Photo ID: 113425 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bragdon Pueblo County, CO 48 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Here at Bragdon, roughly eight miles north of Pueblo, is where the Joint Line officially comes to an end. From here, BNSF trains use BNSF track both directions and UP trains use UP tracks both directions. There are crossovers between the mains so trains can use the appropriate track. A southbound BNSF coal load comes through the OS at Bragdon as a little sun breaks through an mostly overcast afternoon. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113424 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Nixon to Bragdon Fountain, CO 47 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF After sitting for roughly an hour near the Nixon Power Plant for a crew change, BNSF 3297 has a new crew and is rolling south again on Main 1, crossing a small creek that feeds into Fountain Creek. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113423 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Nixon Fountain, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The crew that departed with this coal load south out of Denver had already been on the clock for awhile, and at this point have less than two hours to work. Concerned that the crew might not make it to Pueblo, the train has come to a stop on Main 1 near the Nixon power plant. A relief crew has been called out of Pueblo to come and board the train to take it south to La Junta. The crew on the train will get on the crew van and be taken to Trinidad, CO for rest and to wait for a northbound to take back to Denver. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113422 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Nixon Fountain, CO 51 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just north of the Hidden Valley Road grade crossing near the Nixon Power Plant, we catch a little bit of sun lighting up two fairly new ES44ACHs (or ES44AHs) on a southbound BNSF coal load. BNSF 3297 was delivered in September 2023 and BNSF 3329 was delivered in 2024. Both are Tier 4 credit units, part of a 50-unit order from GE (Wabtec). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113421 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Fountain Fountain, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Here at Fountain, south of Crews, the Santa Fe mainline once flew over the Rio Grande mainline via an artificial incline and a bridge. Rio Grande beat Santa Fe through the area, and as a result got the preferred grade and alignment between Denver and Pueblo. The tire tracks on the hill on the right used to carry the Santa Fe main up and over the Rio Grande tracks (behind the camera). That hasn't been the case in over 100 years. Now, a pair of DPUs bring up the rear of a southbound coal train on Main 1. Here at Fountain, technical ownership of Main 1 changes from Union Pacific to BNSF as trains continue south. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113420 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Fountain Fountain, CO 39 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF South of Colorado Springs, in the small town of Fountain, CO, the single track main end and two tracks continue south the rest of the way to Bragdon. A southbound coal load crosses Duckwood Road on Main 1. It was once here that the Santa Fe main crossed over the Rio Grande main prior to the Joint Line being operated as the Joint Line. You can still see evidence of the dirt embankment on either side of the tracks where the Santa Fe tracks existed over 100 years ago. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113419 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 43 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A southbound BNSF coal load rolls by the Colorado Springs depot on the main track. The Colorado Springs siding, which is almost four miles long, is on the far side of the main track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113418 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific A former Western Pacific GP40-2 (now a GP40N) is assigned the duty of Colorado Springs switcher right now. While BNSF runs the vast majority of trains on the Joint Line, Union Pacific is still responsible for switching cars in the yard and delivering and picking up cars to/from customers in the Colorado Springs area. Former Rio Grande caboose #01513, now referred to as a "shoving platform", sits with the GP40N, waiting for an assignment that would come tomorrow (Monday). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113417 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific The depot in Colorado Springs hasn't been used as a depot since the end of passenger train service for most freight railroads in 1970 and 1971. There is still a restaurant in the depot as it sits alongside a very empty yard at Colorado Springs. A single UP GP40-2 (now a GP40N after a UP rebuild) and former Rio Grande caboose sit waiting for an assignment. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113416 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 47 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF The snow looks to really be coming down hard here at Palmer Lake on the last day of November as a southbound coal load rolls away from the camera. The telephoto shot is actually making it appear to be snowing a bit harder than it actually is, but it is good to see a little precipitation coming down. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113415 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A pair of relatively new ES44ACHs (or ES44AHs) bring up the tail end of a southbound coal load on the single track main just south of Palmer Lake. This is the closest to a winter scene we've had so far in the 2025-2026 winter season. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113414 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 46 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF At the top of the Palmer Divide we find Palmer Lake at an elevation of roughly 7,200 feet above sea level. In the summer, the lake is a popular hang out for kids and family, using innertubes to play in the water. Things are significantly colder here at the end of November, the thermometer indicating 18°F (-8°C) outside. A BNSF coal load crests the top of the divide and gets ready to now head down grade to Pueblo and beyond. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113413 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 41 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Single track ahead! At Palmer Lake, two tracks come to an end and there is now a single track main for the next 32 miles. Snow is falling at a decent click here roughly 7,200 feet above sea level as a southbound coal load comes through the OS of Palmer Lake, right at MP 52. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113412 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 35 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF 3297 is looking a green signal at the "top of the hill" at Palmer Lake. A bit of snow is falling here at elevation, although nothing is really sticking to the ground. The track next to the main was often used way back in the caboose era. Heave coal trains sometimes had rear (manned) helpers cut in ahead of the caboose. The caboose would be temporarily set out in the side track so the manned helpers could run around and then attach the caboose to the back of the train. These days, of course, there is no need for such things, so the tracks has fallen into disrepair. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 113411 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, November 30, 2025 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Greenland to Palmer Lake Douglas County, CO 53 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Like the thousands of coal trains over decades before it, another southbound wraps its way through the S-curves just south of "The Sag" on Main 1 on the approach the Palmer Lake and the top of the climb. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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