A final shot of a Norfolk Southern AC44C6M rolls east, away from the camera, on the end of an eastbound BNSF coal empty.
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A Norfolk Southern AC44C6M is the sole DPU on this eastbound BNSF coal empty. The unit is being power-shared with BNSF. This is a common practice, particularly for Class 1 railroads, to loan units to other railroads for any number of reasons.
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NS 4130 is actually no stranger to the Moffat. Lately, NS 4130 has been sticking around in Denver and BNSF has been putting it to good use on several trains. Here, the unit is on the point of a westbound oil train, coming around Big Ten Curve.
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NS 4130 leads an empty oil train around Big Ten Curve. It is very interesting how oil has rapidly replaced coal as the most common type of train that runs on the Moffat now. Granted, they do not run with the frequency the coal trains once did, but their counts do seem to be increasing.
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Another BNSF oil empty that originated on Norfolk Southern east of the Mississippi. This is why so many NS units are showing up on the Moffat lately. The four additional BNSF units were added to the train in Denver. Once loaded, the train will likely return east over the Moffat in a 3x3 configuration.
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I am not going to lie, I really enjoy seeing a unit sporting Norfolk Southern paint alone on the Moffat. The predominantly black scheme is closer to Rio Grande than any other Class 1 railroad here in 2025. The unit is a DPU on an eastbound coal empty.
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NS 4040, an AC44C6M, sits as the sole DPU on the tail end of this eastbound coal empty in the siding at Rocky. The unit was rebuilt from an AC4400CW by Norfolk Southern.
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A Norfolk Southern "catfish", now designated as an AC44C6M after going through a rebuild program, sits in the yard near BNSF's Engine House here in Denver.
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Norfolk Southern has a program in which they are converting a lot of their DC traction motor units to AC traction motors. NS 4762 is a good example. You can see the "DC to AC" on the cab, indicating this unit is a veteran of that program.
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NS 4130 and a pair of BNSF SD70ACes cross over South Boulder Creek just east of Tolland. In the distance, you can see a few of the mountains around James Peak and the Continental Divide.
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This spring has been unusually wet and cool, the result of which has been some absolutely spectacular green scenery! Case-in-point is this view of an eastbound BNSF oil train, led by an NS AC44C6M, at the east switch of East Portal.
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This BNSF oil train is crossing East Portal Road near the east end of East Portal as the tail end of the train is actually still in the Moffat Tunnel. A couple of cars are waiting at the grade crossing as the train rolls by.
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It is almost guaranteed that the afternoons will bring clouds on the east side of the Continental Divide in Colorado. Today is no exception as an NS-led oil train follows along a very full South Boulder Creek at East Portal.
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An eastbound BNSF oil train is led by a Norfolk Southern "catfish" out of the Moffat Tunnel under cloud afternoon skies. At this location, the eastbound is roughly 9,170 feet above sea level.
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Classic shot of a colorful consist. Under partly cloudy skies, this westbound oil train is approaching the east tunnel of Tunnel 1. It has been an exceptionally wet and cool spring, so the scenery is still very green. An incredibly welcome sight.
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