Photo ID: 111827 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Englewood Littleton, CO 58 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF In the mid-1980s, Rio Grande, Santa Fe, and the City of Littleton worked to lower the tracks on the Joint Line through the heart of the town, eliminating several grade crossing. It increased efficiency and safety. 40 years later, and many trains still traverse the trench every day! Here, a BNSF coal empty and oil empty each wait for a recrew to continue their respective journeys. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111826 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Englewood Littleton, CO 68 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Looking north toward Denver, we find two trains currently tied down in the Littleton trench on Mains 2 and 3. The tank train on Main 3 is actually an oil empty that, once it gets recrewed, will head west on the Moffat to be loaded in Wellington, UT. Of the five tracks, the two on the left are owned by RTD and are part of the RTD Light Rail transit system. The center track in Main 1 of the Joint Line and is owned by UP. The final two tracks are Main 2 and Main 3 of the Joint Line (respectively), and are both owned by BNSF. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111825 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Littleton, CO 55 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Ferromex, BNSF A visitor from across the southern border is helping out on a northbound BNSF train this Sunday afternoon. Ferromex is the main railroad in Mexico, along with Kansas City Southern de Mexico. This particular unit looks like it could stand a bit of fresh paint. The door is also open. This is actually the second time I've noticed the nose door open on a Ferromex unit in Colorado. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111824 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 9, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Littleton, CO 83 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just south of the start of triple track at Littleton, this northbound empty sits stopped on Main 2. Both Main 2 and Main 3 are blocked by tied down trains between Littleton and Englewood, effectively turning that part of the triple track into a single track main. There are two southbounds that needs to come through before it will be this trains turn. The train's cars carry the blades for wind turbines, obviously currently empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110563 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 9, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 125 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF, DODX A southbound BNSF special rolls by on Main 1, heading for the Joint Line. Forty years ago, this scene would've only had two tracks in view. Now, from left-to-right, we have Main 3 and Main 2, both owned by BNSF. Then, Main 1, owned by UP. The two tracks on the right are RTD's Light Rail tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110562 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 9, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 148 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A southbound BNSF special is on Main 1 as a northbound tank train slows on Main 2, preparing to tie down at the intermodal signal the head end is approaching. There is another northbound on Main 2 in the next block, so this tank train currently has no place it can go. Additionally, a northbound BNSF coal emtpy is tied down on Main 3. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110561 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 9, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 137 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A coal empty on the left is tied down on Main 3 as a coal load is in Run 8 pulling southbound on Main 1. An SD70ACe and a pre-production ES44AC lead the load through the Littleton Trench. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110560 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 9, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 138 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF It is not uncommon for BNSF to tie trains down on Mains 2 and 3 between Littleton and South Denver to wait for recrews. Indeed, the coal load to left, on Main 1, had been tied down on Main 2 at Englewood. However, with a fresh crew onboard, the train is now pulling through the Littleton Trench alongside a northbound coal empty on Main 3. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110526 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 26, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 138 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF We have a lot of tracks visible here at this intermediate between Englewood and Littleton. Closest to the camera is Main 3. The train, currently tied down with no crew, is on Main 2. These two mains are owned by BNSF. The next track over in Main 1, owned by Union Pacific (although BNSF dispatches all three main tracks). The next two tracks are RTD's Light Rail tracks. Lastly, a stub track for switching some industries off the mains are on the far side. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110525 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 26, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 156 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Kansas City Southern de Mexico, BNSF A southbound BNSF manifest, with two leased units on the point, just tied down here on Main 3. There are also four trains currently tied down on Main 2, meaning Main 1 is now the only open main track between Englewood and Littleton for both northbound and southbound trains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110524 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 26, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 167 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A northbound BNSF manifest sits tied down on Main 2 at an intermediate signal just north of Littleton. Indeed, the back of the train is in the Littleton Trench. This is Memorial Day Weekend, so many crews have likely signed up for vacation, meaning many trains will be tied down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 110523 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 26, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 129 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Kansas City Southern de Mexico, BNSF Two trains meeting at a signal bridge! Alas, the shot is not quite as lucky as it might seem. Neither train actually has a crew onboard! KCS 4884, a southbound Denver, CO to Amarillo, TX manifest is tied down on Main 3. A northbound BNSF Slayton, TX to Denver, CO manifest is tied down on Main 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109573 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Littleton, CO 215 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF's Denver to Amarillo manifest (HDENAMS) parallels US-85 and crosses over an overflow outlet for the nearby (man-made) McLellen Reservoir. Construction along US-85 is the name of the game this summer and fall! Incidentally, the lead unit, BNSF 6610, is one of the first 25 ES44C4s delivered to BNSF as part of a pilot program. The program was successful, as over 1,200 subsequent units have been delivered. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109572 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Littleton, CO 217 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF For several miles south of Denver, through Englewood and Littleton, RTD's Light Rail (D-Line) parallels the Joint Line. This stop at Mineral Avenue is the last one for Light Rail to the south. Incidentally, one this that is quite remarkable about the Joint Line between here and South Denver is the elimination of grade crossing in the past 40 years. Every single grade crossing that once existed in this five miles of track is now gone! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109571 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 263 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A BNSF manifest headed for Amarillo, TX officially starts the climb to Palmer Lake, passing through the control point at Littleton. Here, the CTC triple track ends and it is Main 1 (now CTC and under the control of BNSF) all the way to Palmer Lake. While manifest generally make better speeds than coal loads on the Joint Line, this manifest will be encountering yellow signals soon enough as it trails a coal load just a few miles ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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