By the dawn's early light. Just moments after sunrise, Norfolk & Western 611, the sole survivor of the famous J-Class, makes a westbound run through the Fairview section of the Strasburg Ra... (more)

The "Movie Engine" in the spotlight. Prominently displayed to passing motorists and pedestrians in downtown Hill City, SD, Black Hills Central Locomotive #7 shines in the glow of ... (more)

Milepost 3.8: Backlight at Palmer Gulch. The 5PM trips on the Black Hills Central Railroad are an interesting challenge for photographers. The lower sun angles produce beautiful light, but... (more)

Water at Hill City. Shortly before departing for on the first trip of the day, Black Hills Central Locomotive #108 pauses at the wooden water tower in the yard at Hill City, SD. Unlike mos... (more)

Eastbound out of Hill City. Engineer Kirston Hilpert settles into the right seat of the beefy Black Hills Central Locomotive #108, as she takes the 11:30 AM edition of the "1880 Train&... (more)

Tin Mill after five. Just after 5 PM, the Black Hills Central's last passenger run of the day tops Tin Mill Hill, crossing Old Hill City Road on the east bound trip to Keystone, SD. As you... (more)

Hammering through Oblivion. The Black Hills Central Railroad's two saddle-tank, articulated, compound Mallet Locomotives combine forces in a smoky run-by for photographers as part of the li... (more)

Celebrating 65 years!. On August 20th of 2022, the Black Hills Central Railroad celebrated it's 65th anniversary as a tourist line, and did so in fine style by running a double-header, feat... (more)

Two of a kind. Two of a kind may be a common hand in poker, but it's certainly not a common hand when it comes to steam tourist railroads. Outside of the Colorado Narrow Gauge lines, it is... (more)

Milepost 9.1: Approaching Keystone. The old Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Branch line between Hill City, SD and Keystone features a number of timber trestles, many of which can be seen from ... (more)

Late afternoon departure from Hill City. In recent years, the Black Hills Central Railroad has been running a 5 PM departure during prime vacation season. They are one of the few tourist r... (more)

Toppin' Tin Mill Hill. After struggling on the 4-6% grades for about 8 minutes, the Black Hills Central Railroad's 9AM train for Keystone SD, reaches the top of Tin Mill Hill, emerging from... (more)

Power in reserve: Black Hills Central #104. Sitting outside the Hill City Shops of the Black Hills Central Railroad is yet another saddle-tank engine which has worked here for decades. Loco... (more)

The Keystone run-around. The Black Hills Central Railroad's depot at Keystone, SD is located at the bottom of a narrow, rocky canyon, which is barely wide enough for the railroad, Old Hill ... (more)

The long climb to Hill City. Working hard in reverse, Black Hills Central Locomotive #110 hauls the first westbound trip of the day from Keystone, SD to Hill City through the S-curves at ab... (more)