Photo ID: 102328 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 20th Street Denver, CO 1582 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF I was waiting here at 20th Street for a loaded BNSF coal train to come down from Prospect Junction (the track on the far left). The train loaded the day before on the Utah Railway near Helper, UT. Unfortunately, a different BNSF coal load (from the Powder River Basin) came along to tie down on the Lodo siding, so I had to settle for this shot! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102329 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 2 Denver, CO 1914 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This BNSF coal load went through the Moffat Tunnel about eight hours before this picture was taken! The train was loaded by Utah Railway at the Wildcat Mine in Utah. Here, the train is on main two headed south, about to pass underneath the 6th Avenue bridge. Invesco Field at Mile High - home of the Denver Broncos - is visible in the distance (above the lead unit). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102330 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 21 Louivers, CO 1745 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF 21 miles south of Denver and BNSF 5959 has this 76-car coal load moving well at Louviers. The train is running on an approach signal as there is a longer, slower coal load not far ahead. Not the coal empty heading north on Main Two in the distance. The beauty of directional running! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102331 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 33 Castle Rock, CO 1625 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF An ES44AC and a AC4400CW lead up this 120-car coal load as the train slowly makes it way up the 1.5% grade on Main One at Castle Rock. BNSF typically places four units (two on the point and two on the rear) on its coal train on the Joint Line and this train is no exception. The train is crawling along at 11 MPH! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102332 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 36 Castle Rock, CO 1717 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The entire coal train can be seen in this shot as five units (three on the point and two on the rear) lead the train south. This train was loaded on the Utah Railway near Helper, UT. The coal is headed for the new GCC cement plant near Pueblo. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102333 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 36 Castle Rock, CO 2136 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Sometimes train photography is about more than just the train. This cactus caught my eye, as well as the rapidly collapsing code line. I setup for this wide angle shot to try to incorporate all aspects of the scene into the frame. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102334 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 43 Larkspur, CO 1926 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This Santa Fe bridge has been the subject of train photography for many years. Unfortunately, the "Santa Fe" lettering and heralds are quickly fading from the sides of the bridge. But at least they haven't been completely painted over yet! A BNSF coal load crosses the bridge (and Spruce Mountain Road) on its journey south toward Palmer Lake. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102335 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 47 Spruce, CO 1589 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Much of the terrain along the Joint Line between Castle Rock and Palmer Lake is very mountain-like. Lots of pine trees and hills. One possible exception is the open plains region near Spruce. Here, there is a large open valley with a few rolling hills and lots of open land. A BNSF coal train cuts through the middle on Main One as its trek to the "top of the hill" at Palmer Lake is almost complete. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102336 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 50 Spruce, CO 1518 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This BNSF coal load has reached the sag, about two miles north of Palmer Lake. This was once the location of a railroad crossover when the Santa Fe crossed the Rio Grande. This was prior to the Joint Line roughly 90 years ago! Now, with the formation of the Joint Line, southbounds on Main One descend down a grade from BNSF track to UP track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102337 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake (MP 52) Palmer Lake, CO 1706 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF At Palmer Lake, ABS and Track Warrants end, as do two tracks. This coal load is wrapping around the sound end of Palmer Lake on the single track (CTC) main. It is now 32 miles of single track (with four sidings) until double track starts again at Crews. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102338 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 52 Palmer Lake, CO 1754 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF I must admit that I wasn't crazy about BNSF's New Image paint scheme when it was first released. However, it has grown on me quite a bit, and I particularly like the change to black in the paint scheme. Here, a very new (isolated cab) SD70ACe has gone into dynamics at Palmer Lake to help control the speed of the coal load as it descends toward Colorado Springs. I particularly like the silver trucks/fuel tank on the new scheme. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102339 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake (MP 52) Palmer Lake, CO 1977 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Three and a half hours after receiving its track warrant (while sitting in Rennicks Yard in Denver), this BNSF coal load is finally approaching the top of the hill at Palmer Lake. A classic Rio Grande signal (controlling southbound movement on Main Two) stands in the foreground. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102340 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake (MP 52) Palmer Lake, CO 1946 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A view of Palmer Lake that you don't typically see when view train pictures from the area! For awhile, I've wanted to climb the mountain to the west of the lake and see how the view looks. Well, here it is! Not too bad...of course BNSF had to have the last unit on this loaded southbound facing the wrong way! Note the head end of the train way off in the distance on the upper left side of the picture. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102341 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 50 Spruce, CO 1725 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Two miles north of Palmer Lake and this BNSF manifest has an approach (yellow) signal as it heads south on Main One. In addition to the two C44-9Ws, the train as a GP60B in the consist. The GP60B's were produced in the early 1990s for Santa Fe and originally wore the Warbonnet scheme. All have since been repainted, but they are very likely the last cabless ("B") units that either EMD or GE will ever produce! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102342 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, September 6, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 49 Spruce, CO 1567 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF After meeting a parade of southbounds at Academy and Monument, this BNSF manifest is finally on Main Two and has a track warrant all the way to Littleton. While southbounds have to work hard to climb the 1.2% ruling grade, northbounds get to glide down the same grade into Denver. As a result, Main Two tends to move a bit faster then Main One! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

Next Page