Photo ID: 113411 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Like the thousands of coal trains over decades before it, another southbound wraps its way through the S-curves just south of "The Sag" on Main 1 on the approach the Palmer Lake and the top of the climb. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113248 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF typically keeps a "protection" unit on the stub track off of Main 1 just north of Palmer Lake. Southbound coal load typically can just make the climb up the grade from Denver to Palmer Lake with four units. However, if one fails, a rescue unit is needed. BNSF 6035 currently has that job, sitting and waiting on the stub track if or when it is needed. A southbound coal load, with all four of its unit online, pass by on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112894 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 333 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak This Amtrak Cascade's AIRO train set was built by Siemens in California. It is currently being taken by Amtrak to the TTC near Pueblo for testing. Of note, the Amtrak crew on this train are accompanied by a BNSF "pilot" crew. The Amtrak crew is, of course, not familiar with the Joint Line, so the BNSF crew goes with them to ensure the Amtrak crew knows everything they need to know about the route. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112893 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 334 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak Amtrak Cascade's AIRO train set rolls by Carpenter Creek on Main 1, just north of "The Sag" on the Joint Line. The train is about four miles away from the top of Palmer Divide at Palmer Lake. The train set is headed for the Transportation Technology Center near Pueblo, CO for testing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112892 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 347 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak AMTK 22 and AMTK 134 lead an Amtrak Special southbound on Main 1 on the Joint Line, passes by a small pond that is part of Carpenter Creek, just a few miles north of Palmer Lake. Amtrak running on the Joint Line is exceptionally rare. Indeed, I believe this is the first time I've ever shot Amtrak equipment on the Joint Line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112891 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Douglas County, CO 375 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak Amtrak's P42DCs belch out a bit of exhaust as they throttle up to continue rolling south on Main 1 at Greenland. The train has been running on yellow (technically, flashing yellow, or Advance Approach) signals since just north of Larkspur, as the Amtrak special is following a southbound BNSF coal load. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112757 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 407 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF As this southbound manifest approaches Palmer Lake on Main 1, take not of the abandoned track to the right. Back in the days of cabooses and manned helpers on coal trains, the manned helpers would sometimes be cut in ahead of the caboose. In those situations, the helpers would cut off the train and enter this track, leaving the caboose on Main 1 for the coal train to back up to, connect to, and continue south. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112756 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 358 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Three GEs lead this southbound manifest on Main 1, just north of Palmer Lake. The train has a clear (green) signal and is ready to head onto the single main track between Palmer Lake at Crews. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112755 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 399 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Although there are a few other cars on this Denver-Amarillo manifest, most of the train is composed of alternating strings of tank cars and covered hoppers. The train has a clear (green) signal at the top of the hill at Palmer Lake to continue south onto the single main track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112754 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Douglas County, CO 347 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A pair of SD70ACes lead an empty oil train on Main 2 at Greenland. The mountain peak furthest off in the distance toward the left, is Pikes Peak. One of the 53 mountain peaks in Colorado that exceed 14,000-feet (4,268-meters) in elevation. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112534 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 1, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Douglas County, CO 257 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Canadian National, BNSF CN 3321 is currently facing a red intermediate signal at MP 45.8. There is a coal train ahead that is currently stopped in The Sag, waiting for two northbounds. As such, the crew has the headlight on dim, and is patiently waiting. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109915 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Douglas County, CO 322 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF In the past decade or so, it has become far more common to find certain trains that have a mix of general manifest (box cars, covered hoppers, lumber, etc) along with intermodal. BNSF's QSPOALT, which runs from Spokane, WA to Alliance, TX, is an example of such a train. The front half of the train is general manifest, but the second half is mixed TOFC and COFC. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109638 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Greenland, CO 345 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A BNSF coal load slowly grinds up the grade just south of Greenland. The train is just a few miles away from the "top of the hill" at Palmer Lake. There, the train will have successfully conquered Palmer Divide, and will continue downgrade on the single track main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108390 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Greenland Greenland, CO 972 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific Some rain is coming down a few miles to the northeast as a UP coal load makes its way south out of Greenland on Main 1. The train is just a few miles away from the "top of the hill" at Palmer Lake. Once it crests the divide at about 7,300 feet, it will enter dynamic braking mode for the decent toward Pueblo. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108054 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Greenland, CO 906 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF If you are familiar with the Joint Line in Colorado, then its a good bet you'll recognize the red barn in Greenland! This view offers a slightly elevated perspective, including a southbound manifest waiting patiently at a red intermediate in the background on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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