Colorado Unit Coal Trains 2000-Present
Copyright 2010
Colorado Unit Coal Trains Originating at Out-of-State Mines
The table below presents a summary of mines and destinations for coal trains commonly seen passing through Colorado. It is sorted by the owner name. The railroad listed is the primary carrier while the train is in Colorado. This table does not include one-time re-routes or "test burn" trains. Almost all of the trains listed below originate at Wyoming mines; however a few originate in Utah and are noted as such.

The information presented below is based on EIA-423 and FERC-423 reports which are publicly accessible via the Energy Information Administration web site (http://www.eia.doe.gov). In cases where the Form 423 data was incomplete I have to rely upon my own sightings as well as contributions from other railfans and industry contacts.

You will notice that most power plants have multiple mine sources listed. In general, utilities buy coal from several different mines simultaneously. Coal supply contracts can change annually, so the owners listed below may not necessarily be buying coal from all the mines listed simultaneously. Since the scope of this web site goes back to the year 2000, all the source mines listed may not necessarily still be supplying the power plants listed. And it stands to say that owners listed may open new contracts with other mines currently not listed on this site as sources. Consequently, the mine source information provided below may not necessarily be accurate for the day you are reading this. That data presented below is not "official" in any way, although I will make my best effort to keep it as accurate as I can.

Email Me Last Updated: 02/21/10

Go to the Table of Colorado Unit Coal Trains Originating at Colorado Mines

Current Owner Mark(s) Former Owner(s) or Former Names Owner Type Utility Destination(s) Plant Name(s) Wyoming Mine Sources RR Notes
AmerenUE UCEX Union Electric utility N/A N/A N/A - See Notes UP Train loads at Savage, Utah and carries export coal to Mobile, Alabama.
Arizona Electric Power Cooperative AZEX, AZPX N/A utility Cochise, AZ Apache Black Thunder, Jacobs Ranch UP  
Colorado Springs Dept. of Utilities CSUX N/A utility Colorado Springs, CO Martin Drake Antelope, North Antelope UP  
Fountain, CO Ray Nixon Antelope, North Antelope UP
Entergy - Gulf States EGSX N/A utility Mossville, LA Nelson Black Thunder, Caballo, Coal Creek, Jacobs Ranch BNSF Entergy trains are usually a mixed group of EGSX/ETRX cars.
Entergy - Arkansas ETRX N/A utility Redfield, AR White Bluff Belle Ayr, Black Thunder, Caballo, Caballo Rojo, Coal Creek, Cordero, Eagle Butte, Jacobs Ranch, North Antelope BNSF Entergy trains are usually a mixed group of EGSX/ETRX cars.
General Electric Rail Services RTPX, WCSX Wheelabrator Coal Services coal supplier Texas Harrington or Tolk Black Thunder BNSF Last seen in 2002.
Georgia Power Co. HBWX, HYWX, RWSX N/A utility Juliette, GA R.W. Scherer various BNSF  
Lower Colorado River Authority FPPX, LCRX N/A utility LaGrange, TX Fayette Power Project Black Thunder, Coal Creek, Cordero Rojo, Eagle Butte, Jacobs Ranch, North Antelope BNSF  
Luminant TXUX TXU, Texas Utilities utility Fairfield, TX Big Brown Buckskin, Caballo, Caballo Rojo, Cordero, Jacobs Ranch, Rawhide BNSF  
Martin Lake, TX Martin Lake Buckskin, Jacobs Ranch, Rawhide BNSF
Monticello, TX Monticello Buckskin, Caballo, Caballo Rojo, Coal Creek, Rawhide BNSF
Mississippi Power Co. DEGX N/A utility Gulfport, MS Jack Watson N/A - See Notes UP Some DEGX trains load at Savage, Utah
Escatawpa, MS Victor Daniel Black Thunder UP
Nebraska Public Power District NPPX N/A utility Sutherland, NE Gerald Gentleman Antelope, Belle Ayr, Black Thunder, Buckskin, Caballo, Caballo Rojo, Cordero Rojo, Jacobs Ranch BNSF / NKCR  
NRG HIPX, NRGX, PNJX, TGNX, UFIX Texas GenCo, Reliant Energy, Houston Industries, Utility Fuels utility Donie, TX Limestone various BNSF  
Smithers Lake, TX W.A. Parish various BNSF  
Louisiana Big Cajun II various BNSF  
Platte River Power Authority RAWX N/A utility Wellington, CO Rawhide Antelope BNSF  
Rio Grande Chemical RGCX N/A industrial coal user Samalayuca, Mexico unknown N/A - See Notes BNSF Mine is in Utah; train travels across the Moffat Route with BNSF power.  Last seen in 2008.
Savage-Harrington Energy SDEX Swindell-Dressler Energy Supply coal supplier Amarillo, TX Harrington Antelope or North Antelope BNSF Last seen in 2003.
TUCO, Inc. AMTX, GRTX, KLLX, TLKX N/A coal supplier Amarillo, TX Harrington various BNSF The TUCO trains serve Southwest Public Service plants in Texas.
Muleshoe, TX Tolk various BNSF
Westar Energy KPLX Kansas Power & Light utility Lawrence, KS Lawrence Black Thunder, South Black Thunder BNSF Rarely seen in Colorado.
Western Fuels Association WFAX N/A coal supplier Holcomb, KS Sunflower Antelope, Black Thunder, Cordero, Caballo Rojo, Dry Fork, Jacobs Ranch BNSF Another WFAX train on the BNSF serves ARPA-Lamar station.
Western Farmers Electric Coop WFCX N/A utility Fort Towson, OK Hugo Buckskin, Eagle Butte BNSF Last seen in 2005.
Xcel Energy HHHX, NSPX, PSCX, XCLX New Century Energies, Public Service Co. of Colorado utility Denver, CO Arapahoe Antelope, Black Thunder BNSF  
Pueblo, CO Comanche Belle Ayr, Black Thunder, Eagle Butte BNSF
Brush, CO Pawnee Belle Ayr, Black Thunder, Eagle Butte BNSF


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