Personal Projects, Photography, and Pointless Pontifications
Joint Line Tunnel Motors – April 2001
While I was hoping for a combination of good weather and Rio Grande power this weekend, I never imagined that Union Pacific would be putting five different D&RGW SD40T-2s almost right through my back yard. Saturday, March 31, 2001 brought 5413 on a northbound rock train from Pueblo to Denver, and somewhere around Castle Rock, CO, I met DRGW 5376 leading the southbound MDVPU-31. (This was a complete accident, by the way. I had no idea it was on the train, let alone on the front!). Sunday, while starting off slow, ended with an afternoon of following DRGW 5360, 5385, and 5372 (along with UP 5993) leading the southbound MDVPU-01 through lots of sunlight and warm weather. Needless to say, the weather brought out the fans, and I had the opportunity to meet several list members in the process. A very different weekend from what I’d planned, but I didn’t mind a bit!
Updated 4-Apr-2001: I’ve added yet another page, with photos taken the Wednesday following, when five tunnel motors (on two different trains!) worked south over the Joint Line. These guys are getting to be regulars again after several years with only an occassional lost one through Colo. Springs.
Updated 8-Apr-2001: After another successful day of chasing tunnel motors, I’ve decided to expand this trip report yet again to include 5413 and 5410 pulling an empty southbound rock train to Pueblo on 7-Apr-2001.
Saturday, March 31, 2001
First train of the day – UP 3676 and 3454 lead a rail train north past Kelker.
MoW equipment sitting on flatcars at Kelker, with 5046, an ex-MP SD50
First shot of DRGW 5413 on a northbound rock train, around Pinon.
One of the rock-hauling cars – shouldn’t this have had some paint by now?
UP 3151 leads 8934 and DRGW 5413 through a curve in Fountain, CO.
DRGW 5413 coming around the same curve. Wish they’d put it on the front…
After meeting a southbound BNSF coal train, 3151 accelerates out of the siding at North Colorado Springs.
Last sight of 5413 for the day – got caught in a 20 mile traffic jam on the way to Monument.
Traffic jam wasn’t all bad – delayed me enough to catch 5376 leading the MDVPU at Castle Rock
With D&RGW 5376 (recently resurrected) in the lead, MDVPU-31 hurries south to Larkspur.
I’ve never gotten this shot to work, and here’s just another failed example.
MDVPU took too long getting to Palmer – the light faded before it arrived. Instead I came up with this shot.
Sunday, April 1, 2001
SP 304 leads the first train of the day for me – a southbound loaded coal train at Greenland, CO.
DRGW 5360 leads 5385 and 5372 south of Castle Rock.
Look at that Gyralight! (Yes, gyralight. I believe the original Mars light was changed out in the 1980s.)
With the clouds not cooperating, this shot at W. Tomah Road isn’t as bright as I’d like. Still, it’s nice to see three tunnel motors coming around the corner.
Finally got that Larkspur bridge shot! Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to get higher up on the hill, but I’m pleased with the results.
Once again in the shadows, DRGW 5360 and company head towards Palmer Lake. BTW – this had to be the friendliest crew I’ve ever seen on an MDVPU. Thanks, guys!
South of Monument about to cross Baptist Road.
Back in the light, quickly setting out a few in Colorado Springs.
Passing Cimarron to get the cut far enough in front of the switch to line it for the yard tracks.
Obligatory roster shot of 5385, just so it doesn’t get left out.
Obligatory roster shot of 5372, just so it doesn’t get left out.
Yours truly in front of the motors, and accidentally giving my employer some free publicity. Need to do laundry, didn’t have much choice this morning. Thanks to Frank Keller for taking this one.
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
MDVPU-04 waits at Castle Rock for work crews to complete trackwork at Palmer Lake. There are five trains in front of it, all waiting.
Look at the gyralight on the nose! Unfortunately, it was just on solid, not rotating. At least it was on, though.
The first two T-motors, 5360 and 5385, sit in the sunlight.
Just a roster shot of 5385, for those interested.
The final tunnel motor in the lineup, 5372 brings up the rear of the power.
After the work window closed (an hour late at 1800h), BN 9621 leads the first train through – a northbound BNSF empty coal train.
Pulled up right behind a southbound BNSF coal drag, DRGW 5413 and 5410 wait for the northbound empty to clear and the dispatcher to line the Palmer switch.
My usual spot for shooting MDVPU, at the bottom of the S-curve formed when they removed the D&RGW-ATSF crossover north of Palmer Lake.
The pushers on the back of the southbound BNSF coal train head in to Palmer…
…and DRGW 5413 follows right behind, up to the southbound mainline signal at the switch.
The trailing unit on the southbound empty rock train, D&RGW 5410. Notice how clean it is – this is probably the cleanest Rio Grande I’ve seen in years.
DRGW 5413 and 5410 wait, with the rock train, for the BNSF pushers to be cut off and sent back up the line.
After a good long while, 5413 finally gets the signal and proceeds through the switch, over the summit, and down towards its destination of Pueblo.
Saturday, April 7, 2001
First photographic opportunity – the usual in Castle Rock, CO.
As it turned out, the train proved exceedingly easy to follow. There was a slow coal drag immediately in front of him, limiting his speed to between stopped and slow most of the time. Here we see it crossing a short trestle just above Tomah Road.
Passing by the KOA campground crossing, 5413 continues south (slowly) towards Larkspur. Too bad the gyralight isn’t on for one reason or another.
Coming around the corner into Larkspur…
Aside from the cell towers in the background, could one ask for a more Grande-esque scene?
The train heads up to Palmer Lake on the heels of the coal train. As it turns out, they’ll both stop short. As a note, lighting north of the Academy was pretty bad yesterday – very diffuse, very sour light.
BNSF 7265 leads a southbound grain train through Palmer. This guy was in front of the coal train, and was passing through as I arrived. Heard over the scanner that he was meeting a train at Monument.
After a very long wait, the northbound from Monument finally rolls into Palmer Lake.
The coal train in front of our rock train passes through the curve in Palmer.
Finally getting the signal, the crew of 5413 starts on to the single-track section of the Joint Line.
Over Palmer Divide and on to Colorado Springs.
I managed to catch 5413 coming down along I-25 into the Springs yard from the foot bridge over the railway and freeway. Now if they just wouldn’t have put that street light right in the shot…
Uh oh, they’re letting him pass the coal train. This is going to make for an interesting chase into Pueblo.
Don’t know what the dispatcher was thinking – the coal train pulled out of the siding and headed on south already. 5413 held at the signal for a few more minutes, and then left as well, still following.
Back on the double track at Fountain.
Southbound past a yellow at Pinon, CO, and only a few miles from Bragdon, where UP and BNSF operations tend to go separate ways.
Clearing the way for 5413 to come through Pueblo Junction, 8901 brings up the rear of coal train diverging down the eastbound leg of the wye.
Completing the day’s run, the crew will drag the cars into the yard and cut off the power.
This work is copyright 2022 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.
