Photo ID: 109945 Date Shot Photo By Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Flat (7,050 ft) Grand County, CO 152 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF's westbound Denver-Provo manifest is taking the siding for a well-timed meet with an eastbound UP oil train. Indeed, the oil train has already knocked down the light at the west end of Flat. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109931 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Terrill Junction Golden, CO 106 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Golden (BNSF) BNSF I remember, as a kid, seeing SDP40s on the Beer Run that ran between Denver and Golden. Burlington Northern had six SDP40s that it inherited from Great Northern, and they seemed to spend a lot of time in Denver. Fast-forward about forty years, and an SD70ACe and an SD70MAC are the power on the train on this December afternoon, just minutes after sunset. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109930 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Terrill Junction Golden, CO 105 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Golden (BNSF) BNSF Just south of Terrill Jct, BNSF's "Beer Run" is stopped, waiting for permission to enter in to the Lower Yard at Coors. The train is stopped just north of 44th Avenue so as not to block any crossing. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109929 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Kipling Street Arvada, CO 148 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Golden (BNSF) BNSF The westbound "Beer Run" is slowly headed west on the Golden Sub on the south edge of Arvada. BNSF does quite a bit of business with customers along the line, as you can see several branches with cars on them to the right. To the left is RTD (the Regional Transportation District's) G-Line commuter rail, which was built in the corridor parallel to BNSF's Golden Sub. In the distance, you can see Arvada's classic water tower. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109928 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Prospect Jct to Fox Jct (MP 1.0 to MP 1.5) Denver, CO 126 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF's afternoon "Beer Run" is headed out of Denver, currently on UP's Main 2 between Prospect Jct and Fox Jct. The train will be on UP for just a few miles before entering the Golden Sub at C&S Junction. Only 3:30pm, yet the light feels like it is practically gone. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109927 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 31st Street Yard Denver, CO 116 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots BNSF A pair of second generation (but certain rebuilt) EMDs switch the west end of the yard at 31st Street. The power is currently the bridge that crosses over the South Platte river as it backs up with a string of double stacks. I don't think I've ever seen double stacks at 31st Street, as they are generally handled out of Rennicks Yard. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109924 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO 132 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Several years ago, UP did some preliminary work to upgrade Main 2 on the Joint Line to CTC. However, progress seemed to drop off and the track is still controlled by Track Warrants and Automatic Block Signals. If you look on the opposite side of this northbound BNSF manifest, you can see an intermediate signal. But note the signal head for southbound is point 90° to the right as it is not currently operational. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109923 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO 201 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Main 2 crosses from the east side to the west side of I-25 on the northwest side of Castle Rock. BNSF's Kansas City to Denver manifest is crossing the busiest freeway in Colorado. The auto racks on the head end of the train will be set out at Big Lift, just south of Littleton. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109922 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 194 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This manifest is headed north on Main 2 just south of Larkspur. On this particular part of the Joint Line, Main 2 is (technically) owned by UP. UP also dispatches trains on Main 2, which still uses Track Warrants and ABS (Automatic Block Signals). BNSF has upgraded Main 1, which is now CTC. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109921 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 128 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 3890, a Tier-4 compliant ET44C4, leads the northbound HKCKDEN. BNSF often refers to this as the "Kick Den", which runs between Kansas City and Denver. The train is about to wrap around Palmer Lake and move on the Main 2 for the trip to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109920 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 134 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Colorado Highway 105, runs between Palmer Lake and Monument and (more or less) parallels to the single track main. A trio of GEs lead BNSF's Kansas City to Denver manifest. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109919 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 143 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just about a half mile south of Palmer Lake, BNSF's northbound Kansas City to Denver is rolling through the S-curves on the single track main. An ET44C4 is on the point of the train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109918 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North of Monument Monument, CO 184 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Not too far north of Monument, a southbound BNSF manifest is on the move on the single track mainline. Directional running (on two tracks) ended at Palmer Lake, and it is single track running (with a few sidings) between Palmer Lake and Crews, south of Colorado Springs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109917 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Douglas County, CO 139 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just north of Palmer Lake is a location now known as "The Sag". Over 100 years ago, Santa Fe's mainline crossed over Rio Grande's mainline right here. You can clearly see the abutment from the bridge that has long since been removed. When the Joint Line was formed, the tracks of the Grande the Santa Fe were connected in places where the mainlines previously crossed each other. Here, the ownership of the track changes right here from BNSF to UP as the train moves south. Regardless of ownership, BNSF dispatches the track, which has been CTC for the past few years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109916 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 17, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Douglas County, CO 129 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A southbound BNSF manifest on Main 1 is about to pass an SD70ACe that BNSF keeps on a sub track at Spruce, just north of Palmer Lake. The unit can be used as a helper for any southbound that needs it on the climb to Palmer Lake. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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