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Photo ID: 114270
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 42.1 to Crossover 33.0
Campbell County, WY
34
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
It took awhile to catch up to this westbound UP coal empty. The empty train allows it to run at track speed, 50 MPH. After shooting it at MP 59.7, I could not get ahead of it until here near MP 34. Since the roads do not directly follow the tracks, it took about 25 miles to get ahead.
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Photo ID: 114269
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
MP 59.7
Campbell County, WY
29
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
UP 6930 leads a westbound (geographic northbound) Union Pacific empty on Main 2. The signal bridge in the distance is where Main 4 ends, converging with Main 3. Back to triple track as the train continues.
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Photo ID: 114268
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Converse Junction
Converse County, WY
30
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
A pair of DPUs bring up the end of a westbound BNSF coal empty on Main 3 as a single UP DPU works hard to help an eastbound train up Logan Hill on Main 1, passing by the Antelope Lead tracks.
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Photo ID: 114267
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Converse Junction
Converse County, WY
34
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
On the close track, Main 1, an eastbound UP coal train starts the main climb up Logan Hill. Over on Main 3, a westbound BNSF empty is zipping by at close to track speed (50 MPH). Finally, a loaded BNSF coal train is waiting to depart over Logan Hill. It currently does not have a crew on board, and it is sitting on the Antelope lead. Seeing meets like this are what makes the Powder River Basin quite exciting.
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Photo ID: 114266
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Converse Junction
Converse County, WY
30
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
UP 9051 is on Main 1 as it approaches Converse Junction, running by Antelope Mine, the mine that is further south (timetable east) on the Orin Sub. A loaded BNSF coal train is waiting for a recrew so it can depart as well.
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Photo ID: 114265
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Nacco Wye Junction
Converse County, WY
28
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
An SD70ACe and an AC4400CW is headed eastbound (geographic southbound) on Main 1 as it crosses over Antelope Creek at Nacco Wye Junction. The train is about to take on the climb up the 1% grade of Logan Hill.
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Photo ID: 114264
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Nacco Wye Junction to Crossover 55.2
Converse County, WY
26
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
A single DPU brings up the end of a westbound coal empty just beyond Nacco Wye Junction. This climb up the hill here is the last bit of the 20 mile stretch of four main tracks.
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Photo ID: 114263
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Nacco Wye Junction
Converse County, WY
33
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
A westbound Union Pacific coal empty crosses over Antelope Creek at Nacco Wye Junction. This particular empty is headed for the Black Thunder Mine load out, another 20 miles west (geographically north). The train just came down the west (geographic north) side of Logan Hill.
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Photo ID: 114262
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 55.8 to Crossover 49.2
Campbell County, WY
48
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
In the roughly 50 years of mining in the Powder River Basin, it is estimated that roughly 9 billion short tons of low sulfur coal has been mined and shipped. It is honestly quite impressive to see just how wide and deep the mining operation is. As a UP load passes by on Main 1, the size of just one mine (North Antelope Rochelle) really puts everything into perspective. It is estimated that another 25 billion tons of coal is "economically recoverable" in the region. Enough to last until at least another 150-200 years at current levels. Of course, as demand for coals diminishes, the exact future of Powder River Basin is not clear. Incidentally, North Antelope Rochelle Mine is considered to be the largest single coal mining operation in the world.
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Photo ID: 114261
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 55.8 to Crossover 49.2
Campbell County, WY
26
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
UP 9051 heads south (timetable east) on Main 1, just south of the South Black Thunder Mine lead. The train will likely run on Main 1 all the way to Bridger Junction, where the train will leave the Joint Line (Orin Sub) behind, and take the UP Powder River Sub to Nebraska and beyond.
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Photo ID: 114260
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 49.2 to Crossover 45.7
Campbell County, WY
33
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
BNSF 6643 passes by intermediate signals between Crossover 49.2 and Crossover 45.7, headed west (geographically north) on Main 2. The auto racks are using the Orin Sub as a shortcut to get from south to north Wyoming, likely headed for the Pacific Northwest.
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Photo ID: 114259
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 49.2 to Crossover 45.7
Campbell County, WY
35
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) BNSF
Since BNSF can access the Orin Sub from both the north and south end, they do run a handful of non-coal trains across the entire length of the Orin Sub. Case-in-point is this westbound (geographic northbound) unit auto rack train on Main 2.
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Photo ID: 114258
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 42.1
Campbell County, WY
31
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
UP 9051 has crossover from Main 3 to Main 1 and has cleared the fog. In the distance, you can just barely see the top of the Black Thunder West coal load out sticking above the fog layer.
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Photo ID: 114257
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 42.1
Campbell County, WY
26
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
UP 9051 has a green signal at the crossover at MP 42.1 and is started to accelerate amidst some morning fog that the sun is working to burn off.
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Photo ID: 114256
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, August 16, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Crossover 42.1 to Crossover 33.0
Campbell County, WY
30
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific
A UP coal load on Main 3 is creeping along next to some cars in storage on the 10,000 foot siding near Reno Junction. The train had a yellow (Approach) intermediate leading to Reno Junction. Due to the mist, the train is creeping along so the crew can stop short of the next signal, in the event it is red.
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