Today's Train of Thought- Joint (Line) Endeavor, February 18

Today's Train of Thought takes us to the foot of the Rockies on Colorado's Joint Line. Construction on the Rio Grande line south of Denver started in 1870- the line was origianlly supposed to go as far south at El Paso, TX where it would link up with a sister railroad in Mexico and on to the Pacific coast from there. While towns such as Pueblo and Colorado Springs sprung up along the Rio Grande line south of Denver, they reached a huge imapsse at Raton Pass near the New Mexico-Colorado state line.

However, the topography wasn't what proved to be so costly for Rio Grande. By 1878, the Rio Grande and archrival Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe became embroiled in what was known as the Railroad Wars over the both the southern route and construction of newer routes to tap the mineral-rich boomtowns of the Rockies. In February 1878, the Santa Fe hired a number of local gunfighters and the financially strapped Rio Grande was forced to cede Raton Pass and points south without even firing a shot.

The following year, a silver strike up in Leadville, CO sparked the renewal of the Railroad Wars between Santa Fe and Rio Grande. This time, the silver veins in Leadville were the prize and Santa Fe hired infamous Old West gunslingers like Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday to try and secure the pivotal route through the Royal Gorge. However, Rio Grande had secured the support of local sheriffs and an injuction from the fourth judicial circuit court and the Royal Gorge route went to Rio Grande by 1880.

The history of the Joint Line between Pueblo and Denver was far less acrimonious and provided both the Santa Fe an outlet to Denver from it's transcontinental route while giving the Rio Grande access to other class 1 railroads such as Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, Colorado & Southern.

Besides being a pivotal bridge route, the line gained increasing importance with increased mining of low-sulphur coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and unit coal trains to power plants throughout Texas and the Midwest.

Since the 1990s mergers that put Rio Grande under Union Pacific control and saw Burlington Northern combine with the Santa Fe, BNSF still handles the local freight on most parts of the Joint Line.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Joe Blackwell caught rebuilt BNSF SD40-2R #1572 leading the southbound Pike's Peak local at Larkspur, CO. The lead unti actually started out life as a Santa Fe SD45-2, but was recently rebuilt, renumbered and repainted by BNSF. The new paint scheme stands out in stark contrast to the crisp white landscape and blue skies on this sunny February 2012 day.