Rail fan and fellow Railpictures.net contributor Mike Bjork stands high on top of a cut photographing a westbound Z train at a location that received 18 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours.

BNSF 5454 leads a westbound Z at the start of the long 2.2% grade over Stevens Pass. Here it is seen going over Nason Creek near Cascade Meadows.

ATCS Mon and radio conversations indicated this Z train would meet the SPOEVE at Winton, so I knew I had two trains coming through shortly. The Snow has been falling pretty good for some time now ... (more)

At "The Slot" the Empire Builder passes over Nason Creek just west of Merritt. A cold front has engulfed the NW and the air temperature on this Friday, the 13th is 18° (hard on batteries).

Shortly after meeting an eastbound freight around the corner at Merritt, Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder crosses Nason Creek and enters the narrow confines of the Slot on the 2.2% climb t... (more)

This time of year, once the sun heads south, temperatures drop and moisture-laden storms start stacking up in the mountains, the Evergreen State becomes anything but. After the first big snowfall... (more)

Two big ones dynamic down the rear of an empty coaler on Stevens Pass. The sounds of a big EMD in a canyon on the rear can be described simply as magical.

Wintertime at "The Slot." One day prior to a substantial snow storm that blanketed the entire Puget Sound, a westbound BN manifest works it's way up the eastern slope of Stevens Pass. Now I know... (more)

From rain and mud to snow in less than 30 minutes. A visit to the Slot, revealed a modest amount of snow and the need for snow shoes to reach this perch over looking the BNSF Scenic Sub.

Already running about 20 hours late out of Seattle some 100 miles away, the Builder finally makes it down the eastern slope of Stevens Pass. A daylight Amtrak during the winter is a rare find over... (more)

Rescued Train; 16 inches of snow fell in 8 hours and this eastbound stack train got into trouble on the icy rails shortly after starting down the 2.2% grade. At 5 MPH over the post speed f... (more)

With the headlight from our train illuminating his work, my conductor is sweeping the switch at East Merritt so we can line it, and continue west to Seattle.

Z train heading eastbound through Merritt with four new engines numbered in sequential.

Priority train, Bedford Park IL. to Tacoma WA., waits in the clear at Merritt as an eastbound vehicle train comes off the 2.2, and passes with dyno's whining.

Looking east at the Slot. Greg W. takes a break on the 2nd unit of a hot Z train. Hes been on the job for over 24 hours while Stevens Pass was heavily snowed on.