Photo ID: 113209 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Volcano to Toponas (MP 143.6 to MP 151.3) Routt County, CO 27 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Just around the corner from Tunnel 49, this once-weekly manifest has completed most of the steepest parts of the climb between Bond and Phippsburg. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113208 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 49 (MP 144.1, 299') Routt County, CO 24 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This 70-car manifest on the Craig Branch is leaving Volcano behind and is approaching the east portal of Tunnel 49. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113207 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS144 (West Volcano) Routt County, CO 40 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At the west switch of Volcano, this westbound UP manifest is making its way from Bond to Phippsburg. Volcano was named after a now-extinct volcano here in the area. It is the longest siding between Bond and Phippsburg at 7,470 feet. 20 years ago when multiple coal trains ran each day through here, Volcano was the only siding between Bond and Phippsburg long enough to accommodate meets. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113206 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rock Creek Canyon (MP 139.7 to MP 141.5) Routt County, CO 37 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Rock Creek Canyon is a tremendously scenic part of the (former) Rio Grande. You can see the tracks to the right and the left. The tracks head away from the camera roughly one mile and then come back out, slowly gaining altitude. You can see the westbound manifest on the left, exiting the canyon. Note the substantial difference in elevation between the tracks to the right and the tracks to the left. A little fall foliage at the base of the canyon is just an added bonus. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113205 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 48 (MP 141.3, 290') Routt County, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three GEs lead this westbound manifest, consisting almost exclusively of frac sand, as the head end crosses the bridges in Rock Creek Canyon. The train is also in Tunnel 48, Tunnel 47 (hidden behind Tunnel 48), and Tunnel 46. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113204 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 46 (MP 140.8, 656') Routt County, CO 33 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific This westbound manifest is existing Tunnel 46 and is approaching Tunnel 47 deep in Rock Creek Canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113203 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 29 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Routt County Road 4 runs from CO-131 from McCoy up to Crater. It is a dirt road that crosses the tracks at two grade crossing in close proximity at the Crater Loops. UP 6362 is approaching the upper grade crossing right now. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113202 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 37 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific 20 years ago, multiple coal trains traversed the Crater Loops here every day. Now, there are only two trains per week (save for the occasional extra here or there) that run on the Craig Branch between Bond and Phippsburg. This is one of the two trains, running from Bond to Phippsburg. There are two coal mines on the Craig Branch. There are a handful of power plants in the Steamboat and Craig area, all of which have planes to shift from coal to natural gas before 2030. As a result, one of the two remaining mines, Axial, is planning to stop coal operations by the end of 2025, moving from mining to reclamation (cleanup). The other mine, Energy, is still in operation with no immediate plans to shut down as of October 2025. The mine has 7-10 years of remaining coal in the current seam, but recent approval for expansion can add 1-2 years to that number. However, with that said, Energy is not loading coal trains that are leaving the Branch as of October 2025. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113201 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 32 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific The "Crater Loops", which are a series of two 180° curves, were constructed to allow the railroad to climb at no more than a 2% grade as the Craig Branch makes its way from Bond up to Phippsburg (and beyond toward Steamboat and Craig). A mining operation, which has been in operation here for decades, is visible in the distance. Scoria (volcanic) rock is mined here and used in many places in Colorado and beyond. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113200 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crater Loops Routt County, CO 29 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6362 is climbing through the lower half of the long, winding S-Curve known as the Crate Loops. Crater comes from the name of a cinder cone that once dominated the landscape. It was a vent for a nearby (not extinct) volcanic system. The result of the volcanic system was millions of tons of scoria (volcanic rock) that has been mined for decades. In fact, the Denver and Rio Grande Western used the scoria for ballast. You can see the mining operation (which is still active in 2025) in the distance in this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113199 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 25 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A trio of GE's, the first of which is a former Espee AC4400CW, leads a westbound manifest around Copper Spur Road on the Craig Branch just west of Tunnel 44. It is incredible to think that this was once the mainline for the Denver and Salt Lake! And even in later years in the 1950s and 1960s, how amazing would it have been to ride the Yampa Valley Mail through here!? Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113198 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 44 (MP 132.0, 719') Eagle County, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Some strong fall colors are still to be found around Copper Spur Road on the Craig Branch. This westbound, the MBOPH-05, is the only westbound manifest that runs on this portion of the branch each week. The 70-car train is coming in-and-out of Tunnel 44. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113197 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 44 (MP 132.0, 719') Eagle County, CO 24 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 6362 just emerged from Tunnel 44 and is crossing Copper Spur Road as it wraps around a long curve to head back the other direction on the opposite side of the canyon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113196 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 31 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead a 70-car train on the Craig Branch as it makes the curve to head up Copper Spur Road. The track run about 1/2 a mile up Copper Spur Road, make a 180° curve, and comes back out. This is necessary to keep the grade down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113195 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 5, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bond to Crater (MP 128.8 to MP 138.1) Eagle County, CO 33 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific About a mile west of the start of Craig Branch at Bond (also known as Orestod), this MBOPH (manifest from Bond to Phippsburg) is starting the climb up the branch, rolling around at about 20 MPH. CO-131 is the road below, which leads from Bond to Yampa, Phippsburg, and Steamboat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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