A pair of EMDs rattle the west switch at Etna, Nevada as they escort a West Elk Mine, Colorado to Long Beach, California coal load through Rainbow Canyon on UP's LA&SL mainline.

Upon leaving Winnemucca, westbounds on the former Fifth Subdivision of the Western Pacific enjoy a relatively level, fast run across the lonely Great Basin Desert, however at Jungo that comes to a... (more)

With the sun only a few minutes from dropping below the horizon, Amtrak's California Zephyr hurries east across the Great Basin Desert with retro phase IV colors leading the charge.

Returning from Battle Mountain, Union Pacific's 'AM' paired track local is Elko bound behind a pair of NLR rebuilds on main track 2, the former Western Pacific mainline. Here at the heart of Palis... (more)

Over 16K tons of manifest freight burdens the 5 road jacks (note the two 'swings' across the way) tasked with delivering the tonnage to Roseville on the 1% grade that will soon be achieved at Sand... (more)

The Mina Local cruises along the Truckee River on the 1902 line re-location that routed Espee's Overland Route away from Wadsworth, altering 80 miles of the original route between Vista and Brown ... (more)

Tonnage bound for California's Imperial Valley conforms to the many curves on the western slope of Beaumont Hill as it seeks to achieve the summit.

The eastbound California Zephyr drops down the eastern slope of the Sierra between Boca and Floriston with newly repainted 164 leading the charge. Trailing the road power are a pair of new Siemens... (more)

With a total snowfall of 730" recorded on Donner Pass, the winter of 2022-23 was one for the books and although the weather has finally started to warm, that much Sierra cement does not disappear ... (more)

Having just met the old '991' Z at Caliente, a westbound Union Pacific Z train slithers into the Caliente Narrows as it continues its journey towards the San Joaquin Valley.

A trio of GEs, led by 'big 6' rebuild 7049, power through the curves at Cable with an eastbound. Note the very nicely restored former Union Pacific caboose that is now on display in someone's back... (more)

Leaving Bealville and getting its first look at Clear Creek Ravine, an eastbound empty grain shuttle, led by 'goat boat' C44-9W 1115, peaks through 494' long tunnel 3.

Awaiting its turn on the single main beyond Cable, the ILBOAX holds at the Cable X-over as it meets the first of two eastbounds before the dispatcher will again have it headed west. At the time th... (more)

An unusually wet winter has brought a super-bloom of wildflowers to SoCal in the Spring of 2023 and the Mojave Desert was not exempt. Having just departed UP rails at Mojave an eastbound intermoda... (more)

Over 30000 tons worth of a double grain train meanders 'down stream' through Palisade Canyon on Central Pacific's portion of the original transcontinental railroad. The CP (SP) was later joined by... (more)