Photo ID: 108196 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 881 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Highball Plain! After meeting an eastbound at Rocky and an eastbound at Eisele (Clay), the westbound Zephyr now has a clear shot west. In fact, the next eastbound it will see will be the eastbound Zephyr out near Glenwood Springs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108195 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 986 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak After a minor delay at Rocky to meeting the MGJNY, the westbound Zephyr is back on the move just west of Tunnel 1, on the approach the East Plain. Colorado is currently in its peak "green" season, which tends to hit in May and June. Passengers in the seven Superliners are hopefully enjoying their journey up the Front Range. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108194 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 1007 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Following on the heals of UP's only-remaining eastbound manifest is this BNSF Provo-Denver. The MGJNY is meeting the Zephyr at Rocky and the Provo-Denver here will be taking the siding at Eisele (Clay) to meeting the Zephyr. It is currently snaking its way through the S-Curves at the base of Coal Creek Canyon, on the approach to Blue Mountain Road. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108193 Date Shot Photo By Monday, June 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS024 (East Plain) Arvada, CO 1049 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At first glance, this might look like a coal load coming out of Plain. But if you take another look, you'll notice some general manifest cars. This is the thrice-weekly MGJNY. As of this shot, it departs Grand Junction on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. That generally results in a morning arrival in to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108191 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 14, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS003 (Utah Junction) Denver, CO 890 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This shot offers a good overview of Utah Junction at the north end of North Yard. The tracks on the right, with the lighter ballast, are BNSF. They funnel down and cross UP’s Belt Line before continuing on to the Front Range Sub. UP’s Main is the first track to the left of BNSF’s and is the mainline that heads west to the Moffat and beyond.Tracks to left of that are part of North Yard. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108187 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 14, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Arvada, CO 882 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak Passengers aboard the westbound California Zephyr have a fantastic view out the right side of the train as they overlook the Great Plains. The head end of the train is ducking in to Tunnel 4. Passenger counts on the Zephyr are still well below normal, thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, but counts are slowly starting to rise again. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108186 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 14, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Arvada, CO 967 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is on the approach to Tunnel 3 with AMTK 184 (Phase IV Heritage Unit) second in the consist. The tail end of the Zephyr is crossing over the fill that washed out in September 2013 after an unprecedented amount of rain hit the Denver area. On this morning, fortunately, there is not a cloud in the sky and it is a very comfortable 72°F outside. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108185 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 1113 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr is stopped waiting on the main at Eisele (Clay). The train is being held up due to a computer issue in Omaha. There is a block at the east switch. Specifically, some foul time from a track maintainer that should no longer be there. The dispatcher is unsure how to clear it, so it has been given to the CAD manager to troubleshoot. After about 45 minutes, the Zephyr finally got on the move again. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108184 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 1052 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The eastbound Zephyr glides toward the west portal of the final tunnel (Tunnel 1) on its journey east in Colorado. On this particular evening, AMTK 184, the Phase IV Heritage Unit, is on the point for trip to Chicago. In the distance toward the upper-left of the frame, you can see the City of Boulder. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108183 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 905 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific If you've checked out pictures on my website for any length of time, then you have likely read in the past that this is one of my favorite all-time engines! The SD70M (Phase 2) has been a favorite of mine since it came out nearly 20 years ago. The slightly slanted radiator intakes give it a little character, and the teardrop windshield with the original EMD wide cab nose just look great. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108182 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 971 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific With traffic on the Moffat so low these days, it is always great to find a UP train! Coal is practically nonexistent and oil trains after very few and far between as well. UP stopped the MNYRO and MRONY 18 months ago. They also stopped the MNYPH and MPHNY. Cars bound for the Craig Branch are dropped off or picked up at Bond by the MNYGJ and MGJNY. That means the MNYGJ and MGJNY are the only UP trains you can still reliably find on the Moffat. And even those only run every 2-3 days on average. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108181 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Little Ten Curve (MP 18.7 to MP 18.9) Arvada, CO 871 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is a crystal clear, fantastic June morning as the eastbound MGJNY snakes through Little Ten Curve at the west end of Rocky, making its way east on clear signals toward town. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108180 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 971 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This vantage point offers a great view of Big Ten Curve, which the head end of the train is currently coming around, and Little Ten Curve in the distance. The only manifest that UP still runs on the Moffat, the MGJNY, is nearing the end of its journey as it comes through the loops. It should be noted that the trains counterpart, the MNYGJ (westbound) still runs on the Moffat as well. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108179 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 969 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The MGJNY is currently stopped between switches on the main at Eisele (Clay). The train received a bad roll-by at Plain. A track inspector noticed that the door underneath a ballast hopper was open and nearly dragging on the tracks. The conductor will walk back to inspect the car here. He would find that the car was half empty as the ballast fell out on the tracks en route! He was able to get the door closed so the train could continue east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108178 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, June 11, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 927 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The MGJNY this morning has a Phase 2 SD70M and an SD70ACe-T4 as the last two units on the head end. Turned out, however, that both of these units are offline and just catching a lift on the manifest to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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