La Junta Subdivision from La Junta to Newton
The high plains of Colorado are largely arid, useful only for livestock grazing and dry farming. Further east, in western Kansas, farmers can handle both more livestock and less hardy crops, but irrigation is still required for the cropland, at least. Somewhere between the 95th and the 100th meridian, as the plains climb so slowly from the 400 ft. altitude of the Missouri River at Kansas City to the 5000 or 6000 ft. altitude at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, an isoclime is passed at which the land becomes perceptibly drier, less able to handle crops without irrigation (and better able to handle wheat rather than corn), and can handle cattle better than sheep for livestock farming. Today, this isoclime tends to mark the western boundary of widespread settlement of the plains. From eastern Colorado eastward, every town has at least one large grain silo standing next to the tracks. The appearance of these tends to differ with age (time of building), but not by location. It is the appearance of the countryside itself that shows the difference in the rainfall levels, and thus the crop and livestock types.
From Las Animas Junction (MP 533.6), the line, now Track Warrant Control (TWC) ABS, and remaining single track with speed limit 60 mph on the jointed track, continues down the Arkansas River valley, with a dirt road alongside to the south, through Intermediate Signals at Keller, where it turns east-northeast to run along the south side of the John Martin Reservoir (which required a diversion of the Santa Fe line from its previous route just north of the present line but at a lower level that is now flooded), past a dirt road grade crossing, and then turns east-southeast on an embankment alongside the reservoir past Intermediate Signals at Hilton (MP 527.4), bridging over an arm of the reservoir (which looks like a narrow canal, in April 2006), passing two sets of Intermediate Signals and turning east, across a dirt road grade crossing and past the 4,000 ft. siding on the north side at Cadda (MP 521.5). The line runs on an embankment, past Intermediate Signals, a dirt road grade crossing, more embankment and then a rock cutting, through the arid high plains with many gullies and trees only along watercourses, past a bridge over a gulley, a dirt road grade crossing with a dirt road alongside to the south, Intermediate Signals at Able (MP 516.3), a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Prowers (MP 510.4), where the line diversion for the reservoir ends, a dirt road alongside to the south, a former dirt road grade crossing (now closed), Intermediate Signals at Beta (MP 506.2), a dirt road grade crossing, the town of Lamar on both sides, three grade crossings, the Lamar depot is on the south side of the tracks, with stuffed-and-mounted ATSF 2-6-2 1819 (or 2319?) on the south side of the depot, there is a grade crossing, and the 7,500 ft. siding on the north side at Lamar (MP 502.3), where the speed limit is 55 mph for a short distance, there is a grain elevator on the north side, extra track on the north side, a grade crossing within the siding, a bridge over a stream, and a connection north across the river to Wilson Junction once left at a wye on the east side of town. US 50 is now on the south side of the line again.
There is a bridge over a stream, a detector at MP 499.0, with the speed limit back to 60 mph, a grade crossing, a bridge over an irrigation channel, a bridge over an apparent river, two grade crossings, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Clucas (MP 496.9), two dirt road grade crossings, a bridge over a river, two dirt road grade crossings, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Grote (MP 491.4), where the line curves east-southeast, US 50 alongside to the south, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Koen, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals, a grade crossing, the 4,000 ft. siding at Granada, where the town is on the south side along US 50, Intermediate Signals, a road bridge overhead (US 50) and grain elevators and spurs on the south and north sides at Barton (MP 481.5), where the line turns east-northeast to cross the Arkansas River on a deck girder bridge and resumes both its easterly course, now paralleling the river on its north side. There is a bridge over a dirt road, Intermediate Signals at Amity (MP 479.2), a dirt road grade crossing, two bridges, Intermediate Signals at MP 477.x, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, the 3,700 ft. siding at Holly (MP 474.9), where the town, with its old brick depot, is on the north side, and an elevator and spurs on the south side, and a branch that had run parallel to, but north of, the main line all the way from west of La Junta, once trailed in from the northwest, and the Colorado-Kansas border.
In Kansas, the jointed-track line crosses a bridge over drainage and turns east-southeast, with the river alongside to the south, past Intermediate Signals, two bridges over tributaries, a dirt road grade crossing, shuttle-enabled elevators and spurs on the north side and extra track on the south side at Coolidge (MP 468.8), a dirt road grade crossing, a detector at MP 466.1, a bridge over a tributary, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge overhead, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at Medway (MP 461.4), a bridge over drainage, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals, two dirt road grade crossings, a 10,000 ft. siding on the south side at Syracuse (MP 453.9), where joined track ends, maximum speeds become 79-60, and there are elevators on the south side, a grade crossing, a spur to elevators on the south side, the town to the north, a grade crossing within the siding, four dirt road grade crossings, a bridge over drainage, Mayline, a bridge over drainage, US 50 alongside to the north, and elevators and spurs on the south side at Kendall (MP 442.2).
There is a 6,850 ft. siding on the south side at Sutton (MP 437.3), a bridge over irrigation, a detector at MP 435.2, a bridge over a dirt road, open rangeland with beef cattle, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over an arroyo, and Hartland, where the line turns northeast, there is a grade crossing, the town is to the north, there is a large elevator with spurs and extra track on the south side, a grade crossing in the town that is now on both sides, grain elevators on the south side, and extra tracks on the south side at Lakin (MP 424.3), where jointed track and a 60 mph maximum passenger speed start, and there is a dirt road grade crossing. The line turns east-northeast past dry-farming fields and rangeland on the south side, a detector at MP 418.1, a dirt road grade crossing, an elevator on the north side, the 4,050 ft. siding on the north side with extra tracks on the south side at Deerfield (MP 417.0), where there is a grade crossing in the town and US 50 alongside to the south.
The line turns east-southeast past a bridge over US 50, rangeland on the south side, Intermediate Signals at MP 411.1/2, Iowa Beef Processors (a factory across the highway on the north side with lots of truck traffic but no apparent rail connection in April, 2006), extra track on the south side at Holcomb (MP 409.0), Sunflower Electric, where a spur to Sunflower Electric Power's Holcomb Station heads south, Garden City Western's yard on the north side, a power plant on the north side, former ATSF branches from Wolf and Scott City, now operated by Garden City Western (the latter as far as Shallow Water only), trail in from the north, a grade crossing, extra track on the north side, Garden City (MP 402.4), where the speed limits is 45-45 through town, the brick depot is on the north side of the line with its parking lot west of the depot, there is a 7,835 ft. siding with shuttle-enabled elevators on both the north and south sides of the line, and a grade crossing.
As the 79-60 speed limits resume, US 83 bridges overhead, there is an elevator on the north side with its own switching locomotive, extra track on the north side, Intermediate Signals at MP 398.1, a dirt road grade crossing, and a detector at MP 397.7. The line turns southeast past a facility on the south side with many trucks coming and going at MP 394, extra track and elevators on the south side and a grade crossing at Marshfield, and dry-farming fields (with irrigation circles) on both sides, and east-southeast past Intermediate Signals at Pierceville and the 7,750 ft. siding on the south at Charleston (MP 384.0), with a grade crossing within the siding and a grain elevator with a spur on the south side, southeast past a detector at MP 380.2 and Ingalls, where the town is on the south side, there is a grade crossing and an elevator on the north side with a spur trailing in, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt road alongside to the south, east past the 6,250 ft. south side siding at Cimarron (MP 371.2), where there are two grade crossings within the siding, a grain elevator on the south side, and two more grade crossings within the siding, and east-southeast past a bridge over drainage, ponds to the south, a dirt track grade crossing, a gated dirt track grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, two dirt track grade crossings, irrigated corn fields to the south, a cutting, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, corn fields to the south, a bridge over irrigation, Intermediate Signals at Howell, where US 50 is alongside to the north, a bridge over drainage, a gated dirt track grade crossing, irrigated corn fields to the south, a dirt track grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, and a detector at MP 355.4.
There are large grazing fields alongside to the south, intermingled with fields that are irrigated by large movable sprinklers (for dry farming), a grade crossing in a village, the east end of jointed track (and the 60 mph passenger speed limit at Sears (MP 354.7), where Double Track, starts (with a speed limit of 40 mph on the south track), and the line turns east, past a wye with tracks heading south across the river to CRIP Junction, to Dodge City (MP 352.5), where the speed limit is 30-20 in town, there are two grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, shuttle-enabled grain elevators to the south (Dodge City Coop Feed) with spurs from the south between them that curve east and trail in, a grade crossing, yard tracks alongside to the south west of the depot, two more grade crossings, and the large brick depot on the south side of the line.
East of the depot, there is a yard on the north side of the tracks and a ten track yard on the south side, a spur into a facility with tank cars, a road bridge overhead, and Dodge City Junction (MP 350.1), where the line turns north-northeast, and temporarily leaves the Arkansas River behind, and the speed limit rises to 75-65 on the north tracks and 40 mph on the south track. The line then turns east, past stockyards for cattle on the south side, a road alongside to the south, a spur curving away south to stockyards, and Intermediate Signals, and then northeast past a bridge over drainage, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a road alongside to the south, extra track to the south with two critters, a dirt road grade crossing, rail-served shuttle-enabled grain silos to the south, a grade crossing, and the end of Double Track and Yard Limits at Wright (MP 344.7), where the speed limit rises to 79-55, past extra track to the south, and two dirt road grade crossings.
There is a detector at MP 341.0, a dirt road grade crossing, wheat fields, a dirt road grade crossing, corn fields, wheat fields, a 7,768 ft. north side siding at Spearville (MP 336.1), with three grade crossings in town (one of which is main Street, MP 336.01), within the siding, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, four dirt road grade crossings, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, wheat fields to the south, a dirt track grade crossing, two dirt road grade crossings, and the line turns east-northeast past a dirt track grade crossing, Bellefont, a dirt road grade crossing, a 5,282 ft. north side siding at Offerle (MP 324.7), with rail-served silos to the south in the village, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Ardell, and a detector at MP 321.2.
The line jogs northeast, past an old elevator on the south side, a dirt road grade crossing, an old elevator on the south side, two dirt track grade crossings, dry fields to the south, a grade crossing, a rail-served grain elevator to the south, a road bridge overhead, three grade crossings in town, the 8,600 ft. north side siding at Kinsley (MP 316.7/302.4), with a dirt road grade crossing within the siding, where the speed limit drops to 75-55, and then 55 mph (still?) where a line to Hodges once headed south and a line to Larned once headed northeast, before 79-55 resumes, past a dirt road grade crossing.
The line crosses the Arkansas River on a deck girder bridge, heading due east, and passes a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, Intermediate Signals, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing in town, extra track to silos to the south, Lewis, a grade crossing in town, a road alongside to the south, a dirt road grade crossing, a different road alongside to the south, a grade crossing, a detector at MP 290.6, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals, two dirt road grade crossings, a 10,370 ft. south side siding at Belpre (MP 284.9), with two dirt road grade crossings, extra track to silos to the south, and a dirt road to the south, all within the siding, where a line from Trousdale to Larned once crossed at grade, two dirt road grade crossings, a paved road alongside to the south, Intermediate Signals, dour dirt road grade crossings, silos to the south, a grade crossing in Macksville, silos to the south (neither set of silos is rail-served, in 2011), two dirt road grade crossings, and a detector at MP 275.5.
There are rail-served silos to the north at Dilwyn, where the line angles east-northeast, two dirt road grade crossings, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a dirt road to the south, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, irrigated fields, a different road alongside to the south, turning away, a dirt road grade crossing, a 10,284 ft. south side siding at St. John (MP 266.0 to MP 264.0), with a dirt road grade crossing, a west-facing spur to the south, two dirt road grade crossings, and a road bridge overhead, all within the siding, a short-distance speed limit of 55 mph before 79-55 resumes, where it resumes generally easterly travel, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a dirt track grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, a road alongside to the south, two dirt road grade crossings, UP Xing (MP 257.2), with a 50 mph speed limit (still?), where a line from Larned to Turon once crossed at grade, and a brick depot to the south at Stafford.
The line passes a spur to silos to the south, a grade crossing, a 10,300 ft. north side siding at Zenith (MP 251.1),, with a dirt road grade crossing within the siding, a dirt track grade crossing, two dirt road grade crossings, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a detector at MP 247.9, a dirt track grade crossing, an angled road bridge overhead, a dirt road grade crossing, two grade crossings in Sylvia, Intermediate Signals, a road bridge overhead, a dirt road grade crossing, a road alongside to the south, two dirt road grade crossings, the west end of jointed track, where the maximum passenger speed becomes 60 mph, Plevna, a west-facing spur to silos on the south side, two dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a 10,166 ft. south side siding at Abbyville (MP 235.1), with two dirt road grade corssings in town, within the siding, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, three dirt road grade crossings, a dirt track grade crossing, a road alongside to the south, and silos on the south side, with a grade crossing, and another grade crossing.
The line turns northeast, with the UP (ex-CRI&P "Cotton Rock") alongside it to the southeast, at Partridge, past a bridge over drainage, a dirt road grade crossing, a road beyond the UP, an angled road bridge carrying US 50 overhead, a dirt road grade crossing, US 50 (divided highway) curving alongside beyond the UP, a detector at MP 225.0, a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, silos to the south (on the UP), a grade crossing, an angled dirt road grade crossing, a former detector at MP 221.4, a spur to silos to the north, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, the east end of jointed track and resumption of the 79-55 maximum speed at Whiteside, and CP 2206 (MP 220.6), where CTC starts, and bridging over the Arkansas River (for the last time), with a speed limit of 60-55, to a flat crossing with the former ATSF line to Kingman (now just a stub from the Kansas & Oklahoma) at West Hutch (MP 219.2), where the speed limit is 40 mph, and a flat crossing with the Kansas & Oklahoma (former Missouri Pacific) line between Wichita and Sterling at UP Xing (also MP 219.2).
There is a turn just south of due east at CH Junction (MP 218.3), a wye with the Kansas & Oklahoma (former Santa Fe) line northeast to Great Bend, where the speed limit is 40-30, and passes an angled grade crossing, two grade crossings, a west-facing spur to the north, a freight ramp to the south, the 29,903 ft. north side siding at Hutchinson (MP 218.0), where the speed limit is 30 mph, with, a grade crossing, a Santa Fe building to the south, a grade crossing, shuttle-enabled grain elevators, a grade crossing, an Amtrak station (platform and brick depot to the south), four grade crossings, a street alongside to the south, three grade crossings, closed silos to the south, a road bridge overhead, shuttle-enabled grain elevators in the southwest quadrant of SSW Xing (MP 216.5), with a 40 mph speed limit, where the UP (ex-CRI&P "Cotton Rock") crosses at grade, after which 79-55 mph running resumes, and more shuttle-enabled grain elevators in the southwest quadrant, with two east-facing tracks serving them.
The line and siding continue just south of due east, past a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, three extra tracks to the south, to more silos there, and a road bridge overhead, before Way (MP 214.1), where the yard and siding end, MP 212, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals, Kent, a grade crossing, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals, a road following to the south, with an angled road bridge overhead taking it to the north, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, BN Xing (MP 204.1), where the former Frisco line northwest from Wichita once crossed at grade, with a short 50 mph speed limit (still?), a dirt track grade crossing, the 10,452 ft. north side siding at Burrton (MP 203.7), with two grade crossings in town and a dirt road grade crossing within the siding, Paxton, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 199.1, a detector at MP 198.4, a dirt road grade crossing, a 6,124 ft. south side siding at Halstead (MP 194.6), with a dirt track grade crossing within the siding, an east-facing spur from industry to the south, two grade crossings in town, an east-facing spur to the south, a grade crossing, an east-facing spur to silos to the south, a through-truss bridge over a river, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals and a former detector at MP 192.0, two dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing, fields and lines of trees, a dirt road grade crossing, and a grade crossing..
Two Main Tracks, CTC, start at SC Junction (MP 190.0), where the single track BNSF line from Wichita trails in from the south and the line turns northeast, past a grade crossing, crossovers at West Sand Creek (MP 187.7), where the speed limit falls to 55-50, an eight-track yard to the south, crossovers at Sand Creek (MP 186.7), the east end of the yard at Rail Mill (MP 186.1), a grade crossing, First Street (MP 185.6), where Three Main Tracks start, and crossovers at Newton (MP 185.1), where there is a grade crossing with a divided street, an Amtrak station (platform and depot to the north), a five track yard to the south, and two grade crossings..
The 3MT reduce to single track, CTC, at UP Xing (MP 184.6), where the speed limit is 20 mph and the former MP line from El Dorado to McPherson crosses at grade, after which the speed limit rises to 79-65, past an angled grade crossing, two grade crossings angled the other way, dual road bridge overhead, a road to the south, a grade crossing, a detector at MP 180.9, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, and the 8,419 ft. south side siding at Walton (MP 178.3), with a grade crossing, a west-facing spur on the south side, two grade crossings in town, an east-facing spur to silos on the south side, and a dirt road grade crossing, all within the siding.
The line turns east past Braddock, two dirt road grade crossings, and an embankment, northeast past the 10,487 ft. north-side Peabody Siding (where the speed limit falls to 65-45), with a bridge over a stream, and a grade crossing, within the siding, a bridge over a stream and three dirt track grade crossings, UP Xing (MP 168.6), where the speed limit is 45 mph and the UP's former CRI&P line from Wichita to Herington crosses at grade, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, rail-served silos on the south side at Peabody (MP 168.3), where 79-65 running resumes, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, an angled dirt road grade crossing, three dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, and a dirt track grade crossing..
The line turns northeast through Honner, where the speed limit is briefly 70-65 before resuming 79-65, and passes a bridge over drainage, a dirt road grade crossing, a detector at MP 158.4, and a dirt road grade crossing, before reaching the 8,079 ft. north-side siding at Florence (MP 156.9), with an east-facing south-side spur and a road bridge overhead, within the siding, where lines once left south to El Dorado and northwest to Marion, amid fields and lines of trees.
The line turns east, east-northeast past Cedar Point, and northeast past the 8,583 ft. siding at Clements (MP 144.8), and Elmdale. At Neva (MP 135.8), where the speed limit is 75-65, the line turns east as the line from Jacobs trails in from the northwest, past a detector at MP 134.0, where the speed limit falls briefly from the resumed 79-65 to 70-50, the 11,762 ft. siding at Strong City (MP 131.7), where a line to Cottonwood Falls and Bazar once headed south, and Ellinor (MP 124.7), where the BNSF Freight Transcon from El Dorado and beyond trails in from the south-southwest.
On Train 3, westbound, dawn breaks in the vicinity of Dodge City, Kansas (or further west). For the traveler, this means that the break between the mid-Western farming styles seen in Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kansas, and the high plains farming styles, takes place overnight. The result is a distinctly visible change between the evening and morning scenery.