Photo ID: 114293 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Bill Converse County, WY 67 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific Under partly cloudy skies, a loaded eastbound coal train is rolling along on Main 1 on the west edge of Bill. The train will not need a crew change at Bill, and will continue the remaining 40-ish miles out of the Orin Sub. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114292 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Bill Converse County, WY 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific Here at the crossover at West Bill, an eastbound UP coal load is passing through on Main 1. It is here at West Bill that Main 4 starts for the 20 mile trip over Logan Hill. You can see hoppers tied down on Main 4 in the distance, in storage. The fourth track (left side, in the foreground) is the lead to the UP holding yard at Bill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114291 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Bill to Crossover 74.0 Converse County, WY 83 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific UP 6254 passes underneath WY-59 on its way east (geographically south) on Main 1. The crew on this train was at the Travelodge in Bill, WY last night. Today, they were taken to the mine and got on this train. As a result, the train will pass right by Bill and continue out of the Basin. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114290 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Bill to Crossover 74.0 Converse County, WY 69 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific As an eastbound UP coal load approaches on Main 1, descending from Logan Hill, let's talk a bit about coal production in the Powder River Basin. UP and BNSF invested $100 million between 2006 and 2008 to add a fourth main track over Logan Hill. 2008 holds the record for high point of coal production, with roughly 496 million short tons of coal taken out of the basin. That translated to somewhere around 100 trains per 24 hours. With the reduction in demand for coal, output has steadily been decreasing. In 2024, roughly 191 million short tons were taken out. That comes out to about 36 trains per 24 hours. It is no wonder that Main 4 is now being used for storage of cars! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114217 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bill Yard Bill, WY 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific While an eastbound UP coal load waits for a rested crew in the holding yard at Bill, a westbound empty is not in need of a fresh crew. The current crew will go straight through Bill and on to the mine. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114216 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bill Yard Bill, WY 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific While the Orin Sub is jointly owned by both BNSF and Union Pacific, their operations in the sub are a bit different. UP has a small holding yard at Bill which is exclusively owned and used by Union Pacific, not BNSF. Depending on hours on the clock, some UP trains will stop at Bill for a crew change. There is a Travelodge across WY-59 from the yard that away crews use to rest. This was originally a Chicago & North Western holding yard before Union Pacific bought CNW in 1995. A southbound coal load is waiting for a rested crew in the hold yard here at Bill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114215 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 91.0 to East Bill Converse County, WY 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific A pair of GEs brings up the end of a westbound coal empty on Main 3 as a coal load heads east on Main 2. Even though the Orin Sub basically runs north/south, trains headed north run timetable west and trains headed south run timetable east. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114214 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 91.0 to East Bill Converse County, WY 92 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF When Burlington Northern first built a line into the Powder River Basin in the early 1972s, it was just a single track with some sidings. However, with coal mines rapidly expanding, BN started a second main in 1976. The line was largely two track (with single track sections in the 1980s). A third main (10 miles) was added over Logan Hill in 1986. Today, the entire 127-mile sub is (at least) triple track, as seen here with this three train meet south of Bill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114213 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 91.0 to East Bill Converse County, WY 90 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF This is what makes the Powder River Basin (Orin Sub) and amazing destination for a railfan. An eastbound BNSF coal load on Main 2 approaches the camera, moving along at the same speed as the coal load next to it on Main 1. A westbound UP coal empty zips away at close to track speed, which is 50 MPH. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114212 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 91.0 to East Bill Converse County, WY 78 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF An eastbound BNSF coal load meets a westbound UP coal empty south (timetable east) of Bill. BNSF is on Main 1 and UP is on Main 3. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114211 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, August 15, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 91.0 to East Bill Converse County, WY 68 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF An eastbound BNSF coal load is on Main 1 not too far south of Bill, WY in the Powder River Basin. A second eastbound is following on Main 2 in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108086 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, May 30, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bill Bill, WY 883 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific UP has a small yard at Bill, WY, about 45 miles north of the south end of the Powder River Basin. This is a crew change point for many UP trains on the way to or from the mine. A single UP empty awaits a recrew this morning, ready to head west to the mines. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 108084 Date Shot Photo By Friday, May 29, 2020 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Bill Bill, WY 840 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF The sun is sinking in the western sky, revealing a brilliant sunset after evening storms. A southbound BNSF train passes through the OS of the West Bill Crossover on its way south on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105573 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, August 16, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South of Bill Converse County, WY 1568 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF In addition to a staging yard for BNSF, there is a car repair facility located a few miles south of Bill, WY in the Powder River Basin. Considering how many coal cars run across the line in a 24 hour period (if you include trips to and from the mine, that number a good estimate is 18,400 cars per 24 hours!), it makes sense to have a facility onsite that can handle repairs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102240 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bill Bill, WY 1872 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF A BNSF coal load is coming down Main Two at Bill continuing its journey east out of the Powder River. On Main Four (to the left), a UP coal load is stopped at the depot in Bill waiting for a fresh crew. Maintenance is never ending along the tracks here...note the front end loader to the right moving along an access road. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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