Thanks Vinny. I really liked how the fog looked that morning. Though it was freezing cold and hard to see the trains until they were right on top of you. Cheers, Kevin
Norman, Palmer Lake lies at the top of the Palmer Divide between Denver and Colorado Springs. The southbound grade just before Palmer Lake is 1.4%. Southbound trains typically travel in the 20-30 mph range. Speed limit for this section of the Joint Line is 45 mph.
Great video! Such scenery and nice foreign loco catches! In the first train leading on the helper set, 5719 is an ES44AC not a SD70ACe, but this ES44AC is a preproduction unit, BNSF classes it as AC4400CW but GE classes it as ES44AC.
Yes, it really it is. It didn't look anything like snow or when frozen rain coats things in ice. When you looked up close you could tell that individual ice crystals had formed and then grown on everything. Most everything was coated with about an inch of ice.
Nice video! I thought the middle axle on the ES44C4s were powered only when the train is starting up. Also, if the raill line use to be Rio Grande how come BNSF is using it?
I'm certainly not an expert on the ES44C4s so you could be right, but it is my understanding that there are only 4 traction motors and the center axle is unpowered. The Joint Line was originally two separate lines owned by the Santa Fe and Rio Grande. During WWI the USRA mandated that the 2 lines be combined to form a single double track mainline between Pueblo and Denver. The flyovers that were present in several spots were eliminated and crossovers added in several locations. The line became known as the Joint Line and was jointly managed and operated by the Santa Fe and Rio Grande until 1989 when Rio Grande Industries bought Southern Pacific. The merged D&RGW and SP railroad kept the SP name and the line was owned/operated by Santa Fe and Southern Pacific from 1989-1995. In 1995 BNSF took over the Santa Fe portion of the line when Santa Fe merged with Burlington Northern. Then in 1996 UP bought SP and since then the Joint Line has been jointly owned and operated by the BNSF and UP. Cheers, Kevin
Yes. Most of the trains running on the Joint Line today are BNSF. But UP runs several trains daily too. Most coal trains are BNSF. The only regular UP coal train are the Colorado Department of Utilities (CSUX) trains headed to two power plants in/near Colorado Springs. If you watch the video th-cam.com/video/8ZzLt9v8zXk/w-d-xo.html you'll get a good sense of the mix of trains the run on the Joint Line. This was all filmed with 2 hours.
Not a dumb question at all. They are similar but not the same. DPUs are "helpers" in the sense that they are helping the lead units pull the train. DPU engines are not crewed and are unoccupied. They are electronically controlled by the engineer in the lead engine just like they were MUed to the lead engines as part of a consist. DPU engines remain with the train for its entire journey. Helpers are normally manned engines that drop off the train after they have helped a train over a mountain or something. They then return to help another train. Helpers have been around since the time of steam engines and while some railroad experimented with remotely controlled helpers in the past (at least 70s and 80s if not earlier) the concept of DPUs wasn't widely used until the computer controlled engines of the late 90s.
hey Kevin... great video.. love how the fog gave a beautiful back drop... thanks for sharing
vinny
Thanks Vinny. I really liked how the fog looked that morning. Though it was freezing cold and hard to see the trains until they were right on top of you. Cheers, Kevin
Norman, Palmer Lake lies at the top of the Palmer Divide between Denver and Colorado Springs. The southbound grade just before Palmer Lake is 1.4%. Southbound trains typically travel in the 20-30 mph range. Speed limit for this section of the Joint Line is 45 mph.
SWEET video..really enjoyed
Thanks
Great video! Such scenery and nice foreign loco catches! In the first train leading on the helper set, 5719 is an ES44AC not a SD70ACe, but this ES44AC is a preproduction unit, BNSF classes it as AC4400CW but GE classes it as ES44AC.
Yup, you're right. I saw that same helper set on a different train too.
Very Cool!
That vid was great, thanks.......
Thanks.
Awesome how the fog made that!
Yes, it really it is. It didn't look anything like snow or when frozen rain coats things in ice. When you looked up close you could tell that individual ice crystals had formed and then grown on everything. Most everything was coated with about an inch of ice.
Nature is amazing!
Why are the trains going so slow? nice video.
Nice video! I thought the middle axle on the ES44C4s were powered only when the train is starting up. Also, if the raill line use to be Rio Grande how come BNSF is using it?
I'm certainly not an expert on the ES44C4s so you could be right, but it is my understanding that there are only 4 traction motors and the center axle is unpowered. The Joint Line was originally two separate lines owned by the Santa Fe and Rio Grande. During WWI the USRA mandated that the 2 lines be combined to form a single double track mainline between Pueblo and Denver. The flyovers that were present in several spots were eliminated and crossovers added in several locations. The line became known as the Joint Line and was jointly managed and operated by the Santa Fe and Rio Grande until 1989 when Rio Grande Industries bought Southern Pacific. The merged D&RGW and SP railroad kept the SP name and the line was owned/operated by Santa Fe and Southern Pacific from 1989-1995. In 1995 BNSF took over the Santa Fe portion of the line when Santa Fe merged with Burlington Northern. Then in 1996 UP bought SP and since then the Joint Line has been jointly owned and operated by the BNSF and UP. Cheers, Kevin
Scale Model Trains & Colorado's Joint Line
Oh okay cool. So UP and BNSF both use this line?
Yes. Most of the trains running on the Joint Line today are BNSF. But UP runs several trains daily too. Most coal trains are BNSF. The only regular UP coal train are the Colorado Department of Utilities (CSUX) trains headed to two power plants in/near Colorado Springs. If you watch the video th-cam.com/video/8ZzLt9v8zXk/w-d-xo.html you'll get a good sense of the mix of trains the run on the Joint Line. This was all filmed with 2 hours.
Scale Model Trains & Colorado's Joint Line Cool thanks! So how many trains use this line daily?
Dumb question.
Do the DPU's function the same as helpers?
Thanks for the videos
Not a dumb question at all. They are similar but not the same. DPUs are "helpers" in the sense that they are helping the lead units pull the train. DPU engines are not crewed and are unoccupied. They are electronically controlled by the engineer in the lead engine just like they were MUed to the lead engines as part of a consist. DPU engines remain with the train for its entire journey. Helpers are normally manned engines that drop off the train after they have helped a train over a mountain or something. They then return to help another train. Helpers have been around since the time of steam engines and while some railroad experimented with remotely controlled helpers in the past (at least 70s and 80s if not earlier) the concept of DPUs wasn't widely used until the computer controlled engines of the late 90s.
It seems like the same type of operation.
They run through.
Sometimes 4 or 5 on the point and 1 to 2 in the rear.
These are LONG trains, 100 plus cars, at least.
Cool. Likely DPUs then rather than traditional helpers. Cheers, Kevin
The "helpers" we see her in Utah on UP do not have a crew; at least none that I have see as I pass the main line along I-80.
Bill, thanks for the info. Do those engines cut off the train at some point or do they just stay with the train?