Last Light on Austin With 15 minutes before the the scene descends into shadow a westbound export coal load charges the 2.2% at Austin, MT. Just above the first terrain cut above the Mull... (more)

The manned Crawford helper shoves a coal load around Breezy Point with the customary sanders open and exhaust roaring! At the turn of the century 3-4 sets of manned helpers could be seen on duty ... (more)

After running around the caboose, the helpers on a Utility Fuels (UFIX) coal train in Palmer Lake, Colorado make quick work of getting it on the train. The train is on the single-track bottleneck ... (more)

The helpers on a Utility Fuels (UFIX) coal train in Palmer Lake, Colorado have uncoupled from the train and pushed the caboose back on the main. The brakeman waits to throw the switch for the help... (more)

A Texas-bound Utility Fuels (UFIX) coal train is slowing to a halt in Palmer Lake, Colorado. After the entire train is on the single-track, the helpers will push the caboose back a few hundred yar... (more)

The helpers on a Texas-bound Utility Fuels (UFIX) coal train roll into Palmer Lake, Colorado. After the train is on the single-track, the three C30-7’s will run around the caboose to couple it t... (more)

Four Montana Rail Link EMD SD70ACe locomotives, Nos. 4304, 4307, 4306 and 4314, are mid-train manned helpers on a westbound BNSF coal train climbing Mullan Pass’ 2.2 percent grade out of Austin,... (more)

A rare sighting of "helpers" return to the Cuesta Grade on Valentines Day 2021! Since the oilcans stopped running, SLO no longer has a helper set or crew based out of the station. Two mo... (more)

This group of Utah Ry. 6 axle units, led by an Australian built SD50, is rolling east on the ex. D&RGW main line through Helper, Utah. It is headed for the Castle Valley Spur a few miles further e... (more)

Insects swirl in the last rays of the Sun as two ÖBB class 1144s as helpers and a class 1116 haul a freight train up the Semmeringbahn line in Austria. The pair of red & green dots on the right a... (more)

Perched high on the mountainside west of Horseshoe Curve, a pair of SD40E helpers shove westbound NS manifest 17G upgrade. Eastbound intermodal 16N passes as it descends toward Altoona, Pennsylvan... (more)

Crawford Hill is located on BNSF Butte Subdivision between Edgemont, SD, and Alliance, NE. East of Crawford the railroad has to climb 821 feet on average grade over 1.55% over the Pine Ridge escar... (more)

Better Than Steam

The older residents of Altoona no doubt remember when steam ruled the rails, and the air was constantly filled with coal smoke, and a bitter taste filled their mo... (more)

Busy afternoon on Mullan
Three trains negotiate Montana Rail Link’s Mullan Pass west of Helena, Montana, on the afternoon of June 25, 2020. In the background going downgrade at Austin... (more)

Two Montana Rail Link helper sets combined for the trip down Mullan Pass pass through Iron Ridge and the original tunnel/alignment. The helpers would end up going to Helena and calling it a day by... (more)