BNSF 6164 leads a pair of MACs northbound with empty hoppers destined for the mines while coal loads struggle to make it up the grade in the foreground.

After waiting two hours for the 4-track main to clear of trains, I finally got an unobstructed view of DRGW 5371 hooked up to the UP Rotary Snow Plow in the Cheyenne Yard. Even after 34 years of ... (more)

BNSF 5917 slowly leads loaded coal south through Spruce. After cresting the Palmer Divide, this train's B unit malfunctioned and the crew had to stop between the switches in Monument, thus becomi... (more)

Loaded coal strains through the Greenland Open Space as it ascends the grade toward the Palmer Divide. It only takes a small hike to get this view, but Spruce Mountain is probably the best spot a... (more)

A northbound manifest runs through the Greenland Open Space behind a pair of AC-powered units.

BNSF 9242 leads southbound coal downgrade at the Air Force Academy.

An ACe and a clean MAC lead southbound coal out of Palmer Lake on an all EMD Sunday morning. A couple of years ago, catching BNSF 9242 was somewhat special because it meant you were catching the ... (more)

A manifest with a dirty H1 Dash 9 breaks up the seemingly steady flow of coal trains as it snakes south through the S-curve just south of Monument.

Coal loads trying to make up for lost time after being held up by a malfunctioning train near Stadium. BNSF 6033 leads the charge through the S-curve just south of Monument.

As loaded coal departs Palmer Lake towards Colorado Springs, a GrenadEVO and an ACe act as anchors against gravity as the train descends off of the Palmer Divide.

A pair of GEVOs holds back a full load of FPPX hoppers as they creep downgrade to wait for a traffic jam near Academy to clear up. Fortunately, I wasn't injured by any exploding turbochargers (or... (more)

An ACe and a blue CEFX leaser have this northbound coal empty zipping right along through the Greenland Open Space.

New generation coal power leans on the dynamics as it descends the grade out of Palmer Lake southbound.

A Profile of Unpatched Perfection. The classic lines of the SD40T-2 adorned in the timeless livery of the Rio Grande makes any camera's sensor happy. Retired on December 5, 2008, D... (more)

The Legend. This isn't one of those faux, Wheeling & Lake Erie ex-Rio Grande units. Nope, this is the real deal, untarnished except for the scars of time. DRGW 5371 came into existence i... (more)