Photo ID: 106449 Date Shot Photo By Friday, February 17, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rollins (8,320 ft) Rollinsville, CO 1508 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) CREX, BNSF A trio of CREX ES44ACs lead this eastbound BNSF Provo-Denver manifest in the siding at Rollins. The crew only has 23 minutes to get the train stopped before they "die", meaning they run out of time to work. After 12 hours, train crews are required by law to stop their train wherever they are. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106448 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 1223 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The trailing DPU of an eastbound coal load glides away from the photographer as the Denver skyline stands tall in the distance. There is an increasing feeling each day that a shot of an eastbound coal load on the Moffat might just be the last such shot. Granted we are not that close to the extinction of Colorado coal quite yet, but it has been dropping off extraordinarily fast! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106447 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 1263 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An SD70ACe serves as one of the mid-train swing helpers in this eastbound coal load. Upon reaching the Pecos Street Crossover, it (along with its two sisters) will be cut out of the train. The train will then be reassembled and continue east on the KP. Considering there currently is not a single coal empty anywhere on UP's train lineup, these units will likely be assigned to whatever manifest they are next needed on out of Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106446 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 1382 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As GE's Tier-4 units are increasing in production, more of them are appearing in Colorado. Granted they still are rather rare...I think this is the first time I've seen an ET44AH as a mid-train swing helper on a coal train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106445 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 1442 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A beautiful February morning for a Colorado coal load! I hope you'll forgive the multiple (similar) shots of coal trains lately, but coal trains are starting to feel like a novelty on the Moffat. Back in 2004, the Moffat was seeing an average of 19 coal trains (that's loads and empties) per day. Now, 13 years later, it is seeing an average of 1 coal train per day, or a single load every other day. And with a few more contracts nearing their expiration, it is likely to only get worse. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106444 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 1404 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound coal loaded headed for the Colorado Plains heads toward a clear intermediate signal west of Leyden. This is the first coal load to come east off the North Fork Branch since February 9th. It is also only the fourth coal load to come east off the North Fork Branch for the month of February thus far! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106443 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 1487 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, CREX Three CREX leaded units lead up a relatively short BNSF Denver-Provo on this Valentine's Day evening. The train was much shorter than typical, which was actually advantageous as the engineer decided to stop near the middle of the siding (instead of the west end), allowing for a quick shot of the power. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106442 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 1690 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) CREX, BNSF While driving home from the store this evening, I happened to notice a westbound train in the siding at Leyden. I was surprised to find a trio of CitiRail leased ES44ACs on the point! The train was BNSF's Denver-Provo manifest and it was in the hole to wait for the eastbound California Zephyr. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106441 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS013 (West Leyden) Arvada, CO 1445 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound coal train crosses over Indiana Street in Arvada as the train approaches a clear signal at West Leyden. This train is headed for the Cherokee Power Plant in northeast Denver. With only one generator still burning coal, this "Public Service" coal train is running increasingly less. And, by the end of 2017, that last coal generator will be powered down and the plant will burn natural gas exclusively, spelling the end of this coal train...and possibly all coal traffic on the Craig Branch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106440 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 1355 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just west of the west switch of Leyden, an eastbound coal train approaches a clear signal. An ES44AC and a AC4400CW lead up the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106439 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 1504 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Norfolk Southern, BNSF An original catfish! When C44-9Ws first came out and were delivered to Norfolk Southern, they quickly earned the nickname "catfish" due to the fact they are predominately black but with white "whiskers". Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106438 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 1555 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) CSX, BNSF Of the five remaining Class 1 railroads in the United States (so I'm not counting Canadian Pacific or Canadian National), I think CSX might be railroads whose engines make it to Colorado the least frequently. However, this AC6000CW just happened to come through on the BNSF Provo-Denver. CSX was the other railroad, along with UP, to give the 6000 HP units a shot. There are not many of these still roaming the rails! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106437 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 1411 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Considering the fact that this eastbound BNSF manifest had 8 units on the head end, three of which were not orange, a good shot of all the power at East Leyden seemed appropriate! Interestingly, the first 5 units on the train served as the power on a sand train that ran west on the Moffat the previous Friday! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106436 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 1501 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Denver seems to be a good hangout for Warbonnets lately. They have come through on several trains, including on the Moffat. No complaints here! Glad to see some of them still looking so great after so many years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106435 Date Shot Photo By Monday, February 13, 2017 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 1480 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF I was hoping the DPU on the tail end of this eastbound BNSF manifest would have been in view on the descent from Tunnel 1. Alas, the train was not quite long enough for that to happen. Regardless, the train looks mighty fine as it heads east past the Blue Mountain Road grade crossing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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