Photo ID: 103823 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 24, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 88.6 Bill, WY 1321 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF The entire Orin Sub runs under CTC, so there is no "right hand rule". The dispatcher can run trains on whichever track he or she sees fit. In this particular case, this load is heading east (geographic south) on Main 1 as an empty approaches on Main 3. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103822 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 24, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 88.6 Bill, WY 1370 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF I thought there was going to be a race between this load and a UP load a bit earlier. However, a track inspector on Main 2 precluded that possibility. This load had to hold at East Bill to crossover from Main 2 to Main 1 after the UP load was far enough ahead. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103821 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 24, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 88.6 Bill, WY 1456 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific In the distance, a UP coal empty is about to crossover from Main 3 to Main 2 at East Bill. In the foreground, a UP coal load with a fresh crew leaves Bill in the background on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103820 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, July 24, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 88.6 Bill, WY 1554 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Chicago North Western, Union Pacific Burlington Northern built the south end of the Orin Sub in the late 1970's, completing the connection with the north end in 1979. Chicago North Western was interested in helping finance the operation, but didn't have the money (Union Pacific would end up helping instead). Interesting now to see a (patched) CNW AC4400CW leading a westbound (geographic northbound) coal empty on Main 3 some 32 years later. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103819 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 91.0 (Crossover 91) Converse County, WY 2516 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific, BNSF The Powder River Basin never sleeps! Looks like the dispatcher is getting setup for a race between a pair of eastbounds (geographic southbounds). Clear signals have been setup on Mains 1 and 3 for a pair of trains just leaving Bill when this shot was taken. What's more, a westbound (geographic northbound) was also approaching on Main 2 a few miles away too. The shot is a bit grainy because I had my ISO set to 3200. I wanted to capture the stars while keeping a relatively short exposure (45 seconds). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103818 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 75 Bill, WY 2523 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF Just because the sun has set does not mean you can't still get some great train shots! My dad and I set out to find some night shots on Saturday around 10:30pm. This shot was taken near the WY-59 overpass (geographically north of Bill a couple miles). This was a duration of 30 minutes and there were two westbounds (geographic northbounds) that passed by during that period, separated by about 12 minutes. I was glad there wasn't an eastbound (geographic southbound) during that stretch as it would have really washed out the shot! The lights in the distance are coming from the Antelope and North Antelope Rochelle mines. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103817 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 49.2 (Crossover 49.2) Campbell County, WY 1591 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF A empty ballast train (with a uniform consist of "Herzog" ballast cars) heads west (geographic north) through the Powder River Basin on Main 2. DC units are pretty rare in the PRB these days, but the specific units on this train made this a really cool catch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103816 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 49.2 (Crossover 49.2) Campbell County, WY 2021 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF I felt pretty lucky to catch this westbound (geographic northbound) with my dad. Not only is this a non-coal train on the Orin Sub, but it is being led by a Warbonnet SD75M and a Norfolk Southern C44-9W! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103815 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South Black Thunder Mine Campbell County, WY 1752 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF About a half mile away from the tracks at Crossover 49.2 there stands a "distant" signal (note the "D" plate). The lead to the South Black Thunder Mine is unsignaled, which is exactly why this distant signal exists. Distant signals are used to inform train crews in unsignaled territory that they are approaching a signal. While the signal does not give in occupancy information (it will remain yellow after the train passes), the yellow signals tells the crew they have a red at the entrance to the Main. If the crew had a more favorable signal at the main, the distant signal would have been more favorable as well. Distant signals do not typically display a red as they do not grant authority for a movement. They are for information purposes only. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103814 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South Black Thunder Mine Campbell County, WY 1481 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF The lead to the South Black Thunder Mine crosses through a pipe tunnel so the tracks can pass underneath Mackey Road. Here, a BNSF coal load is headed for the mainline at Crossover 49.2. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103813 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South Black Thunder Mine Campbell County, WY 1465 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF Train in a pipe!? Yep! Up in the Powder River Basin, there are a couple of spots where, instead of spending the money to build a bridge for a road over the track, a pipe has been built around the tracks and then buried in a fill for the road. Such is the case here as an ES44AC peaks out the west "portal" of the pipe tunnel. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103812 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed South Black Thunder Mine Campbell County, WY 1496 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF This BNSF coal train just loaded at the South Black Thunder mine. It is now headed down the lead to the mine toward the junction with the PRB. The sun is getting pretty low in the western sky! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103811 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 42.6 (Reno Jct) Campbell County, WY 1512 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific Having just loaded at the Black Thunder West loadout (just off the shot to the left), the loose coal dust on top of the bathtub gondolas is blowing off as the train picks up some speed at Reno Junction. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103810 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 39.6 (Thunder Jct West) Campbell County, WY 1473 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific After loading at the new Black Thunder West Mine, this eastbound (geographic southbound) UP coal load has entered Main 3 at Thunder Junction West. Note that there are clear signals on Mains 1 and 2 in preparation of some westbounds (geographic northbounds) that are further down the line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103809 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 42.6 (Reno Jct) Campbell County, WY 1497 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific At Reno Junction, this empty has a clear signal to continue on the lead for the five miles out to the Black Thunder Mine. I could spend an entire day just at Reno Junction watching the trains passing by. Black Thunder is definitely one of the major mines along the line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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