Photo ID: 102230 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 97 Douglas, WY 2261 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific A UP coal empty headed for the Jacob's Ranch Mine has a yellow signal as it proceeds north on Main Two. Note that this train can expect to meet two coal loads, one on Main One and one on Main Three (note the clear signals on the other two tracks). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102231 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 96 Douglas, WY 2471 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific An eastbound (geographically south) UP coal load on Main One meets a UP coal empty on Main Two at the intermediates at MP 96. Early morning breeze in the Powder River Basin blows loose coal dust off the top of the coal load. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102232 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 95 Bill, WY 2217 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific This UP coal empty is running on yellow signals following yet another UP coal empty. The train are trying to get into Bill for a crew change. Bill, WY is a major hub for UP in the Powder River Basin. It is a crew change point and there is a hotel and diner essentially devoted to the railroad (although open to the public too). BNSF trains, on the other hand, slip right past Bill without stopping. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102233 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 80.8 (West Bill) Bill, WY 2355 (3 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF A southbound BNSF coal load with a nice consist - a trio of ES44ACs - passes through the very long OS section of the crossovers at MP 80.8. The train has a clear signal at west bill as it heads east on Main Three. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102234 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 80 Bill, WY 1724 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific After receiving a fresh crew at Bill, this UP coal empty proceeds west on Main Two towards its destination at the North Antelope Mine, about twenty miles ahead. Just (geographically) north of Bill, the track cross underneath Highway 59, moving from the west side to the east side of the highway as the highway continues north. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102235 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 79 Bill, WY 2668 (4 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF The Powder River Basin has been expanding at a nearly exponential rate over the last twenty years. Not long ago, there were two main tracks at this location. It didn't take long for a third main track to be put in to accommodate traffic. No sooner had the third track been put it, that a fourth main track was laid down! This roughly 25-mile stretch of four main tracks is the longest such stretch of non-passenger track in the country. In this shot, a UP coal empty proceeds west in the distance on Main Two, a BNSF coal load heads east on Main Four, and a clear signal on Main Three indicates another westbound is not far away. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102236 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Converse Jct Gillette, WY 2258 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific A UP coal load just entered Main One a few miles north from the North Antelope Mine. It is not proceeding east on a clear signal as it approaching Converse Jct, the location where the Antelope Mine leads meet with the main tracks. In the distance, a maintenance vehicle drives along an access road, kicking up some dust. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102237 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Reno Jct Gillette, WY 2370 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific Reno Junction is the location of the entrance to the Black Thunder Mine along the Orin Subdivision. A new tipple is being constructed here and a major accident occurred in May 2008. A large crane working on the construction of the conveyor belt actually collapsed. Fortunately, nobody was killed, although the three main tracks were all blocked temporarily. Here, a UP coal load coming from the Caballo Mine passes the new tipple, still under construction. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102238 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 59 Bill, WY 2493 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific The mining operations in the Powder River Basin are absolutely amazing to see in person. It looks like mini Grand Canyons have been carved into the ground digging for the coal. The great thing is that there is a fairly minimal impact to the environment as everything can be restored once the coal is extracted. Here, a Jacob's Ranch Mine load passes by a crane working at the Antelope Mine, digging some more coal for loading. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102239 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 65.4 (Converse Jct) Converse County, WY 2249 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific Converse Junction is a cool place to hang out in my opinion. In addition to the four main tracks along the Orin Subdivision, there are five leads for the Antelope Mine. Two are inbound only, two are outbound only, and the center can be used for either. Here, a Jacob's Ranch Mine load proceeds east on a clear signal on Main Four while a new Antelope Mine load pulls toward the junction to wait for its turn to depart. 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 1647 (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. Photo ID: 102241 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 90 Bill, WY 2257 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF A few miles east (geographically south) of Bill, we find a BNSF coal load moving on clear signals on Main Two. A storage and maintenance facility is located here off of Main Three over to the left. Growing up in Colorado, it is somewhat unusual to be able to get a 7,000+ foot long coal train captured in a single frame! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102242 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 96 Douglas, WY 2502 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific A UP coal load coming from the Black Thunder Mine is pulling east on Main One as a BNSF coal load comes into view on Main Two about two miles off in the distance. The Powder River Basin - one of the few places where you can watch coal train drag race! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102243 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 132 Ammon, WY 2697 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Canyon (BNSF) BNSF This is a train (symbol) that I have shot many times before, although never in this location! This is BNSF's daily HLAUDEN (Laurel, MT to Denver, CO), but a bit further north than I usually see it. The train has just left the Casper Subdivision at Bridger Junction and is now on the Canyon Subdivision. BNSF is in the process of adding a second main track between Bridger Junction and Bona, a few miles south. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 102244 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 127 Glendo, WY 2242 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Canyon (BNSF) BNSF BNSF's HLAUDEN rounds through the curves around MP 127 on the Canyon Subdivision. BNSF's Front Range Dispatcher handles the Casper Sub (which this train just came from) and the Front Range Sub (which this train is headed toward). The train leaves the authority of the Front Range Dispatcher for a thirty mile stretch between Bridger Junction and Wendover when it borrows the Canyon Sub. Here, it is in CTC territory and falls under the authority of the Orin Line Dispatcher. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.