Photo ID: 113258 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Buick to Cedar Point Elbert County, CO 214 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific This oil train came off the Moffat this morning, and actually went into emergency at Rocky, temporarily blocking the west switch and delaying the westbound Rocky Mountaineer. About seven hours later, the DPUs have been removed and the train is now making its way across the eastern plains of Colorado between Agate and Limon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113257 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Deer Trail to Agate Elbert County, CO 188 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific Bundles of hay lay waiting to be picked up in a field as a unit oil train rolls east near Agate Creek, just west of the small plains town of Agate. The few oil trains that UP runs on the Moffat these days frequently run north up the Greeley to the Overland after arriving in Denver. Was a pleasant surprise to find this one headed east on the KP. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113256 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Deer Trail to Agate Elbert County, CO 234 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific UP's Limon Subdivision sees very little traffic these days. Indeed, the line can go more than 24 hours without seeing any trains at all. Indeed, in the post-coal boom, pre-oil boom time period, the line was so slow, that UP stored cars on several sidings as well as the main, blocking the line as a through route! That lasted for around six months between April 2020 and October 2020. Here, an eastbound oil train is between Deer Trail and Agate, paralleling I-70. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113255 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Bijou Creek Adams County, CO 231 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific Three elephant-style GEs lead an eastbound loaded oil train across West Bijou Creek on the KP, just west of Byers. Half of this bridge was completely rebuilt 10-15 years ago. From this shot, you can probably tell which half of the bridge received that rebuild! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113254 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Kiowa Creek Bridge Adams County, CO 233 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific A lot of the smaller creeks on the Colorado plains are typically dry, particular at this time of year. Kiowa Creek is no exception, but still has a nice bridge, with plenty of fall-color trees in the area as a UP oil train crosses and heads east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113253 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Watkins (4,632ft) Watkins, CO 253 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific A lot of yellow in the shot as fall is in full swing and an eastbound UP oil train, led by a trio of elephant-style GEs, crosses over a long but low trestle in Watkins, CO Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113252 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mesa to Watkins Adams County, CO 204 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific When I saw the headlight on the horizon, I originally thought this was going to be the Limon Local. I was pleasantly surprised to find an eastbound loaded oil train instead, heading out onto the plains on the Limon Sub. Considering how few trains run on the KP, this was a nice surprise. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113251 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mesa to Watkins Adams County, CO 217 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Limon (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound oil train has left CTC limits behind at Mesa and is now headed east in TWC (track warrant control) limits. So why is there a trackside signal? And an ever better question...why is the signal yellow when the train is in the block beyond the signal? The key is the "D" plate located on the signal mast near the bottom. That "D" plate indicates this is a "distant signal". This signal does not give any occupancy information about the block ahead. It only gives westbound trains an indication of the CTC signal at the east end of Mesa. Since that signal at East Mesa is currently red, this distant signal shows a yellow (Approach) indication. If the signal at East Mesa were green, this signal would also show a green. Even with something in the block immediately beyond the signal. Indeed, in TWC limits, there are no "blocks" per se. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113228 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Yard Minturn, CO 234 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande I sure wish I had had the opportunity to get shots here at Minturn Yard before Tennessee Pass was railbanked by Union Pacific. That railbanking occurred just over 28 years ago, and these rails have been silent ever since. In all likelihood, they will never see another train run on them again. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113227 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Yard Minturn, CO 234 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande We look east in the yard at Minturn, noting a few rocks that have fallen and landed on or near the tracks. You can also see the crossovers that were once used to bring helpers out of the yard and cut them in as mid-train swing helpers on eastbound trains looking to tackle the 3% grade between Minturn and the top of Tennessee Pass. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113226 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Yard Minturn, CO 204 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande Not unique to the yard at Minturn, but actually becoming somewhat common all over Tennessee Pass, trees have grown up right in the middle of tracks. This small bunch of trees are indeed in the middle of the yard. Of course, it is of little difference to Union Pacific! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113225 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Yard Minturn, CO 235 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande The old engine shop as Minturn Yard looks like it might be used for something else these days. Not sure if Union Pacific sold it or if they are simply leasing it out to someone else. But fencing has been built across a few of the yard tracks in the long-defunct yard at Minturn. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113224 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Yard Minturn, CO 228 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande Three decades ago, these tracks in the yard at Minturn would have been filled with power waiting to cut in to an eastbound coal load and help the train up the 3% grade of Tennessee Pass. The rails have now been silent for 28 years as new homes continue to be built in the area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113223 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 284 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande A look toward the east end of Minturn on Tennessee Pass shows the damage done by a huge rock that landed here on the rails over a decade ago. Of course, there is no reason for Union Pacific to repair the rails here as the line hasn't seen a train now in a little over 28 years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113222 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 264 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande Over ten years ago, near the east end of Minturn on Tennessee Pass, two huge rocks ("Lions Head") came loose from the mountain side ahead and landed right in the middle of the right-of-way. Someone (presumably Union Pacific) has since shoved the rocks off to the side of the right-of-way, but the main and siding remain smashed and destroyed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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