Chicago & North Western coal trains line up at Bill, Wyoming, waiting for a call to head north to load at one of Powder River Basin’s coal mines on July, 7, 1995. During this time, almost all of C... (more)

Union Electric Company/Ameren has UCEX No. 2015 decked out in patriotic colors to honor “Ameren’s Military Veteran Employees” in its coal-hauling fleet of hoppers. On July 3, 2016, No. 2015 sits s... (more)

A pink coal hopper?
Yes, Union Electric Company/Ameren has UCEX No. 2014 painted pink to support breast cancer awareness in its coal-hauling fleet of hoppers. On July 3, 2016, “On Track... (more)

In a scene that looks dramatically different today, BN intermodal train #91 is about to duck under Hwy 59, north of Bill, WY, in the waning daylight of a beautiful May 1990 day. Trains 91/92 were ... (more)

CNW 8503 leads a loaded coal train south of Bill, WY in June of 1991.

The blue hour has descended over Logan Hill in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin on July 2, 2016. Two Union Pacific coal loads have crested the hill, with the one in the foreground about to knock down ... (more)

CNW "Wyoming Centennial Unit" 8542 crosses Lightning Creek south of Bill, WY in May of 1991.

I will never forget my first visit to the Wyoming coal fields. Getting to see the Chicago Northwestern in all it's glory was truly amazing. This image is a sight I will never forget, pulling into ... (more)

CNW 8509 lifts a loaded coal train out of the Powder River Coal Basin in May of 1991.

The DPUs of an empty Union Pacific empty coal train pass by south of Bill, Wyoming, on May 29, 2009. The head end of the train passed while the sun was right on the horizon, and by the time the re... (more)

An empty Union Pacific coal train heads for Bill, Wyoming, at the end of a beautiful day in Powder River Basin as the sun is about to set on May 29, 2009.

Passengers on the Coal Line. UP 9417 is southbound at Nacco Junction in May of 1991 with a rather large business train. This was quite an unusual departure after seeing nothing but coal trains.

Perhaps the best time to visit the Powder River Basin is dawn or dusk. Summer weather with its frequent thunder storms can create some fabulous skies. All you need is a train, and at its peak, tha... (more)