Photo ID: 111460 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 412 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific UP 2692 and train roll by the old Colorado Springs depot. No passenger trains have used this depot in decades, but the structure still stand and now, among other things, is home to Brakeman's Smashed Burger Bar. There is a push in the Colorado government to add rail along the Front Range between Fort Collins, CO and Pueblo, CO. Perhaps, one day, passengers will again use this depot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111459 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek Canyon (MP 22.8 to MP 23.4) Colorado Springs, CO 370 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 2692 is headed south in the siding at Colorado Springs. The siding is a massive 20,286 feet long, nearly four miles. In fact there are two crossovers in the siding. One at Bijou (see in the distance, here), and one at Cimarron. This allows for multiple trains to use the siding simultaneously. There is roughly two miles of siding north of Bijou. Cimarron, on the other had, is less than a mile from the south end of the siding. This UP manifest will be dropping off three cars in the yard here in Colorado Springs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111458 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 580 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific, Rio Grande It is only a little past 2pm, yet it feels as though we are only minutes away from sunset, even though sunset is still several hours off. The short days of December along with the high Colorado Rockies to the west result in very short days. Basking in the afternoon sunlight is the UP Colorado Springs yard job, sitting just north of the Colorado Springs depot. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111457 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 497 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Rio Grande, Union Pacific A former Rio Grande caboose sits in the Colorado Springs yard, awaiting the next yard job and/or local assignment. I refer to this as a "former" caboose because it is now referred to on the railroad as a "shoving platform". The doors have been bolted and all the windows inside have been blacked out. Crews are not allowed inside. It is strictly used as a place for brakemen to ride when making switches moves so they do not have to hang off the sides of freight cars. This shoving platform has been assigned to Colorado Springs for over a decade. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111456 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 388 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific BNSF by far runs the most trains over the Joint Line. Indeed, BNSF dispatches the single track mainline through Colorado Springs. However, the track is actually owned by Union Pacific. And UP handles the local switching of industries out of the yard in Colorado Springs. For decades, UP has consistently kept a single geep in the yard for switching. More often than not, it seems that unit has been of Rio Grande heritage! This day is no exception as UP 1359, formerly DRGW 3118, is sitting and idling in the yard. There are no yard jobs or locals on the weekends. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111454 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 402 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific A trio of GEs has the duty of handling UP's MNYPU this afternoon as the train rounds Palmer Lake on the single track at the top of the Palmer Divide. This train is almost always a "night owl", running over the Joint Line in the dark. It was a rare opportunity to be able to get shots of a UP manifest on the Joint Line in daylight! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111453 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Palmer Lake Palmer Lake, CO 541 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific UP 2692 and train have reach "the top of the hill". Palmer Lake marks the top of the Palmer Divide for trains at an elevation of 7,297 feet (2,224 meters) above sea level. This southbound has left directional running and two mains behind in favor of the single mainline that runs between Palmer Lake and Crews through Colorado Springs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111452 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Larkspur Larkspur, CO 439 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific UP's MNYPU manifest crosses over the classic Santa Fe bridge. The bridge takes the tracks over West Fox Farm Road, East Plum Creek, and Spruce Mountain Road. When Rio Grande and Santa Fe were competing to build lines between Denver and Pueblo, Rio Grande started first and, as a result, got the "more friendly" alignment. Here, Main 1 (the modern southbound main) was the original Santa Fe grade. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111451 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 370 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific At Sedalia, both Main 1 and Main 2 run more east/west than they do north/south. Here, heading almost due east, this southbound UP manifest is moving along at roughly 35 MPH, trying to get to Pueblo as soon as it can! The crew, fortunately, is on duty until 7pm, so there should be plenty of time to make the trip. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111450 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Sedalia Sedalia, CO 368 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific UP's daily North Yard, CO to Pueblo, CO manifest is southbound on Main 1, just north of Sedalia. The train, which usually heads south overnight, made a rare daylight appearance on the Joint Line today. A broken rail south of Littleton further delayed the train, but it is now making track speed! The three lumber cars you see in the train are going to be set out in the yard at Colorado Springs to be delivered by a yard job to a local company. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111445 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Hogan's Alley Denver, CO 430 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific UP's daily MNYPU typically runs over the Joint Line at night, making it extremely hard to catch any UP action on the Joint Line in daylight. For whatever reason, the train was not called until 7am on this Sunday, so the train is rolling south on Main 1 along Hogan's Alley. Unfortunately, a broken rail south of Littleton on Main 1 has all traffic stopped, and the train will hold here on Main 1 for an hour or so until the rail can be repaired. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111444 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS000 (Prospect Junction) Denver, CO 309 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific At Prospect Jct, a southbound UP manifest is on Main 1, heading south toward the Joint Line. Meanwhile, a UP yard transfer heading for BNSF's 31st Street Yard has left Main 2 (and left CTC limits) as it heads toward the BNSF to deliver two units and a nearly a mile of cars. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111443 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed 20th Street Denver, CO 343 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific After sitting still at Prospect Jct for nearly 90 minutes, this UP manifest is finally on the move southbound. A broken rail south of Littleton on Main 1 has all southbound trains stopped. This train, the MNYPU, typically runs on the Joint Line overnight in the dark, so catching it in daylight is a rare opportunity. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111440 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS000 (Prospect Junction) Denver, CO 370 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Here we are at milepost 0 here at CP DS000 (Prospect Jct). Mileposts start counting up on the Moffat Tunnel Sub (the way the camera is looking). Mileposts also start counting up south on the Joint line (behind the camera). UP's MNYPU is currently stopped on Main 1 just north of the signal protecting Prospect Jct. You can clearly still see the switch is bent toward Main 2 on the empty track. The westbound Zephyr came through here about 25 minutes earlier. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111438 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, December 15, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed North Yard Denver, CO 313 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Montana Rail Link, Union Pacific A pair of UP units back down the inbound lead at the south end of North Yard with a BNSF ES44AC and an MRL SD70ACe. This is part of a yard transfer that will move a block of cars from UP over to BNSF to facilitate customer needs. The BNSF and MRL units are being returned to BNSF after some power sharing on UP. The train on the outbound lead on the next track over is UP's daily MNYPU, which runs from North Yard to Pueblo, CO. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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