Photo ID: 112005 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 171 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer At the start of the season, or in this case, the pre-season, the Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s can pretty well be counted on to make an appearance on the train. For this pre-season test run, there are only eight cars in tow for the trip. The train is actually testing an extended service that will start in 2026, taking the train from Denver to Salt Lake City (and back). The train will be rebranded as the Canyon Spirit. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112004 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 223 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer After several months of little to no use, the Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s are burning off a bit of built up carbon, kicking up quite a bit of exhaust as it burns off. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112003 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Little Ten Curve (MP 18.7 to MP 18.9) Arvada, CO 170 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer A test run of the Rocky Mountaineer is rounding Little Ten Curve on the main at Rocky. It is meeting UP's eastbound MGJNY, which has a single DPU, waiting on the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112002 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 150 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Rocky Mountaineer is conducting a test run ahead of the 2025 season, which starts it roughly a month. In addition to this being a good test run for the crew, it is also a test run for an expansion of service in 2026. The train is expected to run from Denver to Salt Lake City starting in 2026, and this is a test run for that service. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111436 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Yard Denver, CO 206 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rocky Mountaineer The power for the Rocky Mountaineer continues to sit on a stub track at UP's North Yard. With the 2025 season still about four months away, the power is likely waiting for some off-season maintenance. A pair of UP GEs sits near the fuel tracks in the foreground. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111397 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Yard Denver, CO 266 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rocky Mountaineer It is currently the middle of the "off season" for the Rocky Mountaineer. Three of the units are over in North Yard, likely waiting for some maintenance to be done before the new season kicks off next April. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111131 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 193 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer As someone that was raised on Rio Grande in the 1980s, spartan cab EMD units hold a special place for me. So, I love getting shots of the Rocky Mountaineer which, when not borrowing UP SD70Ms, runs with EMD spartan cab units. Here, RMRX 8600 knocks down the signal at east Eisele (Clay). The train just completed a slow order and is throttling up to accelerate back up to track speed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111130 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS019 (West Rocky) Arvada, CO 209 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer RMRX 8600, the leased SD40M-2 from Horizon Rail, and a standard Mountaineer GP40-3 lead the westbound Rocky Mountaineer. Unlike on the Zephyr, passengers on the Mountaineer are allowed to open the vestibule windows and enjoy some fresh air. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111129 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 207 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Two Rocky Mountaineer crewmembers are on the ground, trying to find an air leak. The engineer noticed the leak in the cab and the crew are now literally listening to see if they can hear where the leak is coming from. Within about 10 minutes, the leak will be found and sealed, and the train will continue west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111128 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 271 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Right at the switch where the Rocky Flat Industrial Lead leaves the mainline at Rocky, the Rocky Mountaineer has rolled to a stop. There is an air issue and the crew is stopping to investigate. This lead unit, RMRX 8600, has an SD45 car body, but it an SD40-2 internally. The unit is on a long term lease from Horizon Rail Leasing. It will act as a substitute when one of the GP40-3s is having mechanical issues, such as today. The Mountaineer is doing this rather than leasing SD70Ms from UP. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111083 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 231 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer With a clear (green) signal dead ahead, the Rocky Mountaineer kicks up some exhaust as it accelerates toward the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel along South Boulder Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111082 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Portal (5,750 ft) Gilpin County, CO 242 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer Between the 2023-2024 seasons, the Rocky Mountaineer leased this (former) SD45, now an SD40-2 internally. An SD18 was also leased to shuffle cars around in Denver. The GP40-3s have had a lot of mechanical issues and the RM has had to lease power from UP. Apparently, the lease of both of these units is less expensive than the cost to lease on UP SD70M. It took most of the 2024 season for PTC to be installed in RMRX 8600. But with it now installed and operable, it is on the train west with one of the GP40-3s at East Portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111081 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 22, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland to East Portal (MP 47.7 to MP 48.9) Gilpin County, CO 242 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer In between Tolland and East Portal, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches the east end of East Portal. PTC has finally been installed in RMRX 8600, a lease SD40-2 (in an SD45 car body). It along with one of the GP40-3s lead the train west. In the distance, you can see a westbound empty oil train in the siding at Tolland. After the tunnel vents, it will be its turn to head west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111047 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, September 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS131 (West Bond) Bond, CO 318 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Glenwood Springs (UP) Rocky Mountaineer, Union Pacific Similar to last year, the Rocky Mountaineer has once again run with UP power more frequently in 2024 than with its own GP40-3s. This Sunday was no exception as the train departs the west end of Bond and crosses over the Colorado River. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110888 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, August 14, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 277 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific, Rocky Mountaineer On the climb up the roughly 2% grade toward Tunnel 1, a pair of UP SD70Ms lead ten cars on the Rocky Mountaineer. As we get closer to fall (and fall colors), passenger volumes on the Rocky Mountaineer will continue to increase to enjoy the colorful trip from Denver to Moab (or back). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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