Photo ID: 111927 Date Shot Photo By Monday, March 10, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele (Clay) (5,780 ft) Arvada, CO 65 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF With MRL units now owned by BNSF and, consequently, in the general power pool, they are rolling through the Denver more often. This makes me happy as it is allowing me to get more pictures of them before they are inevitably repainted BNSF orange at some point. This shot makes the 12th MRL SD70ACe I've been able to shoot. It is the third unit on the head end of an eastbound oil train on the main at Eisele (Clay). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111866 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Brush Brush, CO 74 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) BNSF, Montana Rail Link As I have mentioned in previous pictures take in the past year, now that Montana Rail Link is owned by BNSF, the MRL SD70ACes have entered into the general BNSF locomotive pool and have been scattered to the system. Many of them run in coal service and, as a result, come through Colorado on the way from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming to the plants in Texas. MRL 4305 was a DPU on a westbound coal load, tied down at Brush. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111439 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Yard Denver, CO 86 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Montana Rail Link Now that MRL is owned by BNSF, and the MRL power has started to be distributed throughout the BNSF system, I have seen a couple MRL SD70ACes come through Denver. Another example was MRL 4317, which was in UP's North Yard on this Sunday morning. UP is working to add this unit, and the BNSF unit with it, on a transfer train that will return them to BNSF. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111438 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Yard Denver, CO 68 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Montana Rail Link, Union Pacific A pair of UP units back down the inbound lead at the south end of North Yard with a BNSF ES44AC and an MRL SD70ACe. This is part of a yard transfer that will move a block of cars from UP over to BNSF to facilitate customer needs. The BNSF and MRL units are being returned to BNSF after some power sharing on UP. The train on the outbound lead on the next track over is UP's daily MNYPU, which runs from North Yard to Pueblo, CO. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111387 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Leyden (7,020ft) Arvada, CO 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF The Montana Rail Link paint scheme is probably my favorite paint scheme in existence today. Full disclosure, my favorite color is indeed blue, so that certainly creates a bias for me. It is unfortunate that this scheme will soon fade into history as BNSF took ownership of MRL (and all its assets) 11 months ago, at the start of 2024. MRL 4319 will eventually be repainted in BNSF orange. It will also, eventually, have PTC installed as the MRL did not get around to implementing PTC across its system. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111381 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 79 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF MRL 4319 brings up the tail end of BNSF's Provo-Denver at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. I was excited when I got the tip about the MRL unit, but was a little disappointed to find it facing into the train. Still, anything different is welcome on the Moffat, or in the railroad world in general! When almost everything in Colorado is either UP yellow or BNSF orange, an MRL blue SD70ACe is very welcome. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111380 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Eisele to Plain (MP 21.8 to MP 24.0) Arvada, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, Montana Rail Link While I've never been a fan of EMD's latest nose, which includes the "notch" on either side for visibility, I will say that the ubiquitousness of SD70ACes in railroad today has allowed me to get used to the nose. While not at the top of my list of favorite diesel locomotives, I do not mind the look of the SD70ACe at this point. A BNSF SD70Ace and an MRL SD70ACe bring up the tail end of this Provo-Denver manifest. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111376 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 1, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tolland (9,356 ft) Gilpin County, CO 102 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF, Montana Rail Link A nice surprise on the tail end of BNSF's Provo-Denver was an MRL SD70ACe. As you are probably aware, and perhaps have even read here on the site, MRL units have becoming easier to catch outside Montana since BNSF's took over Montana Rail Link at the start of 2024. With the MRL power now officially owned by BNSF, the power has been scattered across the BNSF system. Eventually, it will be repainted in BNSF colors. In the meantime, it is a great splash of color have MRL blue in the Colorado High Country! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111329 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Irondale Commerce City, CO 77 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) Montana Rail Link, BNSF While I was very sad when MRL (Montana Rail Link) ceased to exist at the start of 2024 after BNSF took it over, the one possible benefit is that all the MRL power is now owned by BNSF. And, as a result, MRL units are now roaming BNSF's system, offering greater opportunities to get shots of units outside of Montana. Such is the case here as an MRL SD70ACe is the second unit on an eastbound coal empty headed for the Powder River Basin. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111324 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tonville Weld County, CO 85 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Brush (BNSF) Montana Rail Link, BNSF One of the 29 MRL SD70ACes is the second unit on this westbound Lincoln, NE to Denver, CO manifest sitting in the siding at Tonville. All 29 SD70ACes, as well as the rest of MRLs power, transferred over to BNSF ownership at the start of 2024 after BNSF bought out the contract with MRL. The contract was formed in 1987 and was originally signed for 60 years, set to expire in 2047. With increasing traffic on BNSF's norther Transcon, BNSF wanted to reclaim possession of the MRL. Both railroads came to agreement on the terms, and the STB approved the early contract termination in March 2023. On January 1, 2024, the MRL ceases to exist, with all assets absorbed by BNSF. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111306 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 17, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed BNSF Engine House Denver, CO 94 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Montana Rail Link, BNSF Buried in the fuel tracks at BNSF's 38th Street engine house, this MRL SD70ACe (4305) awaits its next assignment. BNSF took control of MRL at the start of 2024. Since then, the MRL power has been scattered across the BNSF system, being assigned to trains like any other BNSF unit. However, the MRL units are not (yet) equipped with PTC, so they, sadly, never on the point of a train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111166 Date Shot Photo By Friday, October 4, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South Denver Denver, CO 120 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Montana Rail Link In July 2005, Montana Rail Link updated their fleet of engines by adding some SD70ACes. Over a couple of years, MRL would add a total of 29 SD70ACes to their roster. Now, with MRL having been absorbed into BNSF at the start of 2024, MRL's SD70ACes have started to roam the BNSF system. Here, MRL 4305 is a DPU on a southbound coal load. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110718 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 120 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF A rare visitor to the Moffat to be sure, MRL 4303 was the trailing DPU on this eastbound BNSF manifest. The train is crossing Simms Street in Arvada, headed for BNSF's 31st Street Yard. BNSF took over the MRL on January 1, 2024. Since then, MRL units have started to roam the BNSF system. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110717 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 164 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF On January 1, 2024, the lease that created the MRL on October 31, 1987 was terminated early. In 2022, BNSF agreed to pay MRL $2 billion to terminate the lease early. The lease was originally created for 60 years, set to expire in 2047. With BNSF taking over the MRL, the MRL power (now owned by BNSF) left Montana to explore the BNSF system. MRL 4303 happened to be the rear DPU on BNSF's Provo-Denver this afternoon. BNSF will eventually repaint the units, and the classic blue and large "W" will fade into rail history. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110716 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 8, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Arvada to Leyden (MP 7.5 to MP 11.9) Arvada, CO 147 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Montana Rail Link, BNSF With MRL (Montana Rail Link) now owned by BNSF, former MRL units are roaming free on the BNSF system. One of the 29 SD70ACes happened to be the trailing DPU unit on BNSF's Provo-Denver manifest on this July afternoon. Eventually, no doubt, the MRL units will be painted orange. I will certainly miss the distinctive blue scheme. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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