Photo ID: 113405 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Douglas County, CO 121 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF It has been an unusually temperate fall this year, with not appreciable snow seen through all of October and November. The first light dusting of snow came just 24 hours earlier along the Front Range. Here, on the final day of November, it is a frigid 17°F and overcast, but no real snow to be found as a southbound coal load comes through Sedalia. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113404 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Louviers to Sedalia Douglas County, CO 144 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Coal production in the United States has been on a steady decline since 2011, with a few exceptions or spikes between 2016 and 2019. Coal production in Wyoming in the Powder River Basin is no exception, with the peak production coming in 2008 when 466 million short tons were mined. By comparison, that number dropped to 191 million short tons in 2024, and is forecasted to drop even further to 185 short tons in 2025. That's rough 40% of the peak production from 2008. Despite the decrease, there are still plenty of coal trains to be found on the Joint Line, with this southbound load making a good case-in-point just north of Sedalia. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113403 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Acequia Douglas County, CO 128 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF With the implementation of the EPA Tier 4 standards in 2015, railroads have all but stopped purchasing new locomotives from EMD (Caterpillar) and GE (Wabtec). The Tier 4 locomotives available from both manufacturers are more expensive and more complicated, which has discouraged railroads from purchasing many. Most of the locomotives ordered new in the last decade have been "Tier 4 credit units". These are Tier 3 units (ES44ACs) that railroads have received from emissions credits. Both of the ES44ACHs (or ES44AHs) on this southbound coal load at Acequia are credit units, delivered in late 2023 and early 2024. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113402 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton to Acequia Littleton, CO 134 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This southbound coal load is passing over the C-470 freeway and underneath the relatively new onramp from southbound US-85 onto eastbound C-470. The train is on Main 1, owned here by Union Pacific, and dispatched by BNSF. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113401 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Hogan's Alley Denver, CO 101 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A pair of relatively new ES44ACHs lead a southbound coal load on Main 2 along Hogan's Alley (and I-25) just a few miles from downtown Denver. This is the far north end of the Joint Line with both BNSF and Union Pacific running trains here, although both mains here are owned by BNSF. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113250 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed "The Sag" Douglas County, CO 143 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF This southbound coal load is winding its way south on Main 1 through The Sag. With a telephoto lens, you can really see the winding of the track here, about two miles north of Palmer Lake. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113249 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed "The Sag" Douglas County, CO 148 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A southbound coal load winds south through the S-Curve on Main 1 at "The Sag", a few miles north of Palmer Lake. You can clearly see the bridge abutment from over a century ago when Santa Fe's mainline crossed over Rio Grande mainline. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113248 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 113 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF typically keeps a "protection" unit on the stub track off of Main 1 just north of Palmer Lake. Southbound coal load typically can just make the climb up the grade from Denver to Palmer Lake with four units. However, if one fails, a rescue unit is needed. BNSF 6035 currently has that job, sitting and waiting on the stub track if or when it is needed. A southbound coal load, with all four of its unit online, pass by on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113247 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Castle Rock, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A pair of SD70ACes bring up the tail end of a train carrying "black diamonds" (coal) on their way from Wyoming to Texas. A thin cloud layer has been hiding direct sunlight most of the morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113246 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Castle Rock, CO 142 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The classic view of a southbound as it crosses over West Fox Farm Road, East Plum Creek, and Spruce Mountain Road. The old "Santa Fe" lettering and herald are still barely visible, time definitely taking its toll. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113245 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Castle Rock to Larkspur Castle Rock, CO 136 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 6064 just passed another green intermediate as it gets close to the south end of the "Castle Rock Corridor", where Main 1 parallels I-25 for a little over eight miles south of Castle Rock. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113244 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Castle Rock to Larkspur Castle Rock, CO 161 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The Frontage Road on the west side of I-25 is currently closed due to construction of the Crystal Valley Parkway bridge, just visible in the distance. A southbound BNSF coal load rolls by the south end of the closure, which has been in place for over a year at this point. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113243 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Castle Rock to Larkspur Castle Rock, CO 121 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just south of Castle Rock, there is a bridge being built across I-25, the Frontage Roads on both sides of I-25, and Main 1. This is a continuation of the road Crystal Valley Parkway. As you can see in this picture, the bridge itself has been built. But there is still a lot of work to come as interchanges with I-25 are going to be built. The frontage road on the west side of I-25 is closed and has been completely torn up in places, but will eventually be reopened. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2027. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113242 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Acequia Douglas County, CO 108 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just south of Big Lift, a BNSF coal load is pulling up the 1.2% grade on the climb up Palmer Divide. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113241 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 19, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Acequia Douglas County, CO 124 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF An ES44AC and an SD70ACe lead a southbound loaded at the Black Thunder Mine in Wyoming in the Powder River Basin. It is likely headed to a power plant in Texas. The trees are still looking pretty good here Plum Creek south of Chatfield Reservoir. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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