Photo ID: 108397 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 1102 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF's southbound Denver-Pueblo manifest rolls past a yellow signal at MP 41.5 on the north edge of Larkspur. The train is following on the heals of a slow-moving BNSF coal load, hence the reason for the yellow signal. A severe July thunderstorm is making its way east, starting to encroach on the scene. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108396 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North of Monument Monument, CO 991 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF, Union Pacific Although this southbound coal load is in fact a UP coal train, there is a single BNSF ES44DC bringing up the tail end. It is rather interesting that it is a DC unit, as it is pretty uncommon to find DC units in service on coal trains these days. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108391 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Douglas County, CO 963 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF As UP 8837 comes up to "The Sag" on Main 1, it passes by BNSF's protection unit. BNSF only has four units on their coal trains there here, set up 2x0x2. That is the bare minimum for a 120-car coal train going over Palmer Divide. In the event that one of the four units fails, BNSF keeps this unit here for easy retrieval to rescue any such stalled coal load. Before they started keeping a unit here, they had to call one out of Denver, or steal one off of another train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108387 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Castle Rock Douglas County, CO 912 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A long line of wind generator blades snake their way north on this unit blade train, heading north on Main 2 on the east side of I-25. If you look very closely in the distance near the top-right part of the frame, you may notice the headlight of a southbound UP coal train coming this was on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108386 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North of Larkspur Douglas County, CO 1134 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF As storms start to build in the late morning, a northbound BNSF "blade train" clips along at track speed on Main 2 in between Larkspur and Castle Rock. While I knew a northbound was coming, the blade train was unexpected and a welcome surprise rather than the typical coal empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108382 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North of Walnut Street Denver, CO 1075 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF, Union Pacific A single BNSF ES44DC brings up the tail end of this southbound UP coal load as the train passes by the last bit of Elitch Gardens. Due to Denver's climate, the amusement park is only open on a seasonable basis. Alas, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park remains closed over halfway through July with no open date in sight. The white roller coaster is known as the Mister Twister 2. A classic wood-built roller coaster. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108363 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Chemical (MP 14.5) Arvada, CO 967 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF DPUs bringing up the tail end of a Denver-Provo pass by the intermediate signal at MP 14.5 just west of Leyden. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108362 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Leyden Arvada, CO 1002 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A pair of DPUs, an SD70ACe and an ES44C4, push on the tail end of the westbound Denver-Provo just west of Leyden. For several years after the UP/SP merger, when BNSF first got trackage rights on the Moffat, BNSF ran manned helpers from Denver to East Portal, cutting off at East Portal and running back to Denver light. Sadly, those day are now long gone, as DPUs now rule. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108361 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS013 (West Leyden) Arvada, CO 925 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF's Denver-Provo departs the siding at Leyden on a clear signal, crossing Indiana Street. The City of Arvada attempted to get a Federal Grant to rebuild this bridge in order to widen Indiana Street to four lanes through there. However, the grant was denied, so Indiana remains two lanes. Meanwhile, additional homes and a new strip mall are being built int he background, which will of course add more traffic to Indiana! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108360 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 920 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF The population of the Denver Metro area has nearly doubled in the last 30 years, going from 1.5 million in 1990 to 2.8 million in 2020. A lot of the homes for those new residents are evident in this shot, looking north from Leyden where the Denver-Provo sits in the siding. 30 years ago, a good amount of what was visible in this shot would have been rolling hills! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108359 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 921 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF After meeting its eastbound counterpart, the westbound Denver-Provo is getting ready to throttle up and depart the siding at Leyden on a clear signal. Not long ago, Leyden was often used multiple times every day for meets. However, with the decreased traffic on the Moffat, this is only the fourth time the siding has been used in July 2020. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108358 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 13, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 887 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF As the head end power on this BNSF Denver-Provo heads toward the east portal of Tunnel 1, an ES44DC and an ET44C4 bring up the tail end of the train by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108357 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 13, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 940 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF Several cars are stuck in the queue, waiting in line at the grade crossing for BNSF's Denver-Provo. The train has three units powered up, with a fourth catching a free ride. The geep will be dropped off in Grand Junction for switching duties. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108356 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 13, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Blue Mountain Drive (MP 22.43) Arvada, CO 885 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF manifest comes around the bend from the west switch of Eisele (Clay) toward the crossing at Blue Mountain. An afternoon thunderstorm dumps rain in a northern section of the Denver Metro area out on the plains in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108355 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 13, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 844 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF manifest heading for Provo wrap around and through Little Ten Curve, approaching a clear signal at the west end of Rocky. The train just passed by a UP rail train, holding the main between switches. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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