Photo ID: 105395 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Broomfield Broomfield, CO 1965 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF BNSF runs a daily manifest (each way) between Denver, CO and Laurel, MT. On this particular July afternoon, a trio of GEs leads the northbound version of the train out of the siding at Broomfield. The train has a warrant as far as MP 38, south of Longmont. Before it gets there, however, maintenance (currently on the tracks) will clear up and the train will be able to continue north toward Cheyenne (its next crew change location). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105394 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 16 Broomfield, CO 1642 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) CREX, BNSF This southbound coal empty has just crossed over what used to be Brainard Drive. the asphalt is now gone and the remnants of the road are barricaded, but the crossing is still active the train still had to use its horn at the crossing. You can see the northbound that it is meeting in the siding at Broomfield in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105393 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 16 Broomfield, CO 1727 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) CREX, BNSF There has been a bit of a downturn in rail traffic in the last couple of months, but you can definitely still find leasers around, particularly on BNSF. These interesting (not necessarily colorful, as they are mainly gray) units, leased from CitiRail, are always fun to find on a train. Not sure how much longer their lease will last! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105392 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 16 Broomfield, CO 1754 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF The southbound Valmont coal empty heads south alongside Midway Blvd on the approach to the north siding switch of Broomfield. It is a beautiful (and hot) August afternoon as Longs Peak stands tall in the distance. The Valmont train has already received a warrant from the Front Range Sub dispatcher to proceed south to Denver (after stopping to align the south siding switch at Broomfield for the main track). You might think something about this SD70MAC looks a bit strange. I thought so too. The nose looked too orange somehow. Then it hit me...the headlight is above the cab! On every BNSF SD70MAC that I remember seeing (prior to this one), the headlight is on the nose. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105391 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Broomfield Broomfield, CO 1753 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF This northbound has come to a stop at the north end of the siding of Broomfield. Soon, this will no longer be the north end of Broomfield! The track to the left leads to the Lafayette Branch. If you look closely, you'll see a new switch has been installed on the branch. The diverging route leads to the branch, and the straight route currently comes to a dead end. This will all be a part of the Broomfield siding as the siding is extended to the north. This train, the HDENLAU (Denver, CO to Laurel, MT) is waiting for the southbound Valmont coal empty. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105390 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 16 Broomfield, CO 1719 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF With the extension of the Broomfield siding to the north, Brainard Drive has been relocated about a quarter mile west. This is what is left of the original Brainard Drive grade crossing! The asphalt is gone, but the concrete crossing around the rails is still present. As are the crossing lights and gates which, incidentally, are still fully functional! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105389 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Broomfield Broomfield, CO 2124 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Within the last week or so, the new north switch of Broomfield has been installed! As you can see, the diverging route leads to nowhere right now. But the grading for the siding is nearly complete! Rumor has it that BNSF track gangs will be showing up soon to get the new siding extension built. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105388 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 22, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Broomfield (8,976ft) Broomfield, CO 1607 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Looking south along the mainline toward the south end of Broomfield, we can see the start of the construction that will take 120th Avenue underneath BNSF's Front Range Sub. Within a year or two, this shot will show the tracks going over a bridge and the road running below. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105387 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, July 22, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Broomfield (8,976ft) Broomfield, CO 1625 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Front Range (BNSF) BNSF Building a road! The city of Broomfield is in the process of connecting 120th Avenue and CO-128. Doing so means constructing an underpass beneath BNSF's Front Range Sub. In this shot, you can see that the beginning of the underpass has been dug out leading up to the tracks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105385 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce (MP 48.8) Spruce, CO 2286 (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 2131 (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 2101 (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: 105382 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 2063 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF I don't generally get the opportunity to be in Palmer Lake in the evening as I'm usually headed back home on days I chase on the Joint Line. On this particularly day, however, I was driving home from Colorado Springs after a short business trip. So, I decided to set up for a shot on the west side of Palmer Lake as this southbound BNSF manifest was coming through town. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105381 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 2334 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The top of the hill! Southbounds leaving Denver on the Joint Line have a steady climb on a grade averaging between 1% and 1.4% up to Palmer Lake at the top of the Palmer Divide. At roughly 7,300 feet above sea level, the Palmer Divide separates runoff between the Arkansas River (to the south) and the South Platte River (to the north). It is also where double track (and directional running) ends and the single track begins (when headed south). This southbound manifest is just about to hit the switch, entering the single track main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105380 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag (MP 50) Palmer Lake, CO 2007 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Hard to believe that it has now been ten years since BNSF changed its name from "Burlington Northern Santa Fe" to simply "BNSF" and introduced the "New Image" scheme. In that same time period, a new GE model caught wild fire with BNSF management. That model, seen here on the point of this southbound manifest, is the ES44C4. As of this photo, it is unique to BNSF. The center axle on both trucks is not powered, making this an A1A-A1A unit. BNSF first started testing this model toward the beginning of 2009. Six year later, they have over 1,100 on the roster! 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