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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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We are deep into "blue hour" as the light is quickly fading after sunset. The weather has been quite nice and it is still around 40°F (4°C) here at Palmer Lake as a northbound BNSF Q-Train leaves the single track behind and enters into the Track Warrant Control (TWC) limits of Main 2, dispatched by UP.
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A trio of GEs has the duty of handling UP's MNYPU this afternoon as the train rounds Palmer Lake on the single track at the top of the Palmer Divide. This train is almost always a "night owl", running over the Joint Line in the dark. It was a rare opportunity to be able to get shots of a UP manifest on the Joint Line in daylight!
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UP 2692 and train have reach "the top of the hill". Palmer Lake marks the top of the Palmer Divide for trains at an elevation of 7,297 feet (2,224 meters) above sea level. This southbound has left directional running and two mains behind in favor of the single mainline that runs between Palmer Lake and Crews through Colorado Springs.
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