Photo ID: 113718 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Jefferson County, CO 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Canyon Spirit rolls by the new Canyon Pines neighborhood, annexed by the City of Arvada about a decade ago. While roads are all complete for the neighborhood, no construction on any houses has actually started yet. The Canyon Spirit is coming up to the west portal of Tunnel 1. Eventually, a few houses will be located atop of Tunnel 1 (though north of the actual rails). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113717 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Jefferson County, CO 47 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Just east of Plain, the eastbound Canyon Spirit is on the move and approaching Tunnel 1. Way off in the distance, you can see the Valmont Power Station. The power plant shut down its last coal generator in 2017. It now has solar arrays onsite, and a natural gas generator that can provide 70 MW during peak demands. Although you cannot see it, the BNSF Front Range Sub runs right by the reservoir. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113716 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 4 (MP 26.0, 174 ft) Jefferson County, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer In the foreground (to the right), you can see the main and siding at Plain. However, in the distance, center frame, you can see the headlights of the eastbound Canyon Spirit as it emerges from Tunnel 4. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113715 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Boulder County, CO 115 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer I could not have asked for a better day for getting some shots along the Moffat. Barely a cloud in the sky and temperatures right around 55°F (13°C) as the Canyon Spirit rolls by on the main at Cliff. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113714 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Cliff (6,900 ft) Boulder County, CO 82 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Two gondolas sit in the house track at Cliff, possibly being used for the collection of used ties along the right-of-way after the months-long tie and ballast project from late 2025. It is also great seeing EMD spartan cabs on the main, with the Canyon Spirit rolling east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113713 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins (8,320 ft) Gilpin County, CO 77 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Canyon Spirit is not an "overnight train". That is to say, it does not include any sleeping cars. It is all coaches and a lounge car. Five of the cars have panoramic windows to run up to the roof. These are the coach cars where passengers spend their time. Of the four other passenger cars, one is the lounge car (available only with an upgrade), and the other three are crew cars, including kitchens for food prep, etc. Here, the train rolls east on the main track at Rollins. One final car...the very last car in this shot...is the "power car". It provide electrical power to the train as the GP40-3s do not have HEP (Head End Power). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113712 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 78 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Canyon Spirit (Rocky Mountaineer) has both of its GP40-3s on the point of the of the eastbound train as it passes through by the east switch of East Portal, just over a mile east of the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113711 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 78 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer This is one reason why it is worth riding the Canyon Spirit at some point! Hard to beat views like this. The Canyon Spirit just came through the Moffat Tunnel, under the Continental Divide. The train is returning to Denver after its second round trip run between Denver and Salt Lake City and back. The train is on the main track at East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113698 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 12, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden to Rocky (MP 13.4 to MP 17.4) Arvada, CO 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer As the day has progressed, some pretty serious clouds have started to move into the area. Fortunately, breaks to the south allowed for some nice lighting on the Canyon Spirit as it approaches a green signal at the west switch of Leyden. The clouds "bark" was louder than their "bite", as no precipitation was generated this afternoon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113695 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 12, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 70 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer A nice low angle view of the eastbound Canyon Spirit on Big Ten curve brings in some of the afternoon clouds that are starting to build. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113694 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 12, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 64 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer On the north edge of Big Ten Curve, the eastbound Canyon Spirit has slow down to 10 MPH due to a slow order that Union Pacific currently has in effect. Not entirely clear why the slow order is out there as there was no wind at all today. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113693 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 12, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 72 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The first revenue run of the Canyon Spirit is close to wrapping up the round trip from Denver to Salt Lake City and back. The GP40-3s do have a tendency to have quite a few mechanical issues...hopefully that is not the case for RMRX 8021 as a crew member checks something out in one of the access doors on the long hood as the train rolls east on the main at Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113651 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 68 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Both Canyon Spirit GP40-3s were mechanically good to go to start the 2026 season. Under overcast skies, the first revenue run of the Canyon Spirit rolls west of Tunnel 1, headed for Glenwood Springs today. The train departs Denver on Tuesdays and stays overnight in Glenwood Springs. On Wednesdays, it continues to Moab, UT. On Thursdays, it now continues west to Salt Lake City, UT (running over Soldier Summit). Fridays, it starts the return journey and stays in Moab again. Saturdays, it'll go east to Glenwood Springs, and Sundays, it returns to Denver. It does not run on Mondays. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113650 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 78 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer One of my personal favorite aspects of having the Canyon Spirit running on the Moffat is the power. Having the unique passenger train is certainly great, but as a railfan that grew up with Rio Grande in the 1980s, seeing class EMD spartan cabs makes me very happy. Here, the Canyon Spirit has emerged from Tunnel 1 and is continuing west toward Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113649 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 69 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer I really like the new paint scheme for the Canyon Spirit, as seen here at the west end of Eisele (Clay). The change from Rocky Mountaineer to Canyon Spirit is not a huge one. But the "Canyon Spirit" logo on the cab and cars looks very nice. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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