Photo ID: 113723 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 76 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The last shot of the day for me came here at Blue Mountain Drive as the Canyon Spirit passes by, headed east toward Denver. This is the sixth season the train has been running over the Moffat now, and, based on their website, it looks like 2026 should be a pretty good season once again. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113722 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Detector (MP 22.6) Arvada, CO 55 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The eastbound Canyon Spirit is just passing by the hotbox detector (HBD) at milepost 22.6. The detector will provide an audible readout of information, including the number of recorded axles, train speed, and outdoor temperature. It would reveal that the train is slowly meandering along at 12 MPH. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113721 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 61 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Canyon Spirit crosses over CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. You can see the east portal of Tunnel 1 in the top-right section of the shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113720 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 56 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer One things that is not always immediately obvious when seeing shots of the nose of the GP40-3s on the Canyon spirit is that the shield/logo on the nose is not actually on the nose! It is a physical shield mounted ahead of the hand rails, above the anti-climber. You can clearly see it in this shot. The nose itself is just blue. Here, the Canyon Spirit is just east of Tunnel 1, descended toward the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113719 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Not sure if it was due to Union Pacific slow order, mechanical issues, or just a choice to provide passengers longer views, but the Canyon Spirit was rolling along at 12 MPH here just east of Tunnel 1. One of the great things about the Canyon Spirit is that passengers are allowed to actually open vestibule doors and look out. A practice that Amtrak banned years ago. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. 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 38 (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 39 (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 42 (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 102 (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 73 (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 66 (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 64 (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 66 (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: 113710 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Every BNSF oil train that I can recall seeing on the Moffat runs with six units. Typically, six on the point for the westbound empty, and 3x3 (three on the point, three DPUs on the end). Today is no exception, with six units leading this westbound empty at East Portal, running along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113709 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, April 19, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 60 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF oil train is pulling on the main between Tolland and East Portal after leaving the siding at Tolland. The train took the siding at Rollins, then continued to the siding at Tolland, and is finally going to head through the Moffat Tunnel after meeting zero trains! DS-378 put the train in at Rollins, expecting to meet the Canyon Spirit there. However, the Spirit was having mechanical issues, so the train moved up to Tolland. With the Spirit still having issues, the oil train got the signal to head through the Moffat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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