UP Heritage Train

We first spotted the train South of Colorado Highway 72 (CO72), before it reached the famed Big Ten Curve (named for its ten-degree radius curvature) that allows a moderate rail grade to get down to the plains. The photos on the left show the train going around the Curve, and closer shots of the train cars once it reached the plains to the East of the curve (south of Rocky Flats).

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A legacy of railroad entrepreneur David H. Moffat, this historic Moffat Road railroad line crossed the Continental Divide via Rollins Pass, from Denver to Craig, Colorado. The UP train on this page was sighted and photographed from Colorado Highway 72 (Coal Creek Canyon) just north of the Big Ten Curve, and points east (south of Rocky Flats).

This scenic railroad curve can be seen near CO 72 and CO 93. Look for a ridge lined with permanent hopper cars used as a wind break for trains on this windy hill. Sightings continued east of this map.

Crossing South over CO 72, the tracks come from the first of the Moffat Road's 33 tunnels. When photographed, the heritage train had just come down out of this Tunnel #1.