By dawn's early light, this coal load is just about to leave the Pueblo Subdivision behind as it arrives in La Junta. Here, the train will receive a crew change before continuing on toward Texas.
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The last DPU units on this coal load pass over the Spring Switch at the west end of La Junta. This track is governed by ABS and track warrants, which is why there is only a single head on the signal even though there is a switch.
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Running about 45 minutes late, the westbound Southwest Chief leaves Las Animas behind as it tries to make up time on the way to La Junta.
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After meeting the Southwest Chief, this southbound manifest is preparing to depart for Las Animas Junction on its way to Belen, NM.
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A pair of C44-9Ws in H2 paint sandwich a Warbonnet C40-8W on the point of BNSF's Denver, CO to Belen, NM manifest. The train is running on the single track main between La Junta and Las Animas.
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The signal in the distance was dark for this manifest, which is creeping along at restricted speed. It may have been the 5°F weather that was contributing to signal problems. Note the coal load that is riding on the yellows of this manifest.
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After receiving a track warrant to proceed south, elephant-style GE's lead the Denver, CO to Belen, NM manifest south out of Las Animas Junction on the Boise City sub.
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A few miles south of Las Animas Junction finds this coal load charging up the 1% grade. Ever since September 3, 2003, only southbounds run on the Boise City Sub south of Las Animas Junction.
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Even though it is on the plains, there are still a fair number of rolling hills and cuts in southeastern Colorado. As a result, there are smalls trestles from time to time to handle spring time flooding!
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Welcome to southeastern Colorado! This coal load loaded at the Black Thunder Mine in the Powder River Basin. This is the way much of the landscape looks on the Boise City Subdivision between Las Animas, CO and Boise City, OK.
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This is the one horse town of Frick, CO. There is a 7,700 foot long siding here that is no longer needed for meets as only southbounds traverse these rails. Consequently, you can see a part of a string of hoppers being stored on the siding.
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At the north siding switch of South Junction, this BNSF coal load is still on the move south. The train is following a manifest, but the dispatcher is doing a great job of keeping all their warrants up to date so that no train need stop along its journey.
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I heard it rumored that there is a town named Springfield in each of the 48 continental states. In Colorado, the town of Springfield is in Baca County, the southeastern most county in the state. It has a population just under 2,000 and, based on this picture, a nice grain elevator!
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Farming in the homeland! Well, perhaps not right now...but a tractor sits in the middle of a field as a coal load heads south a few miles north of Campo, CO on the Boise City Sub.
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In a more urban area, you might expect a US highway to be grade separated with a mainline. However, in rural Baca County Colorado, traffic on US-287 comes to a stop for each southbound train to cross the highway.
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