Colorado Joint Line

The Colorado Joint Line are a pair of mainlines that run from Denver to Pueblo, owned by BNSF and Union Pacific. BNSF's line is the Pikes Peak Subdivision. UP's is the Colorado Springs Subdivision.

History
The Joint line started in 1871 by the Denver & Rio Grande to be a railroad that went from Denver to El Paso Texas to connect to Mexico's lines. The line never went that far down south, so the D&RG just ended it at Pueblo and went west through the Tennessee Pass. ATSF would then build their part of the line in 1888, directly paralleling D&RG's line. Colorado & Southern also built a line down south, next to ATSF and D&RG's lines, but was torn up in 1919, after the lack of rail traffic. Up until WW1, the two lines were competing until the United States Railroad Administration mandated that all traffic would be a joint operation.

Today, the lines are owned by both Union Pacific and BNSF.

Route Description
The line starts at Denver's Terminal, Union Station, and passes by places like Elitch Gardens, Ball Arena, and Empower Field at Mile High. The line passes by the old Burnham Yard on the Burnham Lead as it makes its way south, paralleling US 85 (Santa Fe Drive). The line passes through Sedalia and Castle Rock. In Larkspur, there is an old ATSF bridge that passes over 2 roads and East Plum Creek. Eventually, it passes through the town of Palmer Lake, a very popular railfan spot. After Palmer Lake, the line parallels Interstate 25 as it passes through Colorado Springs and Fountain. The line continues to parallel I-25 until Pueblo, where both railroads split off to their own yards.

Railroad Crossings
The crossings along the Joint Line, like the Brush Sub, are not that special, since all of them have electronic bells. There is a wayside horn at a small crossing in Castle Rock, as well as a couple gateless crossings along the line, but that's about it.

Lines along route

 * BNSF Front Range Subdivision
 * UP Greeley Subdivision
 * UP Burnham Lead
 * BNSF Kountry Line
 * BNSF Pueblo Subdivision
 * UP Tennessee Pass Subdivision
 * UP Limon Subdivsion
 * UP Moffat Tunnel Subdivision
 * BNSF Spanish Peaks Subdivision
 * UP Walsenburg Subdivision