the trailing DPU unit on BNSF's Provo-Denver manifest on this July afternoon. Eventually, no doubt, the MRL units will be painted orange. I will certainly miss the distinctive blue scheme. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110715 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 364 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF An MRL SD70ACe, now owned by BNSF, brough up the end of this eastbound Provo-Denver. In another 12 miles or so, the train will reach BNSF's 31st Street Yard and the power will be taken off and serviced. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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