Photo ID: 112793 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 268 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr heads west on the main at East Portal, heading for clear (green) signal at the west end, as it heads into the 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel. Fun fact, eastbound trains at Winter Park almost never receive a green signal, but rather a yellow when departing Winter Park eastbound. This is because, in nearly every circumstance, the Moffat Tunnel curtain (for ventilating) is closed when the train first enters the tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112792 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 210 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This Amtrak car, named Pacific Bend, was originally by the Budd company in 1950 for Union Pacific. It was transferred to Amtrak as part of passenger equipment transfer in the early 1970s with the formation of Amtrak. Most recently, the car has served as a dorm car for Amtrak crews, as well as part of Amtrak Exhibit train several years ago. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112791 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 228 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This is an Amtrak Metroliner (Amfleet) car, primarily used in the Northeast, along the Northeast Corridor. These types of cars, which are a single level, are designed to fit through the relatively tight tunnels in the New York City area, specifically. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112790 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 256 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak This is an Amtrak Viewliner 2 car, order about 10 years ago. This particular version is a Baggage/Dorm car. It is a single level car used primarily on trains east of Chicago. It is headed west on the Zephyr, for reasons unknown. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112789 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 240 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak A pair of P42DCs leads the Zephyr westbound on the approach to East Portal. There were rumors about 20 years ago that Amtrak was going to add a second main track through here, connection East Portal and Tolland. With the downturn in coal traffic, that possibility has become something for the "ideas never implemented" book. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112788 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 238 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak At over 9,000 feet above sea level, the westbound Zephyr is just around the corner from the east switch of East Portal, where a clear (green) signal awaits it. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112784 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 294 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The Zephyr includes an Amfleet car, which is typically used in the Northeast corridor and eastern routes. It also includes a Viewliner car, typically used on eastbound trains out of Chicago, and a single level sleeper car. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112783 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 289 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr charges west on the main at Eisele (Clay), meeting an eastbound BNSF Provo-Denver, waiting patiently in the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112780 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 234 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak As the California Zephyr wraps around the north edge of Big Ten Curve, west of Rocky, you can see an eastbound BNSF manifest sitting in the siding at Eisele (Clay). The manifest already met the Rocky Mountaineer, and is waiting on the Zephyr next. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112779 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 252 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The westbound Zephyr is transporting three additional cars this morning, ahead of the baggage car, as the train rolls west at Rocky. Overcast skies allowed for some good shots from the "opposite" side of the tracks, which would normally be case in the shadows. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112744 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 23rd Street Denver, CO 326 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak AMTK 151 and AMTK 169 cross over the two main tracks at the north end of the BNSF Pikes Peak Subdivision. Coal trains moving back and forth between the Powder River Basin and Texas (largely) pass over the two mains here. RTD's B-Line and G-Line commuter rails cross over the diamond at this location, too. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112743 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed BNSF Engine House Denver, CO 304 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Amtrak The morning Zephyr passes underneath Park Avenue West as it departs Union Station. The train is currently on the Buck Lead, on the approach to 23rd Street, the control point that crosses the Buck Lead with the far north end of the Joint Line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112742 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Union Station Denver, CO 252 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Denver Union Terminal (RTD) Amtrak The morning Zephyr has just pulled out of Track 4 and Denver Union Station. It departed precisely on time at 8:46am. If you look closely at Track 5, you'll see there is a P42DC sitting there. I'm not sure why it is there. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112738 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 243 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak The morning Zephyr climbs the north edge of Big Ten Curve, running about two hours late. UP's service road that runs parallel to the track is in very good condition right now, after UP brought quite a bit of heavy equipment up here a little over a month ago for a re-enforcement / construction project on Big Ten. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112737 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 234 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Amtrak UP's track gang, which is working on replacing ties at the east switch of Rocky, has cleared the tracks to allow the morning Zephyr to creep through at 15 MPH. The foreman of the track gang has established was is known as a Form B. A Form B has starting and ending limits, and when active, a "red board", which is literally a red square board on a pole, is placed trackside. Trains are not allowed to pass the red board, regardless of block signals, or even dispatcher permission, without getting permission from the track foreman to enter the limits. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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