Photo ID: 110755 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 194 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF It seems like there have been more C44-9Ws wearing the original Heritage scheme running around lately. These units earned the nickname "goat boats". The history there is in two parts. "Goat" comes from logo of the Great Northern railroad, from which much of the inspiration of the Heritage scheme was taken. "Boat" comes from the reference to 1st and 2nd generation GE units as "U-Boats", from their model IDs (U25B, U30C, etc). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110754 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Moffat Tunnel (MP 50.2, 6.2 miles) Gilpin County, CO 197 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Looking from directly above the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel, we see a westbound BNSF manifest charging forward toward the tunnel that'll carry the train under the Continental Divide. There are a ton of hikers parked in the parking lot at East Portal, enjoying the July day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110753 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS050 (West East Portal) Gilpin County, CO 216 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF manifest is staring at a clear (green) signal on the main track leading into the Moffat Tunnel. In just a few moments, it'll be 15-20 minutes of darkness for the crew as they pass through the 6.2 mile long tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110752 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 196 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Two SD70ACes are the bookends to a Heritage 2 C44-9W, the three units leading the westbound Denver-Provo manifest on the main at East Portal. Since Elderado Canyon near Tunnel 8, the tracks have (off and on) been following South Boulder Creek, located to the right of the tracks in the frame. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110751 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 21, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS038 (West Cliff) Gilpin County, CO 243 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF 9301 leads the westbound Denver-Provo manifest at the west switch of Cliff. In the Rio Grande days, the west switch of Cliff was interesting as it was a "Y" switch. There was a bit of a diverging both for the main and the siding. UP has reconfigured it so the only turn is toward the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110718 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 182 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF A rare visitor to the Moffat to be sure, MRL 4303 was the trailing DPU on this eastbound BNSF manifest. The train is crossing Simms Street in Arvada, headed for BNSF's 31st Street Yard. BNSF took over the MRL on January 1, 2024. Since then, MRL units have started to roam the BNSF system. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110717 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 225 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF On January 1, 2024, the lease that created the MRL on October 31, 1987 was terminated early. In 2022, BNSF agreed to pay MRL $2 billion to terminate the lease early. The lease was originally created for 60 years, set to expire in 2047. With BNSF taking over the MRL, the MRL power (now owned by BNSF) left Montana to explore the BNSF system. MRL 4303 happened to be the rear DPU on BNSF's Provo-Denver this afternoon. BNSF will eventually repaint the units, and the classic blue and large "W" will fade into rail history. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110716 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 198 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF With MRL (Montana Rail Link) now owned by BNSF, former MRL units are roaming free on the BNSF system. One of the 29 SD70ACes happened to be the trailing DPU unit on BNSF's Provo-Denver manifest on this July afternoon. Eventually, no doubt, the MRL units will be painted orange. I will certainly miss the distinctive blue scheme. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110715 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 193 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF An MRL SD70ACe, now owned by BNSF, brough up the end of this eastbound Provo-Denver. In another 12 miles or so, the train will reach BNSF's 31st Street Yard and the power will be taken off and serviced. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110714 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 217 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF's Provo-Denver had a clear (green) signal out the east end of Leyden. BNSF's manifest typically have three units on the head end, but today, there are four units leading the train in to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110705 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 195 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A pair of ES44ACs, one BNSF and one Canadian Pacific, bring up the tail end of this westbound manifest headed for Provo from Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110704 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 184 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, Canadian Pacific The two DPUs on the tail end of this westbound manifest are emerging from Tunnel 1. The first, of course, being a visitor from the north. At this point, however, Canadian Pacific no longer exists. The merger with Kansas City Southern has been official for a little over a year, and the new railroad is now CPKC. A handful of units have been repainted in the new scheme, though I have yet to see one in person. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110703 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 190 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF manifest emerges from the west portal of Tunnel 1. The train, which has a good looking Warbonnet on the head end, is headed for Provo, UT. Once there, the power will eventually return back to Denver, likely on the Provo-Denver. There is a chance the Warbonnet might lead for the return trip. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110702 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 181 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF From above Tunnel 1, we see the westbound BNSF Denver-Provo winding through the curves at Blue Mountain Drive and the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Note the paved road in the foreground, which is one of the streets in the new Canyon Pines neighborhood. Custom homes that have yet to be built, but will be coming in the not-too-distant future. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110701 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 211 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF It is a beautiful morning along the Front Range in Colorado. There is not a cloud in the sky, which is a nice change after some mostly overcast skies the previous two mornings. BNSF's Denver-Provo is westbound on the main at Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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