Photo ID: 113405 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Douglas County, CO 56 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF It has been an unusually temperate fall this year, with not appreciable snow seen through all of October and November. The first light dusting of snow came just 24 hours earlier along the Front Range. Here, on the final day of November, it is a frigid 17°F and overcast, but no real snow to be found as a southbound coal load comes through Sedalia. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113404 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Louviers to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Coal production in the United States has been on a steady decline since 2011, with a few exceptions or spikes between 2016 and 2019. Coal production in Wyoming in the Powder River Basin is no exception, with the peak production coming in 2008 when 466 million short tons were mined. By comparison, that number dropped to 191 million short tons in 2024, and is forecasted to drop even further to 185 short tons in 2025. That's rough 40% of the peak production from 2008. Despite the decrease, there are still plenty of coal trains to be found on the Joint Line, with this southbound load making a good case-in-point just north of Sedalia. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112888 Date Shot Photo By Friday, July 25, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia to Orsa Douglas County, CO 376 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Amtrak Amtrak's AIRO special crosses over East Plum Creek on Main 1 of the Joint Line. A very rare site indeed, an Amtrak train set on the Joint Line. The AIRO train set, for Amtrak Cascades, is being taken to the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) near Pueblo. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112765 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 431 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF It is very fascinating to me how some brush fires can actually leave quite a bit of unburned foliage behind. That appears to be the case here, as BNSF's fire train sprays water along the right-of-way. Although there are clouds building up, there would not be any rain to offer relief from the heat today. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112764 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 401 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF You can very clearly see the areas where a brush far has burned away foliage on both sides of Main 1 along the Joint Line. High temperatures this July have contributed to the fires, as all but three days (so far) have been 90ºF (33ºC). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112763 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 378 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF's "fire train" is making a reverse move on Main 1 (in CTC limits) as firefights unleash water on a few smoldering hot spots from a small brush fire that started earlier in the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112762 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 418 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Several firefighters spray water, pumped through these special tank cars, on hot spots from a brush fire that started alongside the tracks. The train is actually making a slow reverse move here, making multiple applications to the hotspots. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112761 Date Shot Photo By Monday, July 14, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 369 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Did you know that BNSF actually has a firefighting train that is based in Denver? I've seen it many, many times, sitting at the yard in Denver. However, this is the first time I've actually seen it in action! A few small brush fires along Main 1 south of Littleton. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112748 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 13, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 382 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This southbound manifest slowly snakes its way through the curves just north of Sedalia on Main 1. The manifest has a single DPU on the end of the train, not quite in sight in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112531 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 1, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia to Orsa Douglas County, CO 252 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Canadian National, BNSF CN 3321, an AC44C6M (rebuild) crosses over East Plum Creek on the bridge at MP 26.60 on Main 1 on the Joint Line. The train is following a coal load, and is actually making better time than the coal load, so the grain train will make a few stops at (red) intermediate signals as it continues south. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112530 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 1, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 380 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Several storm clouds move toward the plains from the Rockies at 12:30pm as a southbound BNSF coal train crosses Clay Street in Sedalia on Main 1. These cloud build ups are very normal for summer afternoons along the Front Range in Colorado. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 112529 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, June 1, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 346 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF On the north edge of Sedalia, a BNSF coal load headed for Texas from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming snakes its way through several S-Curves. With more and more power plants in the country switching away from coal, how much longer will coal dominate the Joint Line? Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111451 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 259 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific At Sedalia, both Main 1 and Main 2 run more east/west than they do north/south. Here, heading almost due east, this southbound UP manifest is moving along at roughly 35 MPH, trying to get to Pueblo as soon as it can! The crew, fortunately, is on duty until 7pm, so there should be plenty of time to make the trip. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111450 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 267 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific UP's daily North Yard, CO to Pueblo, CO manifest is southbound on Main 1, just north of Sedalia. The train, which usually heads south overnight, made a rare daylight appearance on the Joint Line today. A broken rail south of Littleton further delayed the train, but it is now making track speed! The three lumber cars you see in the train are going to be set out in the yard at Colorado Springs to be delivered by a yard job to a local company. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111449 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 279 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF It is still rather amazing to me that in 2024, almost 30 years after the BN/ATSF merger, that there are still Warbonnet-painted units that are in relatively good condition! BNSF 789 is a great example. the red and silver are both still quite strong. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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