A southbound, which has been waiting in the sag north of Spruce on SP's ex-D&RGW Joint Line trackage, has just received permission to proceed towards Palmer Lake divide .

Coal loads are passing by the remnants of the old flyover and starting the snake-like descent into "the sag" just prior to the Palmer Divide on a gorgeous and unseasonably warm Colorado afternoon.

It took 33 minutes to travel all of 6.8 miles from the Santa Fe bridge in Larkspur, but this southbound loaded coal train has finally made it to the old flyover just north of the Palmer Divide.

A coal load winds its way through the S-Curves located at the "Sag" about two miles north of Palmer Lake along the Joint Line.

A southbound coal load pulls toward the top of the Palmer Divide (at Palmer Lake) on Main One while a northbound empty darts by at track speed on Main Two. An October storm brought an inch or so o... (more)

CSDU hoppers head toward the Joint Line summit at Palmer Lake. The old flyover bridge abutment from the original grade is visible off to the right of the train.

CSDPU hoppers wind gently uphill toward the summit at Palmer Lake