Photo ID: 111905 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Boulder (3,948ft) Boulder, CO 57 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) Union Pacific The second unit on this northbound BNSF manifest is an ET44C4. It is compliant with the EPA Tier-4 emissions standards. This accounts for the large radiator blister at the back of the long hood. BNSF has purchased 350 of these units, making them the railroad that has likely purchased the most Tier-4 locomotives. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111904 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Boulder (3,948ft) Boulder, CO 53 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF This northbound BNSF manifest departed Denver a bit earlier and is headed for Laurel, MT. The train is moving at track speed through east Boulder, crossing 55th Street. The stacks to the left belong to the Valmont power plant. The power plant originally burned coal for power. However, that stopped in 2017 when it was converted to natural gas and an array of solar panels. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111903 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Wesminster Westminster, CO 53 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The Front Range Sub is still run by track warrants in 2025 (meaning there are no signals), but BNSF has added PTC. This means track warrants are issued and acknowledged via computer. Consequently, there is very minimal radio traffic on the Front Range Sub. This northbound will not be meeting anything at Broomfield, which means it'll be another 40 miles before it might meet another train (at Longs Peak). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111902 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Wesminster Westminster, CO 49 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Two ES44DCs and a Tier-4 ET44C4 are the power on this northbound manifest headed for the yard in Laurel, MT. No DPUs on the tail end of the train this afternoon. The train is just rounding the bend from 88th Avenue, right around MP 9.5. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111901 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Wesminster Westminster, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF A northbound Denver-Laurel manifest approaches the 88th avenue grade crossing in Westminster. Cars and a single biker are stopped, waiting for the train to pass. In the distance, you can see Westminster Castle on the hill. Today, it contains Belleview College and Seminary. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111861 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Highland (1,920ft) Boulder County, CO 72 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF An unexpected snow storm passed through the area the day before, leaving a couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground. A single C44-9W brings up the tail end of this southbound blade train, just south of Longs Peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111860 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Longs Peak (7,685ft) Boulder County, CO 52 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Around 20 years after BNSF first unveiled its "New Image" or "Swoosh" paint scheme, you can still find Heritage 2 units on the rails. Indeed, here are two such units, both rear DPUs on the trains heading away from each other at the south end of the siding of Longs Peak. The siding of Longs Peak was actually built around 2004. Prior to that, there was a 60-mile gap between the siding of Broomfield and North Yard (in Fort Collins). Most trains could not fit on the relatively short siding at Boulder, so the introduction of Longs Peak help move traffic on the line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111859 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Longs Peak (7,685ft) Boulder County, CO 67 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The size of the wind mill blades that are transported by rail are actually quite massive. The engineering to transport them by rail is actually quite impressive. The infrastructure holding the blades is capable of shift on the flat cars to accommodate the train going through curves. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111858 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Highland (1,920ft) Boulder County, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF A southbound blade trade crosses over Upper Highland Ditch at the south end of Highland, right at milepost 49. For those that are fans of the Moffat, this location on the Front Range Sub is about the same distance from Denver as the east switch of East Portal. This spot on the Front Range Sub is just north of Longmont. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111857 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Highland (1,920ft) Boulder County, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Just south of the siding of Longs Peak, a southbound blade train crosses over N 115th Street and runs by the north switch of the short siding of Highland. The siding is less than 2,000 feet long, and is only used for local switching, not for meets. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111856 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Longs Peak (7,685ft) Boulder County, CO 50 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF This southbound blade train has two units powering it, one on either end of the train. The train, which originated in Grand Forks, ND, is leaving the siding at Longs Peak on the Front Range Sub north of Longmont. The train is headed for Amarillo, TX. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111855 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Longs Peak (7,685ft) Boulder County, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF After receiving a new track warrant (via PTC), BNSF 6212 is rolling toward the south siding switch of Longs Peak. The train will continue south to Broomfield where it will meet two northbounds. BNSF 5207 is the sole DPU on a northbound vehicle train currently tied down on the main at Longs Peak. The train hit a car the previous night and maintenance is working on the lead unit on the other end. Note the blue flag attached to the rail on the main. This provides "blue flag protection" for the maintenance crew, ensuring the train is not allowed to move. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111854 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Longs Peak (7,685ft) Boulder County, CO 59 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The huge blades that you see on the power-generating wind mills are typically transported from the manufacturing plant to (near) their destination via rail. The rails are generally not close enough to the final destination, so the blades are usually transferred to truck. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111853 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 16, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Longs Peak (7,685ft) Boulder County, CO 51 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF An sole ES44AC leads a southbound "blade train" through the siding at Longs Peak. The train is meeting a unit vehicle train that is currently sitting on the main track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111259 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 3, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Clear Creek Denver, CO 81 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF An SD40-2 and a GP38-2 work to switch out a string of double stack cars at BNSF's intermodal facility at Rennicks. The long stretch of cars necessitates the job pulling north onto the BNSF Front Range Subdivision alongside RTDs Pecos Junction commuter line station. While the train is technically on the mainline, this part of the mainline is still within yard limits, so no coordination with BNSF's Front Range Dispatcher is necessary. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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