A cut of Kennecott Copper Corporation acid cars head east on a BNSF manifest freight at mile 14.5 on Union Pacific’s Moffat Tunnel Subdivision west of Leyden, Colorado, on March 10, 2013.

A Chicago & North Western coal train meets some Indiana Harbor Belt locomotives at the north end of C&NW’s Proviso Yard near Grand Avenue in Northlake on December 5, 1987.

Led by a pair of Cascade green EMD SD40-2s, Burlington Northern train 50 rolls through the curve at Naperville, Illinois, at 9:02 a.m. on April 15, 1989. A pair of long, sweeping curves through Na... (more)

Under a plethora of stars on a clear Montana night, the Northern Pacific-era cantilevered signal announces the dispatcher’s decision to route a BNSF train west on Montana Rail Link’s main line... (more)

On a pretty July 5, 2018, morning, Montana Rail Link’s MLAUMIS manifest freight climbs the last bit of grade on Winston Hill approaching Winston, Montana.

At 8:20 a.m. the morning of September 1, 2003, Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s V KCMPTL 29 blows by the mile 207.2 semaphores at Donlan, Montana. In the left seat of this former Santa Fe GP50 is... (more)

Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific locomotives are gathered at Yard Center at Dolton on December 3, 1988. MP was merged into UP on December 22, 1982, and initially it was to remain separate in nam... (more)

An eastbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight crosses Cedar Creek Trestle east od Superio, Montana, on July 3, 2001. Leading the train is recently-repainted SD60M No. 9299 (former BN “Desert... (more)

BNSF’s Sandpoint local zips through Algoma, near Sagle, Idaho, on the return trip from Sandpoint to Spokane, on February 7, 2023.

Shining in the afternoon sun
A Wisconsin Central trackmobile has tugged newly-painted boxcar No. 47675 out onto the transfer table between shop buildings at North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin,... (more)

A thin layer of water on top of the ice reflects an eastbound BNSF coal empty crossing Bridge 55 at Trout Creek, Montana, on February 6, 2023.

Burlington Northern EMD E9 No. 9903 pulls a four-car commuter train into the station stop of Highlands, Illinois, on February 9, 1991. Highlands ended up being a great place to observe BN action w... (more)

A CSX transfer freight, led by EMD GP30 No. 4219, makes its way south on the IHB/B&OCT main line through Bridgeview, Illinois, on a gray March 11, 1989.

Blue thunder
One of the visceral treats of Montana Rail Link’s route over Mullan Pass is listening to a heavy unit grain or coal train assault the hill from a location near the top of... (more)

An electrician carefully checks a circuit board from Union Pacific GE ES44AC No. 7682 on Track 5 inside the Diesel House at Union Pacific’s Burnham Shops on December 16, 2015. These former Rio G... (more)