Photo ID: 103790 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 65.4 (Converse Jct) Converse County, WY 1699 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific A coal empty heads westbound (geographic northbound) through Converse Junction on Main 2 while a coal load sits on an outbound track from the North Antelope Mine. For you signals fans, it is interesting to note that the signals on Mains 2 through 4 are absolute signals while the signal on Main 1 (far left) is actually an intermediate! Note the that the yellow signal has a "G" (grade) plate as well as a number board, making it an intermediate. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103789 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 75 Bill, WY 1652 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific, BNSF This shot pretty well sums up the Powder River Basin! A coal load on Main 1 proceeds eastbound (geographic southbound) toward Bill as an empty charges westbound (geographic northbound) on Main 2 toward the North Antelope Mine. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103788 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 75 Bill, WY 2118 (2 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific A UP coal load on the newest of the four main tracks (Main 1) approaches the WY-59 underpass. Note that there is a green signal on Main 2 for a westbound (geographic northbound) which has already departed Bill. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103787 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 75 Bill, WY 2265 (3 Comments Posted) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) BNSF It is impressive watching the dispatcher organize all the trains in the Powder River Basin. During my visit, it seemed that westbound (geographic northbound) empties ran on Main 2 (second track from the right) while loads split up the other three tracks. Here, a BNSF load approaches on Main 4 and you can see a UP load approaching three miles in the distance on Main 1. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 103786 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2011 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 75 Bill, WY 1822 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Orin (BNSF) Union Pacific Just north (or, if you are looking at a timetable, west) of Bill, WY, you will find a spot where all four main tracks pass underneath WY-59. Here, an eastbound UP coal load is about to pass under WY-59 on Main 1. At Bill, the train will get a new crew. 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 2621 (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: 102241 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 90 Bill, WY 2381 (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: 102240 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bill Bill, WY 1734 (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: 102239 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 65.4 (Converse Jct) Converse County, WY 2372 (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: 102238 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 59 Bill, WY 2738 (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: 102237 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Reno Jct Gillette, WY 2518 (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: 102236 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Converse Jct Gillette, WY 2393 (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: 102235 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 79 Bill, WY 2903 (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: 102234 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 80 Bill, WY 1803 (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: 102233 Date Shot Photo By Monday, August 11, 2008 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Crossover 80.8 (West Bill) Bill, WY 2634 (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. 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