Photo ID: 114326 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Fortunately (for me), this eastbound originally had a red signal at the west end of East Portal and briefly stopped inside the Moffat Tunnel. I say that it was fortunate for me because the train was going slow enough that I was able to beat it to the grade crossing at the east end and get this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114325 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 37 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific There are a lot of cars in the East Portal parking lot this morning as a lot of people came up this Sunday morning to check out the fall colors. I would wager that the vast majority of the people pay little attention to the UP coal load that is rolling by on the main track here, after just emerging from the Moffat Tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114324 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This eastbound coal train, which loaded at the West Elk Mine on the North Fork branch, rolls down grade at the west end of East Portal. Fall colors here at East Portal have just about reached their peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114323 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 44 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific For nearly 100 autumns, eastbounds have emerged from the Moffat Tunnel with a great backdrop of fall colors. Such is the case this morning as a UP AC4400CW emerges on the point of an eastbound coal load. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114322 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 20, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound UP coal load is approaching the east end of the Moffat Tunnel on a beautiful September morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114319 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Norden Norden, CA 34 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Roseville Union Pacific The original Central Pacific line over Donner Pass saw its first train run on June 18, 1868. For 125 years, trains ran over the Donner Pass Summit, passing through a 1,659-foot tunnel. In 1925, Southern Pacific added a second track to Donner Pass. Between Shed 47 and Norden, SP bored Tunnel 41 (known as "The Big Hole"), a 10,322-foot tunnel, at a much lower elevation than Main 1 over the top. However, SP used both mains until 1993. Then, SP removed 6.7 miles of Main 1 over the summit out of service to reduce operating costs. The rails were removed when SP shut down Main 1 in 1993. In this shot at Norden, the original Main 1 split from the new grade to run the 6.7 miles over the summit. The shed in the distance was Main 1, and a shot section of track still exists out of the shed. The manifest here is on Main 2, headed for "the Big Hole". Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114318 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Norden Norden, CA 30 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Roseville Union Pacific An eastbound UP manifest is climbing the west slope of Donner Pass on Main 1. It is approaching the control point at Norden, which is protected by a snowshed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114316 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Norden Norden, CA 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Roseville Amtrak, Union Pacific UP 5727 leads the westbound Zephyr out of the Norden snow shed on Donner Pass. Donner Pass averages around 30 feet (9.1 meters) of snow each winter. Several control points are built within snow sheds to help protect the switches from the snow so crews do not have to dig the switches out. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114315 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Shed 47 to Norden Norden, CA 32 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Roseville Amtrak, Union Pacific The westbound Zephyr has just exited from Tunnel 47 (known as "The Big Hole") on Donner Pass and is continuing west on Main 1. UP 5727 was added to the train in Denver due to a mechanical issue. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114314 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Shawnee to Lost Springs Converse County, WY 87 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Powder River (UP) Union Pacific During part of the five miles of Main 1 (along the triple track) that still exist between Shawnee and Lost Springs, a long string of very old box cars are being stored. Here are a few of those cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114313 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W260 (Lost Springs) Converse County, WY 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Powder River (UP) Union Pacific We are looking west at the control point at Lost Springs on the Powder River Sub. As you can see, Main 1 is in the process of being pulled up by Union Pacific as it is deemed unneeded at this point, and the maintenance costs are not longer justified. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114312 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W260 (Lost Springs) Converse County, WY 88 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Powder River (UP) Union Pacific Mains 2 and 3 are active and in use on the Powder River Sub over Myles Hill. Main 1, as you can see, has largely been removed. Presumably, once Main 1 has been completely removed, UP will like change the remaining two mains to Main 1 and Main 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114311 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W260 (Lost Springs) Converse County, WY 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Powder River (UP) Union Pacific With the decrease in demand for coal, UP decided in 2024 to remove Main 1 from Myles Hill on the Powder River Sub. The main was added in the mid-2000s during the peak of coal production in the Powder River Basin. The triple track section was about 15 miles long, and roughly 10 miles of rail has now been removed. As you can see, just east of Lost Springs, the rails come to an abrupt end at this "End of Track" sign. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114310 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jireh to Lost Springs Converse County, WY 57 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Powder River (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound coal load is slowly making its way up Myles Hill on Main 3 on the Powder River Sub. The subdivision is 106 miles long, connecting the Orin Sub to the South Morrill Sub in Nebraska. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114309 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Jireh to Lost Springs Converse County, WY 69 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Powder River (UP) Union Pacific A look at UP 6254 headed east over Myles Hill on Main 3. Main 1 here had a relatively short lifespan, only lasting roughly 20 years. The rails have been pulled up, and no doubt the ties will follow at some point. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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