Spring Snow in the Tunnel District

At the end of a vibrant chase, thankfully this eastbound was working back to Denver at a slow enough pace to able to catch it in so man... (more)

Storm Light at Coal Creek

That terrific storm light in the early spring along the cliffs of Coal Creek back light an ascending oil can into the last curve before heading ... (more)

Blue Mountain Magic

Spring thunderstorms batter the high plains with a characteristic clearing along the Flatiron Range near Coal Creek.

Frosty Morning at Coal Creek

HDENPVO-1 is climbing the +2.00 grade at milepost 22.97 in Coal Creek Canyon, CO on Tuesday January 26, 2021. Within moments the train will be ... (more)

Classic California Zephyr

Amtrak is ascending the grade at Coal Creek Canyon in front of the tangent into Tunnel 1. Ideal light illuminates icicles and the trip from Chica... (more)

BNSF Coal at Coal Creek

Just past east Plain at MP23 loaded coal from Utah on its way to Tulsa zig zags into the cut before tunnel 1 at Coal Creek, CO.

Storied Wood

Westbound and about to enter the first bore of the Tunnel District BNSF’s HDENPVO manifest is moving some new pipe and a pleasant variety of business. The ancient ... (more)

Three brand-new BNSF EMD SD70ACes lead an eastbound coal train descending the Front Range of the Rockies at Coal Creek Canyon between Plainview and Clay, Colorado, on May 5, 2014.

Pillows of Snow

Tuesday, November 24th was kissed with a fresh 8” of sticky snow early before dawn at Coal Creek Canyon. Amtrak 5, running about 2 hours late the California Zep... (more)

On the afternoon of December 1, 2002, an eastbound Union Pacific coal train drops downgrade on the former Rio Grande Moffat Tunnel route at Coal Creek between Plain and Clay, Colorado. Passing the... (more)

A pair of Southern Pacific GE AC4400CWs lead an eastbound Union Pacific coal train downgrade past the mile 22.6 detector at Coal Creek between Plain and Clay, Colorado, on the afternoon of Decembe... (more)

Amtrak in Coal Creek

Climbing the grade in Coal Creek, 1105 running 45 minutes late climbs into the Fall late morning light westward for the Great Divide.

On February 19, 2002, a westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe manifest freight gets help from a pair of EMD SD40-2 pushers as it climbs the two percent grade at Coal Creek Canyon between Clay and... (more)

A westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe manifest freight climbs through the horseshoe curve spanning the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon between Clay and Plainview, Colorado, on February 19, 2002.

Blue Mountain Fire Station

Amtrak 5 the California Zephyr is zipping through the horseshoe at Coal Creek and Blue Mountain. An often shot spot and fun spectacle to watch the tr... (more)