Photo ID: 113181 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 84 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Two GEs and an SD70ACe lead a very rare extra manifest at the east switch of Eisele (Clay). The crew for the train went on duty at 12:30pm. Since UP eliminated hostlers in Denver, the crew had to get the power and build the train themselves. That took the better part of five hours to accomplish. The train is setup in a 3x2x1 configuration, and there are 84 cars on the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113180 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 88 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At first glance, this might appear to be a unit covered hopper train. While it is almost exclusively covered hoppers, you can see two tank cars off in the distance. This is an extra train, with the symbol MDVBOX-27. All the cars on this train are headed for industries on the Craig Branch. Normally, the cars would be added to the MNYGJ and the cars would be set out at Bond. However, the sheer volume of cars have necessitated this extra train. A rare sight indeed on the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113173 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 84 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP maintenance crew has a work window that will last another 75 minutes here between East Portal and Tolland. As UP is investing a lot in the Moffat, many of these work windows will appear for the next several months. In this case, some tie clips are being put in place. Note, of course, the porta potty, being pulled along as well! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113172 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 85 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific You can see that UP has positioned new tie plates along the right-of-way here in this cut between Tolland and East Portal. The work UP has started in the last few weeks are expected to run for the next several months. A lot of money being invested into the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113171 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 88 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A UP work crew is positioning new tie clips along the right-of-way between Tolland and East Portal during the height of fall colors. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113168 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby (7,325 ft) Granby, CO 115 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is not particularly often than you see a loaded coal train on the Moffat with six units on the head end in 2025. Traditionally, UP's "preferred" setup for coal loads has been 2x3x1. In this case, this shorter-than-normal coal train was configured as 4x2. However, after breaking a drawbar overnight, two units came out of Denver and were added to the head end, making the train the 6x2 that it now is. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113167 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS074 (East Granby) Granby, CO 106 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound UP coal load is making final preparations to depart the siding of Granby eastbound. Take notice of the two "yellow/red" board that are either side of the track, near the front of the train. Union Pacific has a "Form B" (a work zone) setup between MP 75.65 and MP 75.88. The work zone is protected by similar looking "boards", but they are all-red. Trains are not allowed to pass the red boards without explicit permission from the track foreman in charge of the work zone. In this case, crews are working on the new platform at Granby. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113166 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS074 (East Granby) Granby, CO 107 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The (relief) crew on this eastbound UP coal load are getting close to being ready to head east. The conductor is knocking off hand brakes. Unfortunately (for the crew), DS-378 will be holding them here at Granby until the eastbound Zephyr passes by. Certainly the correct call by the dispatcher to try to keep the Zephyr moving. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113164 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS074 (East Granby) Granby, CO 98 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The original crew on this UP coal train went "dead" on their hours many hours ago. Once a crew "dies" (runs out of hours to work), they are not allowed to lift a finger. When the new crew arrived, the old crew simply sat in the cab of the previous lead unit and waited. They finally get to head home, catching a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer. The Mountaineer just came to a stop to pick them up and take them home to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113160 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby (7,325 ft) Granby, CO 104 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This eastbound coal train broke a drawbar when climbing the grade between Tabernash and the Moffat Tunnel overnight. As a result of the delay, one of its units also ran out of fuel and shut down! The train had to back down to the siding at Tabernash. 10 hours later, and a new crew is going to add two new units to the head end to get the train over the grade. Of note, the current lead unit, UP 6278, started its life in May 1995 as SP 187. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113159 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Granby (7,325 ft) Granby, CO 107 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While taking some pictures around the Moffat Tunnel, I learned about two units sent west from Denver to assist a coal train at Granby. I decided to head to the west slope for some pictures. It is pretty crazy that, when I was at East Portal, I was only a little over six miles away from Winter Park (via the Moffat Tunnel). Yet by road, it was a 55 mile drive that took about 90 minutes! I finally made it to Granby, where I found the two units on the main, getting ready to work on the DPUs on the eastbound coal load. A new (heated) concrete platform at the Granby depot is nearing completion! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113158 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 129 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific After meeting the westbound Zephyr, this eastbound UP manifest still has to wait a bit longer here in the siding at Tolland. An eastbound UP coal load broke a drawbar climbing the hill to the Moffat Tunnel on the west slope and had to back down to the siding at Granby. Two rescue units have been sent west out of Denver, and will meet the MGJNY here at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113156 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 103 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 5622 and two addition GEs are the sole power on this eastbound MGJNY, crossing over East Portal Road between East Portal and Tolland. The train will meet an already-waiting westbound Zephyr at Tolland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113155 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS049 (East East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 102 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Unfortunately, it feels as though UP found one of the grungiest units to lead the MGJNY this morning as the train rolls through the east switch of East Portal. At least the flag decal is in really good shape, even if the paint behind it is practically faded to white. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113154 Date Shot Photo By Friday, September 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 127 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific When it comes to rail photography (or outdoor photography in general), there is no better time to get out in the Colorado high country than the last week of September! An eastbound UP manifest has just emerged from the Moffat Tunnel and is rolling eastbound. James Peak and surrounding peaks have a dusting of snow, and fall colors are about at their peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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