Photo ID: 108380 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 19, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Walnut Street Denver, CO 1061 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific It is pretty rare these days to catch a UP train on the Joint Line. Other than the almost-daily MNYPU and MPUNY manifest trains that run between North Yard and Pueblo, there isn't usually much Armour Yellow to be found. The MNYPU and MPUNY typically run overnight. However, I got a tip that a loaded coal train was making a daytime appearance! So, we start here at Walnut Street in Denver as the train approaches a clear signal at Walnut Street on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108064 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Highlands Ranch, CO 1046 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A pair of GEs shoves hard on the tail end of a southbound coal load on Main 1. The train is crossing over CO-85 not far south of the end of triple track at Littleton. For decades, Main 1 here had been dispatched by Rio Grande and then Union Pacific and Main 2 here had been dispatched by Santa Fe and then BNSF. That all changed 18 months ago when the railroads swapped duties. BNSF now dispatches Main 1 - which also happens to be CTC now - and UP now dispatches Main 2 - which is still operated using Track Warrants and ABS. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108063 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Highlands Ranch, CO 954 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A southbound coal train is about to hit the start of the grade on its climb to the top of Palmer Divide at Palmer Lake. Northbounds, going down hill, make the trip in about an hour. Southbound loads often can take anywhere from 1-4 hours to make the climb! The train is crossing C-470 just south of the end of triple track at Littleton. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108062 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Highlands Ranch, CO 1011 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF, Kansas City Southern The area around Santa Fe Drive (US-85) and C-470 has become quite the busy, urban scene in recent years. CDOT is working on adding a toll lane to C-470. The Joint Line - both Mains 1 and 2 - cross over C-470. An on-ramp from southbound Santa Fe to eastbound C-470 now crosses over the mains. A coal empty glides by on Main 2, approaching the CTC limits of the triple main track at Littleton. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108061 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 985 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF, Kansas City Southern Much to my delight, a Kansas City Southern ES44AC was bringing up the rear of this coal empty at Sedalia under cloudy skies. The unit was also facing the "right way" for a nice shot. Main 1 currently sits empty in the foreground, waiting for the next southbound to come grinding through south. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108060 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 840 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF If you've ever traveled on Hwy 85 around Sedalia, then you know you can pretty easily see Main 2 from the highway. However, you cannot see the rails for Main 1. That is because they are slightly lower than Main 2, hiding them from the highway. This is a location where Rio Grande and Santa Fe once crossed paths via a grade separation. Today, it is one of only two places between Littleton and Palmer Lake (the other being Big Lift) where there is a means of crossing over between the two mains. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108059 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North of Larkspur Douglas County, CO 865 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Main 2 north of Larkspur moves along the base of some lush hills, across the way from I-25 and Main 1. There is no real great way to access Main 2 from the ground, but I always though there could be a great shot of it if it could be accessed. Fortunately, modern technology finally made that possible as this elephant-style coal empty makes its way north. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108058 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 1081 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Three units bringing up the tail end of a northbound grain train on Main 2 cross over Carpenter Creek, which is actually off to the right. Carpenter Creek and East Plum Creek (to the left) join together at a fork right alongside the bridge here in Larkspur. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108057 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 875 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Main 1, crossing the old Santa Fe bridge on the south edge of Larkspur, gets a lot of attention. However, Main 2 is a bit more secluded on the eastern edge of Larkspur. It is difficult to get to on the ground, so this shot from the air offers a view of a northbound unit grain train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108056 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Spruce, CO 851 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This northbound unit grain train had something of a unique power arrangement. It was set up with three units on the head end and three DPUs on the rear. No mid-train swing helpers. It is making good speed north as a loaded coal train sits stopped, waiting patiently on Main 1 to the left. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108055 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Spruce, CO 951 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The valley leading to Palmer Lake looks fantastic and green as the end of May is approaching. Amidst the spring foliage is a southbound coal load, resting in the sag on Main 1, and a covered hopper grain train heading north on Main 2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108054 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Greenland, CO 870 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF If you are familiar with the Joint Line in Colorado, then its a good bet you'll recognize the red barn in Greenland! This view offers a slightly elevated perspective, including a southbound manifest waiting patiently at a red intermediate in the background on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108053 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland Greenland, CO 974 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 7926 leads a southbound manifest on the Main 1 of the Joint Line. The train is actually stopped at the moment, facing a red intermediate signal. There is a coal train stopped in the block ahead, giving this manifest nowhere to go. The train could proceed at restricted speed beyond the red intermediate, but it would then risk blocking the East Noe Road a few hundred feet ahead. So, here at the intermediate it shall wait. The coal train is waiting on two northbounds. The joys of having to deal with single track through Colorado Springs... Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108052 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North of Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 845 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This coal load is sitting stopped at an Approach (yellow) signal at MP 50.5 on Main 1. The dispatcher has some northbound trains aligned through the single track and on to Main 2 ahead at Palmer Lake. Coal trains will often sit at this signal when they know they cannot proceed beyond Palmer Lake. The train is straddling "the sag", which allows the traction motors on the units to cool after the long and hard climb up from Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108051 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 23, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed The Sag Spruce, CO 1046 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 9233 is making its way through "the sag" on Main 1 a few miles north of Palmer Lake. Over 100 years ago, tracks of competing railroads (Rio Grande and Santa Fe) crossed here. Specifically, Santa Fe crossed over Rio Grande. You can still clearly see the embankment from the old bridge. In World War 1, the US government took over the railroads and ordered Rio Grande and Santa Fe to connect their respective tracks and run the Joint Line as directional, with southbounds on Main 1 and northbounds on Main 2. A tradition that is largely still the case, although Main 1 now is CTC between Littleton and Palmer Lake. Main 2 still operates using Track Warrants and ABS. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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