An eastbound unit coal train was climbing Crawford Hill near Belmont, NE on Sept 11, 2000, led by SD70MACs No's. 9895 and 8827.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I had finally gotten to Crawford Hill and there was one shot I really wanted. A friend and I were perched on the hillside looking at a dead railroad, eastbou... (more)

An eastbound BNSF unit coal train grinds up Crawford Hill, west of Belmont, NE, on Sept. 10, 2000, led by SD70MACs No's. 9974 and 9411.

An eastbound BNSF unit coal train was rounding a curve east of Antioch, NE on Sept. 10, 2000, led by SD70MAC No. 9550.

An eastbound (geographical south) UP unit coal train was slowly climbing upgrade at East Coal Creek, WY on Sept. 22, 1995, led by UP C40-8 No. 9243.

An eastbound (geographical south) UP unit coal train east of Bill, WY on Sept. 21, 1995, led by CNW CW44-9 No. 8643.

An eastbound (geographical south) unit coal train was grinding up Logan Hill at Logan, WY on Sept. 21, 1995 with an assortment of motive power. A third track had been laid, but not yet ballasted.... (more)

One of the reason for the 1995 trip to the Powder River Basin was to try to get CNW power before it was patched or repainted. Thankfully, to a large degree, it worked. Most trains had CNW leader... (more)

Back in 1995, much of the track west of Reno Junction on the Orin Subdivision was still single track. Work was in progress to double track many sections, but had not been completed. Trains would... (more)

A eastbound (geographic south) UP unit coal train drops downgrade through the light snow near West Antelope, WY on Sept. 20, 1995, led by CNW C40-8 No. 8538.

Being from "back east," it took me a while to learn the extremes of western weather. One such lesson was learned in mid-September of 1995 on a trip to the Powder River Basin. I really hadn't pla... (more)

A southbound unit coal train's headend crew prepares to pick-up orders on the fly at the Wabash-GM&O Iles tower on the south side of Springfield.