Photo ID: 110497 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 12, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 281 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As is typical for loaded UP coal trains on the Moffat, a trio of units has been cut in as mid-train swing helpers. A pair of ES44ACs and an SD70ACe have the duty today at Plain. This trio will be cut out when the train arrives in Denver. Note the paved road in the background. That is the far east (north) end of the new Canyon Pines neighborhood. Note that it does *not* connect in with Plainview Road. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110496 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 12, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 310 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Almost feels like it could be 2005. A pair of AC4400CWs leading an eastbound coal train at Plain! It is, however, 2024 as this GE pair crosses the grade crossing at Plain on the main track. In the distance, to the right, you can see the east portal of Tunnel 4. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110495 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 12, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rainbow Cut Arvada, CO 339 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This is a shot that I've want to get for years. I finally had the chance to get the shot today with this eastbound UP coal load as the subject. The train is winding through the S-Curves in the middle of Plain at Rainbow Cut. UP only runs a handful coal trains on the Moffat these days, making it a bit of an added bonus. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110494 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 12, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 29 (MP 36.4, 75 ft) Boulder County, CO 299 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound UP coal load...pretty rare on the Moffat in 2024...is just starting its journey east through the Tunnel District. About two cars of the train are in the shortest tunnel in the district, Tunnel 29 (78 feet). Note South Boulder Creek to the right, which will quickly decrease in elevation. Faster than the tracks, to be sure. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110493 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 12, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 29 (MP 36.4, 75 ft) Boulder County, CO 306 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of AC4400CWs lead an eastbound coal load across the bridge over South Boulder Creek just west of Tunnel 29. The train just departed Cliff on a green signal and will have greens the rest of the way in to Denver. In the distance, there is still a lot of snow covering the Continental Divide. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110487 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 323 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A look at a pair of former Chicago North Western C44-9Ws that have likely been sitting in storage in Grand Junction for months (or even years). Not entirely sure where they are headed, but it is possible they are going to be rebuilt into C44ACMs by UP. This would change them from DC traction motors to AC traction motors. UP has done this to roughly 50 other C44-9Ws as of this picture. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110486 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 294 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of ES44ACs lead two (offline) C44-9Ws and a relatively short MGJNY, rolling east on the main at Leyden. There is a string of well cars in the siding at Leyden that, as of the time of this picture, have been tied down in the siding for "long term storage" for 4 months and 1 week. It has been an unusually chilly May so far, and this morning is no exception, with low-hanging clouds all along the Front Range and temperatures around 42°F (6°C). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110485 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 248 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As a westbound oil train meets an eastbound manifest at Rocky, we look up the (rather steep) 8% grade of the Rocky Flats Industrial Lead (also know as the Rocky Spur) that used to lead up to Rocky Flats. Now, it serves a single aggregate plant. The West Local makes a trip up the spur (at most) once a week. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110484 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 301 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific It is almost funny, but with UP trains seemingly the minority of trains that run on the Moffat these days, catching a meet between two UP trains feels like a rarity! Yet, on this gloomy Friday morning, an eastbound MGJNY sits in the siding at Rocky as an oil train rolls west on the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110483 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS016 (East Rocky) Arvada, CO 278 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The crew on this westbound UP oil train just got off the "phone" (the radio) with the UP Mechanical Desk. The crew asked permission to bring the second unit online as they were concerned about stalling with the sole unit on the point. The desk gave the okay, and the second unit is now roaring to life, spitting out a bit of exhaust as it does so at the east switch of Rocky. Two of the three sun visors on the eastbound signal in the foreground have been ripped off in recent high winds. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110482 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 270 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Under gloomy, overcast morning skies, a westbound oil train (empty) rolls through Barbara's Gulch, coming up to the narrowest part just east of Rocky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110481 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Barbara's Gulch (MP 15.9 to MP 17.2) Arvada, CO 259 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A westbound UP oil empty, with 88 tank cars in tow, heads west through Barbara's Gulch. Of the three units on the head end, only the lead unit is actually online and pulling. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110480 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 302 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP's eastbound MGJNY (manifest from Grand Junction to North Yard in Denver) is stopped on the siding, hiding behind some maintenance of way equipment that is tied down in the house track. The manifest will be waiting here for a westbound oil empty coming out of Denver. In the background, the westbound Zephyr is right on time as it heads west out the west end of Eisele (Clay). The lead unit on the eastbound MGJNY was "born" as SP 209! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110477 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 327 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This former Chicago North Western C44-9W (ex-CNW 8656) was likely pulled out of long term storage in Grand Junction. Perhaps the unit has been sold? Perhaps UP has other plans for it. In any case, it is headed east on the Moffat. Note the fact that the exhaust stack is "capped", indicating the unit is definitely shut down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110476 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 10, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rocky (7,330ft) Arvada, CO 341 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific While there are still a lot of C44-9Ws on BNSF's roster, UP has not had many (if any) in regular service in years. This particular unit, which was originally CNW 8639, was likely taken out of storage in Grand Junction. Where is it headed now? I don't know for sure, but it is possible it is headed to be rebuilt (by UP) into an C44ACM (as UP designates them). The unit would be converted into an AC unit (AC traction motors). UP has done this with roughly 50 C44-9Ws as of this photo. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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