Photo ID: 108056 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Spruce, CO 797 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This northbound unit grain train had something of a unique power arrangement. It was set up with three units on the head end and three DPUs on the rear. No mid-train swing helpers. It is making good speed north as a loaded coal train sits stopped, waiting patiently on Main 1 to the left. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108055 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Spruce, CO 884 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The valley leading to Palmer Lake looks fantastic and green as the end of May is approaching. Amidst the spring foliage is a southbound coal load, resting in the sag on Main 1, and a covered hopper grain train heading north on Main 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108051 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Spruce, CO 956 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 9233 is making its way through "the sag" on Main 1 a few miles north of Palmer Lake. Over 100 years ago, tracks of competing railroads (Rio Grande and Santa Fe) crossed here. Specifically, Santa Fe crossed over Rio Grande. You can still clearly see the embankment from the old bridge. In World War 1, the US government took over the railroads and ordered Rio Grande and Santa Fe to connect their respective tracks and run the Joint Line as directional, with southbounds on Main 1 and northbounds on Main 2. A tradition that is largely still the case, although Main 1 now is CTC between Littleton and Palmer Lake. Main 2 still operates using Track Warrants and ABS. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108050 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Spruce, CO 899 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Not far north of Palmer Lake, and just north of "the sag", a southbound coal load passes by a sole ES44AC sitting in a stub track as a protection unit. Where this coal train to stall out getting over Palmer Lake, this unit would be called to the rescue. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108049 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Spruce, CO 818 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF For several years now, BNSF has stored a "protection unit" in a short stub track off of Main 1 just north of "the sag" around Spruce. On occasion, a southbound coal load will stall out at the top of hill at Palmer Lake. If this happens, the unit can be retrieved and used to add some extra shoving power on the train. Prior to this, another unit would have to be borrowed from a following train. If there was no immediate following train, an engine might have to be called from Denver to come and save the day. On this particular day, the ES44AC would not be needed. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105385 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce (MP 48.8) Spruce, CO 2154 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This southbound BNSF coal load is climbing the 1.4% grade on Main 1 about three miles north of Palmer Lake. Once at Palmer Lake, the train with throttle back and start the descent toward Colorado Springs, Pueblo, La Junta, and places beyond. Clouds from a large summer thunderstorm make for a dramatic looking sky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105384 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce (MP 48.8) Spruce, CO 1988 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A beautiful afternoon along the Joint Line a couple miles north of Palmer Lake. A strong afternoon thunderstorm has moved east, leaving fantastic afternoon lightning and awesome colors in its wake. A southbound coal load is pulling toward Palmer lake on clear signals. Oh how I wish the days of five units on the point of coal trains was still here! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105383 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce (MP 48.8) Spruce, CO 1947 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This southbound manifest was just recrewed at Greenland after having spent a good portion of the day tied down on Main 1. Track maintenance in Colorado Springs was preventing trains from running in either direction for a good part of the day. Here, the train is on the move at Spruce as dark storm clouds linger to the east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104634 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 8, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Spruce, CO 2067 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This location, just north of Palmer Lake at Spruce, is where the Santa Fe once crossed over the Rio Grande. During World War 1, when the Federal Government took over the railroads, it was decided it would be more efficient to "combine" the two railroad lines into direction tracks between Denver and Pueblo. The crossovers were all removed and the two competing lines connection. The arrangement remains today as this BNSF coal empty crosses from BNSF-owned rails to UP-owned rails on Main 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104048 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 14, 2012 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce, CO 2108 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Two miles north of Palmer Lake, this southbound coal load is entering "The Sag". It is so-named because of the relatively rapid descent southbounds make. Track ownership changes here and while most of the load is still on BNSF property, the head end is now on UP property! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103524 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 18, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 48 Spruce, CO 2712 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific It has literally been years since I had last shot a non-coal UP train on the Joint Line. While I do love BNSF, it is always nice to catch a break from the norm! These auto racks are being sent to Arlington, TX for their next assignment. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103523 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 18, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 48 Spruce, CO 2126 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Hey! Quit tailing me! Because BNSF tends to under power their coal trains, they can only go 10-15 MPH up the Palmer Divide. Consequently, manifests frequently get stuck behind the slow moving coal drags. Here, a UP auto rack train has caught up to a slow-rolling coal load. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103324 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 28, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 49 Spruce, CO 2562 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just south of Spruce, southbounds drop into what is known as "the sag". This is so named because trains briefly descend down a 1% grade. This is the former location of a crossover when Rio Grande and Santa Fe each had their own tracks. When the crossover were removed and the lines connected (to operate as the Joint Line), the southbound Santa Fe track descended down the embankment to connect with the Rio Grande track below. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103238 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2009 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 49 Spruce, CO 2056 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just a couple miles north of Palmer Lake and we catch a meeting between a southbound manifest and a northbound coal empty. The manifest is headed for Kansas City while the coal empty is headed for the Antelope Mine in the Powder River Basin. The last spec of light from the day shines on the ES44ACs leading the coal empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103237 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 27, 2009 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 48 Spruce, CO 1841 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Literally minutes before the sun set behind the mountains, this BNSF manifest is nearing the top of the hill on the Joint Line at Palmer Lake. The train is on Main 1...you can see Main 2 in the background. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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