On the morning of July 31, 1996, a Southern Pacific coal train climbs through the Crater Loops at Crater, Colorado on the Craig Branch. Five General Electric AC4400CWs power the train, with two on... (more)

A coal empty wraps around the spectacular double-horseshoe curve between Bond and Crater on the climb up Toponas summit en route to Craig for reloading. The usual black locomotives and black coal ... (more)

Dynamic brakes howling, four SD40T-2's keep 95 cars of Yampa basin coal from hurtling down the Toponas Summit grade, descending 2% Rock Creek Canyon above Crater, turning back on itself with a 10 ... (more)

A view of a CSUX coal empty climbing through the “double S curves” at Crater, Colorado, on the afternoon of July 30, 1996. The head end has lone SP No. 298, while the mid-train DPUs are Nos. 217 a... (more)

Three D&RGW SD40T-2's (with 5398 up front) lead a westbound through dramatic Rock Creek Canyon near Crater, Colo. on the Craig Branch on Sept. 27, 1989. Near the end of this canyon, out of sigh... (more)

Before I moved to Colorado I made yearly visits and I was fortunate one year to catch the EMD demo units testing on the Craig Branch. Seen here at Crater with the dynometer car.

At 7600 feet above sea level, this loaded coal train works thru the 2% grade at Crater Loops. This is a very cool area to watch trains. Hard to believe they built tracks thru this rugged part of t... (more)

An empty hopper train on the Craig Branch rolls throught the double S curves (Crater Loops) in route to the coalfields west of Steamboat Springs.

Coal empty traverse the horse shoe at Crater on way to Phippsburg on the former Rio Grande Craig Branch