Thursday Proto Photo, Jun 18/24

[Lenny53]

Toronto, ON Jul 2,2024

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[wm3798]

Warbonnets

Feb 15, 2015, San Diego CA

[wcfn100]

Jason

[ednadolski]

Toronto, ON Jul 2,2024

(Attachment Link)

That pic almost looks like a model.

Ed

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Jason

Hey, I know that spot!!

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/857957/

One of my superpowers seems to be figuring out where photos are. I'm pretty good at it in the Conrail area, but now somehow I've gotten some Colorado capabilities too. lol.

I had THOUGHT they had set that unit out as a bad order unit, but seeing a different engine parked there made me think that maybe there's something else going on. What is BNSF doing leaving engines there habitually?

[Dave V]

Jason

Ah, Palmer Lake... Love that spot.

[wcfn100]

What is BNSF doing leaving engines there habitually?

That location is formally known as Spruce. Palmer Lake is the highest point on the Joint Line and that’s a helper pocket. There’s another one in Castle Rock and sometimes they’ll get helpers out of Big Lift just south of Denver. It seems most trains have enough power out of Denver not to need them but we’ve seen helpers cut at Palmer from CP grain trains.

Jason

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That location is formally known as Spruce. Palmer Lake is the highest point on the Joint Line and that’s a helper pocket. There’s another one in Castle Rock and sometimes they’ll get helpers out of Big Lift just south of Denver. It seems most trains have enough power out of Denver not to need them but we’ve seen helpers cut at Palmer from CP grain trains.

Jason

Interesting. So I'm guessing that's just where they park and collect them after they cut off, right?

[wcfn100]

Interesting. So I'm guessing that's just where they park and collect them after they cut off, right?

I’ve never seen the full operation but it seems that helpers are put on much earlier than Spruce.  I would assume that locomotive would be in case of a stall on the hill.

As a side, the new ET44s seem to be having issues pulling coal over Palmer having busted coupler issues.

Jason

[wm3798]

Old war horses.  Winchester, VA 7/19/2024

[mu26aeh]

CSX 4319 originally built as Reading 3419, GP39-2

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=501048