So that's what I-25 looks like when it's wide open! That's a rare sight in itself! You are just south of Castle Rock. This is part of the Joint Line (nothing to do with Colorado's famous plant) between Denver and Colorado Springs. This particular line has trains going south and the other line, east of I-25, carries the northbound trains. UP has the southbound track and BNSF has the northbound track as far as ownership and maintenance goes. All we have around here is UP and BNSF! I have seen the very rare CSX and NS trains, but those are usually accompanied by a UP or BNSF engine. If you really want to get the full effect of a coal train, go to the Moffat Subdivision which runs west of Denver into the mountains. For eastbound coal trains, they are actually longer than this one! There are two leader engines, two to three helper engines in the middle, and then two pusher engines at the end! Talk about some power! The disadvantage is there is less coal train traffic on the Moffat than what this line sees. Some days Amtrak runs more trains on the Moffat Sub than UP does! There are coal trains coming into Denver from Wyoming, as well as the Moffat Sub, and the cars are then distributed in the yards in downtown Denver and then sent east and south on the UP and BNSF lines.
nice stuff
Thanks, Dad!
So that's what I-25 looks like when it's wide open! That's a rare sight in itself!
You are just south of Castle Rock. This is part of the Joint Line (nothing to do with Colorado's famous plant) between Denver and Colorado Springs. This particular line has trains going south and the other line, east of I-25, carries the northbound trains. UP has the southbound track and BNSF has the northbound track as far as ownership and maintenance goes.
All we have around here is UP and BNSF! I have seen the very rare CSX and NS trains, but those are usually accompanied by a UP or BNSF engine.
If you really want to get the full effect of a coal train, go to the Moffat Subdivision which runs west of Denver into the mountains. For eastbound coal trains, they are actually longer than this one! There are two leader engines, two to three helper engines in the middle, and then two pusher engines at the end! Talk about some power! The disadvantage is there is less coal train traffic on the Moffat than what this line sees. Some days Amtrak runs more trains on the Moffat Sub than UP does!
There are coal trains coming into Denver from Wyoming, as well as the Moffat Sub, and the cars are then distributed in the yards in downtown Denver and then sent east and south on the UP and BNSF lines.