Photo ID: 105385 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce (MP 48.8) Spruce, CO 2083 (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 1887 (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 1883 (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: 104046 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, January 14, 2012 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 45 Greenland, CO 2225 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This is why I love the Joint Line! When you are lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time, you can catch a northbound and a southbound in the same frame. In this shot, a southbound coal load is approaching on the left as an empty darts north over to the right. 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 2591 (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 2035 (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: 103520 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 18, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 41 Larkspur, CO 1980 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific This UP auto rack train has followed I-25 about as far as it is going to before heading toward Larkspur. Tomah Road is just out of view to the right in this shot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103519 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 18, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 41 Larkspur, CO 1833 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF An angle on the Joint Line that I haven't seen before. This is the end DPU of a southbound coal load that is rounding the curve that leads towards Larkspur. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103517 Date Shot Photo By Friday, June 18, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 41 Larkspur, CO 2019 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF When I first took this shot, I was very unhappy with the clouds that were casting a shadow over half the scene. However, the shot has actually grown on me now as I like the sunlight drawing the viewers eye to the lead units. 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 2445 (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: 103323 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 28, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 46 (Greenland) Greenland, CO 1837 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The last DPU on a southbound coal load passes the grade crossing in Greenland. When looking to the southwest, you can get a nice shot of the DPU and the famous Pikes Peak in the same shot! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103322 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 28, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 46 Greenland, CO 2530 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A really nice barn stands in Greenland. The barn seems to be something of a staple in Greenland as I have seen many shots over the years of the barn in the foreground and southbounds in the background. I figured it was time I add my own shot from the location! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103321 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, March 28, 2010 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 41 Larkspur, CO 2067 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This coal load is making about 15 MPH as it climbs the 1.4% grade on the north edge of Larkspur. As more and more GEVOs and ACes arrive on BNSF, the sight of an SD70MAC leading is becoming less and less common. Ten years ago, that is all would see on these trains. 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 1987 (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 1760 (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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