Photo ID: 113202 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific 20 years ago, multiple coal trains traversed the Crater Loops here every day. Now, there are only two trains per week (save for the occasional extra here or there) that run on the Craig Branch between Bond and Phippsburg. This is one of the two trains, running from Bond to Phippsburg. There are two coal mines on the Craig Branch. There are a handful of power plants in the Steamboat and Craig area, all of which have planes to shift from coal to natural gas before 2030. As a result, one of the two remaining mines, Axial, is planning to stop coal operations by the end of 2025, moving from mining to reclamation (cleanup). The other mine, Energy, is still in operation with no immediate plans to shut down as of October 2025. The mine has 7-10 years of remaining coal in the current seam, but recent approval for expansion can add 1-2 years to that number. However, with that said, Energy is not loading coal trains that are leaving the Branch as of October 2025. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113201 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 33 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The "Crater Loops", which are a series of two 180° curves, were constructed to allow the railroad to climb at no more than a 2% grade as the Craig Branch makes its way from Bond up to Phippsburg (and beyond toward Steamboat and Craig). A mining operation, which has been in operation here for decades, is visible in the distance. Scoria (volcanic) rock is mined here and used in many places in Colorado and beyond. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113200 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 30 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6362 is climbing through the lower half of the long, winding S-Curve known as the Crate Loops. Crater comes from the name of a cinder cone that once dominated the landscape. It was a vent for a nearby (not extinct) volcanic system. The result of the volcanic system was millions of tons of scoria (volcanic rock) that has been mined for decades. In fact, the Denver and Rio Grande Western used the scoria for ballast. You can see the mining operation (which is still active in 2025) in the distance in this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113199 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 25 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A trio of GE's, the first of which is a former Espee AC4400CW, leads a westbound manifest around Copper Spur Road on the Craig Branch just west of Tunnel 44. It is incredible to think that this was once the mainline for the Denver and Salt Lake! And even in later years in the 1950s and 1960s, how amazing would it have been to ride the Yampa Valley Mail through here!? Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113198 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 44 (MP 132.0, 719') Eagle County, CO 36 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Some strong fall colors are still to be found around Copper Spur Road on the Craig Branch. This westbound, the MBOPH-05, is the only westbound manifest that runs on this portion of the branch each week. The 70-car train is coming in-and-out of Tunnel 44. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113197 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 44 (MP 132.0, 719') Eagle County, CO 25 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6362 just emerged from Tunnel 44 and is crossing Copper Spur Road as it wraps around a long curve to head back the other direction on the opposite side of the canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113196 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 31 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead a 70-car train on the Craig Branch as it makes the curve to head up Copper Spur Road. The track run about 1/2 a mile up Copper Spur Road, make a 180° curve, and comes back out. This is necessary to keep the grade down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113195 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 34 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific About a mile west of the start of Craig Branch at Bond (also known as Orestod), this MBOPH (manifest from Bond to Phippsburg) is starting the climb up the branch, rolling around at about 20 MPH. CO-131 is the road below, which leads from Bond to Yampa, Phippsburg, and Steamboat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113194 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 26 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6362 is starting to pull on a 70-car manifest, comprised of 67 loaded covered hoppers (frac sand) and three cars of pipe. Note the significant grade difference between the Craig Branch above and the Dotsero Cutoff below. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113193 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS129 (Bond) Eagle County, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific These three units came down the Craig Branch light from Phippsburg to pick up 70 cars waiting at Bond. After assembling the train for the past two hours or so, the train is ready to depart, heading up the Craig Branch for Phippsburg. The Dotsero Cutoff are the two tracks in the foreground along the Colorado River. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113186 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 88 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific You can see three mid-train swing helpers off in the distance, and a single one at the tail end of this MNYGJ. This thrice weekly manifest is typically called in the evening, around 6pm. And, as a result, it typically departs North Yard westbound well after dark. However, it was called at 2pm today (for whatever reason), and made it west just before the light was gone. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113185 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 87 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The sun has just dipped behind the Rocky Mountains to the west as a single DPU on the tail end of this manifest, headed for Grand Junction, rolls west through Barbara's Gulch. Due to the length of the train (117 cars), there is also a trio of mid-train swing helpers. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113184 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is just moments before the sun dips behind the Rocky Mountains to the west, although direct sunlight is not apparent here as there are clouds in the western sky. This MNYGJ has 117 cars and is roughly 7,000 feet in length as it roles west through Barbara's Gulch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113183 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The second of two UP manifests heads west through Barbara's Gulch. This is the first time in I don't know how many years that UP ran two manifests on the same day. Even more impressive is that both ran in daylight. This MNYGJ is headed for Grand Junction. It has 117 cars! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113182 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 102 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An 84-car extra rolls west on the main at Eisele (Clay). Of the 84 cars on the train, 81 of them are loaded! If you look closely, you might notice a pair of mid-train swing helpers right at the east switch of the siding right now. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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