Photo ID: 112518 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 69 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF I missed the era of caboose running on the backs of trains on the mainline. So, I was pretty happy to receive a tip that BNSF was transporting this caboose (shoving platform) from Denver to (most likely) Grand Junction. It may not be a "real" caboose in 2025, but still looks fine on the end of the oil train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112517 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 70 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF When looking at this caboose on the end of this westbound oil train, you might notice the bars welded across the door and windows. The cabooses that remain on the rosters of class one railroads these days are generally blocked off and are referred to as shoving platforms. They are generally used on locals to allow crew members to ride during switching, rather than hanging on to freight cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112516 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 81 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF 2025 or 1985!? The paint may not be in great shape, but seeing a caboose on the tail end of a non-local train on the mainline was something special to see. More than likely, this caboose (now called a shoving platform) is likely being sent to Grand Junction for use on locals. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112515 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Six units lead a westbound BNSF oil train at Plain. Six units on the point of these oil empties is very common (on BNSF) on the Moffat as BNSF runs the trains 3x3 when they return east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112514 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 70 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A trio of SD70ACes leads an eastbound oil train on the main at Plain. The conductor on BNSF 9160 is giving a friendly wave out the cab window as the train rolls along at track speed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112513 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A long lens look at an eastbound unit oil train on the main at Plain. The train is following UP's MGJNY, which is currently on Big Ten Curve, a few blocks ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112512 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 65 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF oil empty has a very unique look to it, with a BN caboose on the tail end of the train! The caboose is now referred to as a shoving platform as the doors and windows are boarded up. The train is entering the siding at Rocky and will meet UP's MGJNY, holding the main at Eisele (Clay) in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112506 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS012 (East Leyden) Arvada, CO 84 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A single ES44AC brings up the tail end of BNSF's Provo-Denver at the east end of Leyden. Typically, BNSF runs this train in a 3x2 configuration, but on this particular morning, the eastbound is configured 4x1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112505 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 73 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF 6241 leads the Provo-Denver at the east end of Leyden. Note that the derail is set on the siding at Leyden. This is set to protect a string of 40 (or so) gondolas that are tied down in the siding. For whatever reason, UP has decided that Leyden is a great place to store cars long term. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112504 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 77 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Following about three blocks behind UP's MGJNY is BNSF's Provo-Denver. These are the only two eastbound manifests that will run over the Moffat today. Lately, it has become fairly common for the two trains to be closely following one another in the morning hours, setting up a great bit of action. Here, the train is passing a string of gondolas at Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112502 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 77 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Three GEs, with an SD70ACe second, lead an eastbound BNSF manifest on the main at Eisele (Clay). The train is following hot on the heals of UP's MGJNY, which is currently down at Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112501 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 23, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS022 (West Eiesle (Clay)) Arvada, CO 95 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF There are four units leading this eastbound BNSF Provo-Denver as it knocks down a flashing yellow over red (Advanced Approach) signal at the west end of Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112486 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 92 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Norfolk Southern, BNSF Two NS units and a BNSF unit bring up the tail end of this eastbound unit oil train. The units are just passing by the old Chem Spur switch. Grass has reclaimed much of the short branch line. As always, the metal structure that was one part of a mining operation, stands tall along the tracks. The first body of water in the distance is Welton Reservoir. The second is Standley Lake. Both are sources of drinking water. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112485 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 94 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Norfolk Southern, BNSF NS 1221, NS 4753, and BNSF 9725 lead this eastbound loaded oil train through Barbara's Gulch. The campers in the background are now part of long term storage facility. BNSF 9725 is also a bit rare, one of only a handful of SD70MACes (rebuilt from SD70MACs). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112484 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 85 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Norfolk Southern, BNSF Since the start of the "PTC era" a few years ago, power shared units stopped leading on the Moffat. Leaders were pretty exclusively UP or BNSF (for those respective railroads). However, with PTC matured a bit now, and with PTC following a universal standard for all US railroads, an NS SD70ACe leads this eastbound BNSF manifest through Barbara's Gulch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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