Photo ID: 109629 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Douglas County, CO 143 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A southbound BNSF coal load slowly climbs the grade on Main 1 as a northbound military train sits stopped on Main 2. The military train departed Fort Carson a few hours earlier, and unfortunately tripped a dragging equipment detector. The conductor is currently walking the train to find the culprit. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109628 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Spruce Douglas County, CO 135 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF An ES44AC and an SD70ACe lead this coal train south on Main 1, just south of Greenland. As we get deeper in to fall and closer to winter, the landscape loses more and more color, turning to a relatively flat yellow-brown color. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109627 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Larkspur Douglas County, CO 140 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just south of Larkspur, a southbound BNSF coal load navigates the curves on Main 1 as the train continues toward Greenland, Palmer Lake, and beyond. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109626 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 136 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A trio of units serve as the rear DPU on this southbound coal load. The train is crossing over Spruce Mountain Road and West Fox Farm Road as it continues south toward Greenland. Spruce Mountain Road (on the left) is the road that will take cars further south to Palmer Lake. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109625 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, October 15, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 128 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF On the south edge of the small town of Larkspur, a southbound BNSF coal load crosses over the classic "Santa Fe" lettered bridge. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109575 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Englewood Englewood, CO 182 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific Alongside Oxford Avenue in Englewood, UP's South Local switches out a lumber yard and a recycling plant. This short track connects in with Main 1 on the Joint Line on the east side of Santa Fe Drive. The rest of the train is actually sitting on Main 1, waiting for the power to return. With the trains currently tied down on Main 3, this means BNSF's Fort Worth dispatcher only has Main 2 available for both northbound and southbound trains through the area. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109574 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Englewood Englewood, CO 150 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A northbound BNSF manifest is tied down on Main 3 at Englewood. It would seem that there was no room in the yard at Denver when the train got to this point, so it was tied down. Once room in the yard opens up, no doubt a crew will retrieve the train and bring it the rest of the way in. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109573 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Littleton, CO 149 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF BNSF's Denver to Amarillo manifest (HDENAMS) parallels US-85 and crosses over an overflow outlet for the nearby (man-made) McLellen Reservoir. Construction along US-85 is the name of the game this summer and fall! Incidentally, the lead unit, BNSF 6610, is one of the first 25 ES44C4s delivered to BNSF as part of a pilot program. The program was successful, as over 1,200 subsequent units have been delivered. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109572 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Littleton Littleton, CO 153 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF For several miles south of Denver, through Englewood and Littleton, RTD's Light Rail (D-Line) parallels the Joint Line. This stop at Mineral Avenue is the last one for Light Rail to the south. Incidentally, one this that is quite remarkable about the Joint Line between here and South Denver is the elimination of grade crossing in the past 40 years. Every single grade crossing that once existed in this five miles of track is now gone! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109571 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Littleton Littleton, CO 197 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF A BNSF manifest headed for Amarillo, TX officially starts the climb to Palmer Lake, passing through the control point at Littleton. Here, the CTC triple track ends and it is Main 1 (now CTC and under the control of BNSF) all the way to Palmer Lake. While manifest generally make better speeds than coal loads on the Joint Line, this manifest will be encountering yellow signals soon enough as it trails a coal load just a few miles ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109570 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Acequia Douglas County, CO 136 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Near the north end of the Joint Line, a southbound BNSF coal train is taking on the ruling grade for the climb to Palmer Lake. The second unit on the head end, an SD70MAC, is burping up a bit more (visible) exhaust than is normal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109569 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP 363 Castle Rock, CO 153 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF When BNSF installed CTC on Main 1 on the Joint Line a few years ago, they included two "control points" absolute signals between Sedalia and Palmer Lake. CP 363, seen here, is one of those control points. This was done so track and time could be issued to maintenance, allowing trains to still run on opposite sides of the control points. Pro Tip: How can you know this is an "absolute" signal (dispatcher controlled) and not an "intermediate" signal? The lack of milepost plates on the signal masts are dead giveaways. Intermediate signals have milepost plates, while absolute signals do not. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109568 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO 173 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) BNSF Just south of Castle Rock and we find a lot going on! As a southbound BNSF coal load approaches, it parallels the west Frontage Range road which runs alongside the (significantly busier) I-25. There is also an east Frontage Road on the opposite side of I-25. The rock which is the namesake of the city of Castle Rock stands tall in the background. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109567 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 166 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Federal Railroad Administration Two UP units lead two FRA units south toward an approach (yellow) signal. The FRA inspection train is on the heals of a BNSF coal load, so running slow is going to be the order of the day. Note the red laser from underneath the last car, indicating the FRA is actively testing the track. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 109566 Date Shot Photo By Monday, October 2, 2023 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 243 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific, Federal Railroad Administration A very short train, consisting of two cars belonging to the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration), crosses over the classic Santa Fe bridge on the south edge of Larkspur. Indeed, nearly 30 years after the end of Santa Fe, lettering and heralds for Santa Fe can still be made out, though very faded. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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