Western Railroad Discussion > Advice needed, Joint line, Littleton to Castle Rock.

My son from Chicago and me from the East Coast will be visiting my daughter who lives 12 minutes southwest of the Titan Road / Santa Fe drive intersection. Titan Road passes over both lines of the Joint Line. We will have a car. He takes movies and I usually just take notes. I will have a Colorado DeLorme and have looked at Google Earth several times. I'm a retired railroader and both of us know how to behave around a railroad and like to be 50 feet or more back from the tracks. We prefer to sit at a nice place and have the trains come to us rather than chasing around. A lot will depend on the weather and time available. We will have a scanner.

We are looking for some places where we can see both lines safely. I can see where what I think is the old Santa Fe 'Big Lift'. There is Chatfield State Park but my daughter says it cost $9 per car to get in and I don't know if they have any overlooks of the railroad. There appears to be a crossover at Sedalia, and several road crossing of both lines south of there where they are close. Anyplace OK at night?

I first visited the Joint line with friends in 1979, and then again last summer, and I know where the 'Santa Fe' bridge is, the former jumpover, and little park at Palmer Lake, but we may not want to go that far. And we have ridden the light rail and may ride again.

I also have an indication that BNSF even runs that line on Christmas Day. Thanks for your help.

Coal does have a tendency to be kept moving, even on Christmas day. But it is always a "roll of the dice" thing.

I like the bridges over the tracks at Littleton, the ones North of the RTD station. AM is best on sunny days (any time on cloudy days) from the NE corner of the twin bridges. There are some signals visible for Northbound traffic. You can even park at Mineral Station and ride RTD up to Littleton if you like that kind of thing. Or you can park by the city offices (I think) there just East of the bridges on the North side. The ATSF depot if up that road about a block. Trains will get track warrants around Walnut Street in Denver to go South.

Rob

i like greenland, just short of palmer lake, on the way down you may find other spots you like, englewood civic center is good as well

Many coal trains will stop at Big Lift for the "utility" man to check DP fuel and sometimes assist with getting a unit running somewhere along the way. A BIG help will be checking http://atcsdenver.gotdns.com/ click on Joint Line and it shows basically the same thing the dispatcher sees on his screen in Ft Worth. Simply speaking without going into much detail all green lines on screen are trains (signals) lined up by the DS, all white lines are unoccupied track, all red lines are trains. Denver to Littleton is CTC therefore showing all track occupancies (except for Hirailers) Littleton to Palmer Lake is ABS and does not show occupancy except for approach circuits. Palmer Lake to Crews is once again CTC and shows occupancy, Crews to Bragdon is ABS and Crews and beyond is CTC. On the screen Littleton to Palmer Lake is a small space but is actually nearly forty miles and there can be a half dozen trains in that stretch and not show. Lastly this screen is only a picture and needs to be refreshed to get updated.
JB

Thanks to all so far. I'm familiar with ATCS, use it every day here at home to see what is on the old B&O, and you confirm what I expected. that Littleton to Palmer Lake is ABS and several trains could be in there. In fact we saw that July a year ago. i know the southbound loaded trains creep on the westernmost track and the empty northbounds fly. I'd really like to see the carload merchandise trains, understand from Big E's last trip to there that BNSF has 4 each way but UP just two.

If the weather is good and we have a car it will be a rental and no computer access. My son, daughter and son-in law, all much more computer literate than I, may be able to get ATCS set at their house. But maybe not.

What I was really hoping to find out was a decent place to sit between Titan Road and Castle Rock at some road crossing or overlook, because we may not have many hours or want to go too far. And now the weather looks iffy for our arrival...winter storm.

I know south of Castle Rock there is a road where you can pace and parrllel loaded SB's, but NB's are across the valley and not always visible. Its a unique RR for sure.

3rdswitch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Many coal trains will stop at Big Lift for the
> "utility" man to check DP fuel and sometimes
> assist with getting a unit running somewhere along
> the way. A BIG help will be checking
> http://atcsdenver.gotdns.com/ click on Joint Line
> and it shows basically the same thing the
> dispatcher sees on his screen in Ft Worth. Simply
> speaking without going into much detail all green
> lines on screen are trains (signals) lined up by
> the DS, all white lines are unoccupied track, all
> red lines are trains. Denver to Littleton is CTC
> therefore showing all track occupancies (except
> for Hirailers) Littleton to Palmer Lake is ABS and
> does not show occupancy except for approach
> circuits. Palmer Lake to Crews is once again CTC
> and shows occupancy, Crews to Bragdon is ABS and
> Crews and beyond is CTC. On the screen Littleton
> to Palmer Lake is a small space but is actually
> nearly forty miles and there can be a half dozen
> trains in that stretch and not show. Lastly this
> screen is only a picture and needs to be refreshed
> to get updated.
> JB


On the Moffat, you only see trains moving between Plain and Denver. Can this ATCS not reach into the mountains?