Calif. Zephyr in Ft. Morgan with 4 engines on 14DEC2024

This morning's California Zephyr #5 made its station stop in Fort Morgan at 0544 MST (On Schedule). There were 4 locomotives leading todays 8-car Zephyr. On point was P42 #75 (in Phase VII livery) followed by P42 #146, P42 #157, and P40 #824. The train was stopped with car 7 to the mid-station platform for passenger service to 2 stepping to the platform. One had a neat cat carrier backpack.
After a brief rest period, the high ball was given and on a clear signal, the Zephyr rolled west toward the next stop at Denver's Union Station.
My thanks to the operating crew for the greetings and the passenger with the cool cat carrier for showing it off.
Everyone please stay safe!
Temp: 20 F. Feels like 7 F.
Expected high: 52 F.
Sunrise 0710 MST
Although not on camera a full moon was in the sky. Commonly named the "Cold Moon" for obvious reasons.

[@danboyd8686]

Good morning Mike. Quiet stop today but nice to see the big, 4 engines up front, and the small, a neat clear backpack cat carrier, nice way to travel! Thanks and stay well.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Dan; Thanks for dialing in and the comments. That was a neat carrier. I am sure my cats would have enjoyed that for about 5 minutes. The power that came thru continued west from Denver. All are or were regular engines for the Zephyrs. Interesting. Have a great afternoon and evening. Plese take care and stay safe!

[@timothyblauss3963]

Good morning/afternoon Mike. I found your new channel and was actually one of the earliest subscribers, but this is my first time commenting here. Glad it's all coming together after all those technological issues. Cool to see both the four locomotives and the cat carrier. The cat carrier is new to me too.......Cold and dry in southeastern Massachusetts today with a very strong high pressure system: Currently 1044 millibars, or 30.80 in Hg. Also, 32 for a high and 10 for a low thanks to strong radiational cooling.........Have a nice and safe weekend, and thanks for your perseverance in continuing to produce these videos for us viewers.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Timothy; I thank you for switching to this channel and the comments today. Very much appreciated. I still have a few issues to wade thru but they are minor after the fiasco last month. Anyway, this area is on the back side of that arctic mass across the mi-west. We had the cold here yesterday but caught a break with the temps climbing into the low 50s for a day or two. Monday it will return to cold. Or so the weather guessers and their automated idiots are predicting. Oh well. The winter Solstice is almost upon us. Have a great Saturday afternoon and evening. Please take care, stay warm, and safe!

[@kenclifford5556]

hi Mike thanks for the catch of #5 today. i hope you have a great day. stay safe and warm.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, Ken; I thank you for stopping by and the comments. It was different to see all that power for 8 cars. Wish I had more info as to why and where they are headed. All are recent power on the Zephyrs. HMMM....! Oh well. Have a great Saturday back there. Please take care, stay warm, and safe!

[@jimueberroth3144]

Hello Mike. Finally the video shows up with comment capability. It's happened only twice so far - but I'm watching the silent version daily. Appreciate your efforts. Stay safe & be careful. 🏝

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Jim; Thaks for stopping by and the comments. I'm not quite sure where the problem is with the comment ability and sound. The Mic on the Canon isn't as receptive as the Sony cam was. I am investigating the possibility of adding an external mic to the Canon but have not found one yet. Hope that you have a great evening back there. Please take care and stay safe!

[@greatnorthern930]

Mike got the peace sign this morning, pretty tame for that time of the day, I'd say.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning and thank you for tuning in and the comments. That encounter was a first for me. She seemed to relish the camera time. It is always something different on the platform. LOL! Have a great Saturday. Please take care and stay safe!

[@lancerohancoulston2824]

Thanks mike,, big power, cheers mate,

[@Mikeinmorgan]

G'Day, Lance; Thank you for dialing in and the comments. I appreciate it. Have a great day! Please take care and stay safe!

[@ChrisTrinh95]

Good morning Mike, It’s so nice to see someone who has a wonderful cat on her clear backpack. 🐈 Also, it’s very amazing to see 3 P42DCs and 1 P40DC equals 4 engines on Amtrak 5 California Zephyr. Have a great Saturday, stay warm, and safe, Mike!

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, Chris; I thank you for stopping by and the comments. That cat backpack was a first for me. It is a really neat way to transport a cat. They can see and others can see the animal. Unconfirmed earlier was a report that two of the 4 locomotives are to be stationed in Denver for the operation of the Winter Park Express this year. In the past, that has come to Denver as a complete train set. Oh well. AMTRAK can do it as they see fit. Have a great Saturday. Please take care and stay safe!

[@Ric-Rac_Mankato]

Good morning Mike from Southern Minnesota

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, Ric-Rac_Mankato; Thank you for dropping by and the comment. I appreciate your switching to the new channel. Please take care, stay warm, and safe up there!

[@michaeldemarco2]

Good evening Mike. This train will be returning east from California with the Winter Park Express on Monday. 75 and 146 will be the Ski Power for this coming weekend.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Thanks for the info, Mike. I appreciate it. And it makes sense. Take care and stay safe up there.

[@GaryGeat28]

I forgot that the P40 replaced the EMD F40PH locomotives. The latter is the one I remember leading the Empire Builder when I was a kid.

[@johnburke1317]

Have a nice day 😊

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, John; Thank you for dropping by and the comment. I appreciate it. Please take care and stay safe!

[@kendufresne]

Thank you for the video Mike. 4 engines is unusual. I wonder if a couple were being brought for extra protection or something, somewhere along the line? That was nice to see the cat as I love cats.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Ken; I thank you got tuning in and the comments. I think that two of those units were headed to Oakland for use out there while the other two stayed with the Zephyr. There was and is a lot of supposition and conjecture as tow what and where they end up. That was a neat backpack carrier that gal was carrying her cat in. The two I had would have lasted about 5 minutes is something like that. Glad that she returned to show that to the camera. Anyway, have a great evening back there. Please take care and stay safe!

[@davidduffy308]

Morning Mike. 4 power units ,nice. Be interesting to know where the extra 2 are headed to. Was a beautiful moon last night. Pretty neat cat carrier. Have a great Saturday out there on the plains.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, David; Thanks for dialing in and the comments. All 4 are recent power on the Zephyrs. I read speculation that they are power for the Winter Park Express (ski train). I don't think so. But that is conjecture on my part. That moon was really big early this morning. Too far north to include in the video though. The BIG football game in CBS this afternoon. GO NAVY!!! Have a great Saturday up there. Please take care and stay safe!

[@ohiofrogman1374]

Hello Mike. I'm still around . Have a great day and thanks for the video.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Well, hello Conductor Dave: Thank you for switching over and the comments! I hope that all is well with you back there. Please take care, stay warm, and safe!

[@geraldjones8032]

Good morning Mike: 34 degrees in ABQ, this morning, going to warm up to 51 degrees. Where are the extra engines going? Thanks for posting the video. Hope you got your pickup back in top shape. Enjoy your breakfast and coffee this morning. I sure you needed that to warm up. Have a great day and be safe out there.😊😊😊😊😊

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, Gerald; Thank you for dropping by and the comments. We were in the wraparound cold of that arctic mass just to the east of here. Looks like the low 50s for us as well. I have the POU back but waiting on FedEx to deliver the parts from Texas. It's a mirror on the right door that I managed to bust up a year or so ago. Coffee just got finished and breakfast is a distant memory. Getting set for the Army/Navy football game later. GO NAVY!! They both have bowl games but I di hope to see a knock down brawl on the gridiron today. Have a great Saturday down there. Please take care and stay safe!

[@carolynsteed3649]

Hi Mike, hope this reaches you.I haven't seen if you replied yesterday 13).I was hoping to see the cat carrier but just got the tail I think,never thought about a cat but I guess if a dog is allowed, oh well Hope not to many mistakes spelling. May you have a blessed day.Thank you for # 5.👋😉😎🏈💥🥰

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Carolyn; I thank you for looking in and the comments. I'll try not to send this to la-la land as I did yesterday and then found I had goofed but did send a reply to you on yesterday's video. It was a neat carrier. I have not seen any like it. Anyway, I hope that you have a great evening down there. Please take care and stay safe! Let's see if I can send this one as I should. 🤓👋👌👍 NAVY WON!!

[@carolynsteed3649]

​@@MikeinmorganYEA NAVY. NOW ON TO the OU game on the 27th.Surprisingly I was blasted about the SEC comment I made but I'm not backing down.I used to get notices with regard to replies, now nothing???????.Every time the software updates, something changes.Maybe as you've posted about the 31st it will be hopefully be easier. !!😉😉👋😪🏈

[@benedmonson3445]

Good morning Mike from 52 cloudy mid Tenn heading into rain this PM thru most of Sunday all way to Monday it appears. Could almost be a monsoon. Well Amtrak appears to be sure #5 gets to Emeryville without any help from UP. Surely 4 locos can get them there. Makes for a long long train. Engineer cannot see the last car #8 i bet. Enjoy your Navy game, hope you don't throw too many pillows at Army or officials.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Ben; Thank you for dropping by along with the comments. It is 39 and sunny at 1025 MST. Another cold front to move thru on Monday. My heart goes to all those stuck in the ice and rain stuff in the mid-west. I saw some of that via a camera at Burlington, Iowa. Rumor has it that two of those engines will be set off in Denver for use on the Winter Park Express that starts operation soon. I have not checked the "Big 10" camera to ee if that is so. In the past AMTRAK has brought the complete trainset as one unit out prior to the launch of that train service. Last year it all came from Oakland and went back there as a train set. Oh well. I am ready for the annual Army -Navy football contest. I had the honor of driving an admiral and his guests from the Naval base in Philadelphia to ballpark for that game and returning them to Admiral's row housing after the game. That was many moons ago. At least I go to watch most of the game for free. Anyway, have a great afternoon and evening back there. Please take care and stay safe!

[@hikingmansteve]

Hi Mike, any idea about the extra power this morning? Are they moving engines around? Thanks for sharing with us. A mild 48 and rainy in Western WA this morning. SR

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good morning, Steve; I thank you for stopping by and the comments/question. I have no idea why or where these 4 were headed. All are recent power for the Zephyrs. It was interesting to see them like this. Anyway, have a great Saturday out there. Please take care, stay dry, and safe!

[@jmaxxofficial7015]

2 of those engines are supposedly for the Winter Park Express, the rest of the consist is in Oakland.

[@Mikeinmorgan]

@@jmaxxofficial7015 All 4 went up the hill past the Big 10 cam west of Denver. Oh well. Take care, stay warm and safe back there!

[@DamienLonestartrainfannandmore]

Good afternoon Mike jensen My Name is Damien I heard one of the passengers that stepped out of the amtrak train was carrying a cat carrier on their back and if you see mandy Tell Mandy Damien Says Hi

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, Damien; Thank you for stopping by and the comments. I will pass along your greeting if I see Mandy. Please take care and stay safe!

[@DamienLonestartrainfannandmore]

thanks again

[@RedArrow73]

No Siemens locos on this route yet?

[@Mikeinmorgan]

Good afternoon, RedArrow73; Thanks for dropping by and the question. No. The ALCs have been thru in tow as part of a #6 Zephyr consist on their way to Chicago and then on east to Wilmington for startup. Issues of snow ingestion in the traction motors have kept them from being active in the trains out here. They are used on the "Empire Builders up north yet are required to have another engine with them east of the Cascades because of that issue. Most of the operators here have been exposed to the ALC 42s and do not think much of them. One borrowed from AMRTAK Mid-west regional for a test run from Chicago to Seattle to Sacramento and then back as part of #6 to Chicago tangled with a transit-mix concrete truck in Nevada and lost. Anyway, Have a great Saturday. Please take care and stay safe!