A BNSF empty oil train slowly makes its way south through the desolate Colorado desert near Timpas.

After leaving La Junta, Colorado, Amtrak's "Southwest Chief", races southwest across the "Comanche National Grasslands" towards Trinadad, Colorado before traversing Raton Pass.

How would you describe the landscape of Southeastern Colorado? Well, here you go... For many miles, the rolling prairie and desolate landscape create scenes like this. From La Junta to Trinidad... (more)

Amtrak's Southwest Chief crosses the vast expanse of southeastern Colorado on its way toward famous Raton Pass.

EMD's SD70ACe-P4 demos are switched at the east end of remote Timpas siding after a day of testing with BNSF's R&D test cars. The mostly silent (except for Amtrak's SW Chief) Raton Sub provides a... (more)

BNSF's test train pulls to the stop near the west end of Timpas siding before reversing east on another data collection run on the old Santa Fe. One must respect the will of the railroad builders... (more)

BNSF's test train accelerates out of Timpas for another run along the Raton Sub, paralleling the lonely highway 350.

Clean paint glints the low Colorado sunlight well as the BNSF test train is switched in preparation for the next day's activities.

Low morning light filters over the horizon at Timpas before the test train sets out for the day. An original ATSF station sign outlives the depot, water tank, and other railroad structures at Timp... (more)

Blue signal protection is in place to allow the test crew to perform daily maintenance on the test consist.

EMDX units head for La Junta to be turned, while two GE's are left tied down with the BNSF test cars.

BNSF's test train pulls east into the siding at Timpas to clear up for the evening, it's headlight reflecting against the classic AT&SF pole line, amazingly still in use in 2013.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief flies through the vastness of southeastern Colorado on it's journey to California. While many associate the Raton Sub with semaphores and a mountain pass, the scenery bet... (more)

The vastness of the American west is apparent in this scene as BNSF's test train plies the rails of the lightly used Raton Sub as it heads east out of remote Timpas on yet another SD70ACe-P4 evalu... (more)

EMDX 1212 and the BNSF test train idle at dusk at remote Timpas, CO, shutting down after a long day of work on the lightly used Raton Sub to make way for Amtrak's eastbound Southwest Chief.