Photo ID: 112046 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Grand County, UT 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific The last eight or so cars and DPU on this westbound coal load are hanging out of the east end of Thompson. The train is holding off the grade crossing in Thompson Springs until the westbound Zephyr, which will run around the train, gets a bit closer. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112045 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP RG527 (East Thompson) Grand County, UT 40 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific This westbound coal load is taking the siding at Thompson to wait for the westbound Zephyr to overtake it. Unfortunately, the next two sidings to the west (Floy and Solitude) both have cars being stored on them, so Thompson has to be the place to wait. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112044 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Following on the yellow signals of a coal train ahead of it, another loaded coal train is making its way up Thompson Hill. This train, similar to the one it is following, is configured 2x(0)x1. However, this train only has 75 loaded hoppers in tow, make it quite a bit shorter and lighter. The 4th tallest mountain in Utah, Mount Waas, stands tall in the distance at an elevation of 12,331 feet (3,758 meters). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112043 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Curve Grand County, UT 45 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific This westbound coal load has been struggling to climb the 1% grade of Thompson Hill. And it is not too surprising, seeing has how the train only has three units, setup in a 2x1 configuration, to make the climb. This shot offers a great view of both the head end and the tail of the roughly 5,700 foot long train. The lead unit, incidentally, is former SP 265, delivered in scarlet and gray in June 1995. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112042 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Thompson Curve Grand County, UT 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Just east of the siding of Thompson, you'll find this absolutely fantastic S-Curve. A westbound coal train, which loaded at the West Elk Mine in Colorado, is headed for Trona, not far from Mojave, CA. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112041 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 40 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific Union Pacific has very slowly been replacing the signals out in the desert. By "very slowly", I mean I saw some signal masts that were up in 2023 that seemingly not been touched in the past two years! I'm not complaining, however, as it means there are still opportunities for shots like this! A westbound coal load passes by old Rio Grande intermediate signals on the approach to Thompson. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112040 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific I absolutely love the beauty of the Utah desert. Parts almost look like the surface of the moon, such as these dirt mounds on the opposite side of UP 6401 and UP 8584, working as hard as they can to carry a California-bound coal load up the 1% grade of Thompson Hill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112039 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sagers to Thompson Grand County, UT 45 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Green River (UP) Union Pacific This westbound UP coal train is going less that 20 MPH as it limps along, trying to tackle Thompson Hill. Some bad order units had to be removed from the train in Grand Junction, yet UP still said to send the train west, despite it being rather underpowered. For the astute observer, you might notice that there is in fact a second train in this shot! In fact, a second westbound coal load is visible to the right side of the shot and slightly up, in the shadows! This train is between Elba and Sagers, a few miles east, riding the yellows of this first coal train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112017 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, March 27, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Grand Valley Garfield County, CO 54 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Glenwood Springs (UP) Union Pacific UP's Minturn Local, which runs east out of Grand Junction, is holding on the siding at Grand Valley, waiting on the Rocky Mountaineer. Although the local is named the Minturn Local, it has been decades since it actually ran to Minturn. Now, the town of Gypsum, which is on the far west end of Tennessee Pass is as far east as it runs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112001 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 53 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Another UP rebuild of a GP38-2 into a GP38N is hitching a ride on the MGJNY. Considering the fact that this is a recent rebuild by UP, it is unlikely the unit is headed for the scrapper. More likely it is due for an inspection and, afterward, will return to Grand Junction for switching duties. The unit was delivered new to Missouri Pacific in February 1981. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112000 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 52 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A GP38N (formerly a GP38-2) is fourth on the head end of the MGJNY. It was originally delivered to Missouri Pacific as MP 2169 in January 1980. The lack of dynamic brakes is a good indicator that there is a high probability this was an MP unit. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111999 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 49 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 5938, a C44ACM that was recently rebuilt, leads UP's MGJNY around Big Ten Curve. An SD70M and an ES44AC are also on the head end of the 82 car manifest. GP38-2s are fourth and fifth on the head end, either due for their inspection, or being taken to auction/scrap. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111998 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 60 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Five units lead an eastbound UP manifest out the east end of Eisele (Clay). The power is elephant style. The last two units are GP38-2s from Grand Junction. Not sure if they are due for an inspection, or if they are being sold for auction (or scrap). The top of a tank car that is likely more than a century old is partially buried in the dirt in the foreground. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111997 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 1 (MP 23.4, 366 ft) Arvada, CO 56 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's MGJNY (manifest from Grand Junction to North Yard) is making a daylight appearance on the Front Range. Five units, elephant style, are approaching the west portal of Tunnel 1 on a beautiful March morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111988 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CO-93 Arvada, CO 72 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (UP) Union Pacific A week earlier, I mentioned that a 50-foot section of the Rocky Spur had been removed just east of the CO-93 grade crossing. It seems that whatever utility work was being done beneath the tracks has been completed. The tracks have been reconnected and ballast has been laid. 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