On a dry February 24, 1986, a southbound Denver and Rio Grande Western coal train crests the grade at Palmer Lake, Colorado powered by a trio of EMD SD50s led by No. 5501, and soon, the train will... (more)

UP 6701 (AC4400CW) crosses over a stone archway as it heads into Palmer Lake, Colorado.

With just a few minutes of sunlight left, UP 6701 (AC4400CW) serpentines towards Palmer Lake, Colorado.

A pair of BNSF SD70 types drag coal loads into Castle Rock, CO in the winter season's second "big" snow event.

The stretch of track between Greenland and Palmer Lake has some of the best scenery for rail photography, including old telegraph poles that still use the glass insulators.

BNSF 1929 (SD40-2) crosses a stone archway as it heads towards Palmer Lake, Colorado.

A pair of SD40-2's pull a small freight into Palmer Lake and will head to Monument, Colorado.

The UP assembled an eclectic mix of power to pull a long line of heavy gondolas carrying scrap metal from Denver towards Colorado Springs. Included were UP 6048 (AC4400CW-CTE), UP 8386 (SD70ACe),... (more)

BNSF 1929 (SD40-2) leads a freight towards Palmer Lake, Colorado.

Mere weeks before the BNSF merger, a typical trio of matched Burlington Northern SD70MACs lead a UFIX coal train south. Trailing is a seemingly endless string of ACF Coalveyors and Berwick Bathtu... (more)

A loaded coal train traverses the Joint Line behind an appropriate pair of BNSF SD70MACs. The lead unit wears as-delivered BN "executive" paint, with a tasteful BNSF cab patch and logo on the nos... (more)

Elephant Boats

Five 3000 horsepower GE’s (C30-7’s and a U30C), all elephant-style, bring 111 cars of southbound coal into the “sag” at Palmer Lake, Colorado.

BNSF 9081 rests awaiting its call to duty in the Palmer Lake house track, while an autorack train rolls by on Main 2 on Colorado's Joint Line.

Another trainload of Powder River coal approaches Palmer Lake, Colorado. The Burlington Northern typically assigned C30-7’s, SD40-2’s, and U30C’s, and all three types are represented here.

A BNSF manifest twists its way into Palmer Lake, Colorado, hitting a patch of pure sun amongst thin clouds.