BNSF 6220 slowly crest the summit of Palmer Lake, 7,200' above sea level, as it hauls 120 loaded coal cars to the Comanche Power Plant near Pueblo, CO.

A pair of DP motors help hold back a 17,000 ton coal train as it descends down the over 1% grade of the Palmer Divide between Palmer Lake and Monument.

The once daily Clovis, NM to Denver, CO manifest train crest over the top of the Palmer Divide as the fading sun dips behind the hills of the surrounding mountain town of Palmer Lake, CO.

An empty coal train from Springerville, AZ heads back to the Antelope Mine in Wyoming's Powder River Basin as the train approaches the top of Palmer Lake.

BNSF 9215 (SD70ACe) leads a loaded coal train through the 180-degree curve at Palmer Lake, Colorado.

BNSF 9215 (SD70ACe) leads a loaded coal train past the rock formations at Palmer Lake, Colorado.

An empty coal train charges hard up the southern slope of the Palmer Divide as it approaches the 7,225' summit of Palmer Lake.

BNSF ACe 8435 rounds the corner leading to Palmer Lake as it runs south on the Joint Line along the Colorado Front Range.

On the first day of my vacation to Colorado we see southbound manifest (yes there was mixed cars on the back) throttling up as they got held up for the previous southbound at the signal. They are ... (more)

BNSF 6137 (ES44AC) leads a loaded coal through the S turns leading to Palmer Lake, Colorado.

A Donnie, TX coal load crest the 7,200' summit of the Palmer Lake as it passes Palmer Lake on a warm summer afternoon.

An empty coal train from the Sunflower Electric Power Plant in Holcomb, KS heads back to the mines of the Powder River Basin as the two SD70ACe pull the 123 car train over the 7,225' summit of Pal... (more)

Some days are better than others… With a few hours to kill before our flight, my wife and I headed south of Denver to the Larkspur/Palmer Lake area in the hopes of seeing some trains. (Well, I... (more)

A Denver-bound Santa Fe manifest skirts Palmer Lake in the Colorado town of the same name. The power consist is unusual, having three four-axle GE’s. Another notable feature is “D&RG 433”, a... (more)

Travelling between Monument and Palmer Lake, a Denver=bound Santa Fe manifest negotiates an S-curve on Colorado’s Joint Line.