Photo ID: 113662 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 28 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific Close to five hours after departing Fraser, CO, this Union Pacific passenger special has made it to Palmer Lake. A distance of about roughly 115 miles. Just to change things up a bit, I decided to get an elevated shot here, including the entire lake that shares a name with the town. The train has another 20-ish miles to go before arriving at Colorado Springs, where its VIP passengers (including UP CEO Jim Vena) will get off the train. The train would then continue to Pueblo to turn around and then return north, deadheading back to Council Bluffs, IA (home base for UP's passenger equipment). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113416 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 109 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The snow looks to really be coming down hard here at Palmer Lake on the last day of November as a southbound coal load rolls away from the camera. The telephoto shot is actually making it appear to be snowing a bit harder than it actually is, but it is good to see a little precipitation coming down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113415 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 111 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A pair of relatively new ES44ACHs (or ES44AHs) bring up the tail end of a southbound coal load on the single track main just south of Palmer Lake. This is the closest to a winter scene we've had so far in the 2025-2026 winter season. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113414 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 134 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF At the top of the Palmer Divide we find Palmer Lake at an elevation of roughly 7,200 feet above sea level. In the summer, the lake is a popular hang out for kids and family, using innertubes to play in the water. Things are significantly colder here at the end of November, the thermometer indicating 18°F (-8°C) outside. A BNSF coal load crests the top of the divide and gets ready to now head down grade to Pueblo and beyond. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113413 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 108 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Single track ahead! At Palmer Lake, two tracks come to an end and there is now a single track main for the next 32 miles. Snow is falling at a decent click here roughly 7,200 feet above sea level as a southbound coal load comes through the OS of Palmer Lake, right at MP 52. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113412 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 91 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 3297 is looking a green signal at the "top of the hill" at Palmer Lake. A bit of snow is falling here at elevation, although nothing is really sticking to the ground. The track next to the main was often used way back in the caboose era. Heave coal trains sometimes had rear (manned) helpers cut in ahead of the caboose. The caboose would be temporarily set out in the side track so the manned helpers could run around and then attach the caboose to the back of the train. These days, of course, there is no need for such things, so the tracks has fallen into disrepair. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112897 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake to Monument Palmer Lake, CO 406 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak A final look at this Amtrak special as it rolls south on the single track main between Palmer Lake and Monument. I had to get back up to Denver, so I was unable to chase the special any further south. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112896 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 438 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak On the south side of Palmer Lake, AMTK 22 and AMTK 134 are leading this Amtrak special south on the now-single track mainline on the Joint Line. The train is headed for the Transportation Technology Center just east of Pueblo, CO. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112895 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 409 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak At the "top of the hill", a reference to the highest point on the Palmer Divide at 7,297 feet (2,225 meters) above sea level, this Amtrak special is now on the single main track as it passes by Palmer Lake. As you can see, many people are out and enjoying the beautiful clear skies on this Friday morning, most likely unaware of the rare move passing by them. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112758 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 378 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Cresting the top the Palmer Divide at Palmer Lake, BNSF 6574 heads south on the single track main. Numerous people are enjoying the warm day, taking paddle boards out onto Palmer Lake itself. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112753 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 364 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This oil empty received a diverging clear (red over green) signal at Palmer Lake and is continuing north on Main 2. If you look very closely, you might notice a grass-covered filled to the left of the train. That is part of the north leg of a wye that once existed on Main 2, decades ago. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112752 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Palmer Lake, CO 408 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF There's not that many originally-painted Heritage units left on BNSF's roster. BNSF 1100 is one such example. This C44-9W was one of the first units delivered to BNSF after the BN/ATSF merger in 1995. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112751 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Palmer Lake, CO 403 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Love this view of the open fields surrounding the Joint Line between Greenland and Palmer Lake. Two units sit on Main 1, leading a manifest southbound. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112750 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Palmer Lake, CO 441 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF's Denver to Amarillo works its way through "The Sag" on Main 1, about two miles north of Palmer Lake. There is an oil train sitting on the single track just south of Palmer Lake, getting ready to proceed north on Main 2. This manifest will wait here until it gets a light to proceed south on the single track main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112749 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 369 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A northbound empty oil train is stopped, looking at a double red signal at Palmer Lake. The train is getting a track warrant from the Union Pacific dispatcher to head north on Main 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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