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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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MP 60
Campbell County, CO
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830
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF
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This eastbound (geographically southbound) BNSF coal train on Main 3 is just five minutes behind a loaded UP coal train on Main 1. The trains are "racing" east over Logan Hill on their respective ways south out of the Powder River Basin. The dispatcher has informed both trains that they are the only trains heading up Logan Hill on their respective tracks, so they should not have to worry about slowing or coming to a stop on the grade.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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799
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF, Union Pacific
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The infrastructure required to keep trains running in the Powder River Basin is impressive to say the least! In this shot, you can clearly see three sets of signals, four tracks all with concrete ties and welded rail, six turnouts, and 12 propane tanks to fuel the switch heaters for the six turnouts in the brutal winters. At the moment, the signal on the Black Thunder Lead shows a diverging clear for a load coming out of the mine, and a clear signal on Main 3 indicates another eastbound is heading this way too.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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1142
(1 Comment Posted)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF
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The West Black Thunder loadout was built a little over ten years ago, and the sheer scale of the loadout is very impressive. A conveyor belt system bring coal from the actual mine, several miles to the east. The conveyor belt rises up and over the triple track main and into the massive concrete tipple. In this shot, a train loads underneath said tipple, while two SD70ACes bring up the tail end of a westbound empty on Main 2.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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905
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF
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From a slightly elevated perspective, you can see quite a ways south down the Powder River Basin at Reno Jct as a westbound (geographically north) BNSF empty glides through Reno Jct on Main 2.
On a rather interesting side note, I happened to shoot this exact same coal train (same power, same cars) a week earlier on the Joint Line in Colorado. At that point, it was loaded and heading south. Over the course of the previously week, it was emptied and returned north. This is that same train returning to the mines to load for another trip south! Here is a picture of it a week earlier.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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937
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF
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Although there is only one train in this shot, the picture still helps demonstrate how busy the Orin Sub in the Powder River Basin is. This westbound (geographically northbound) empty is crossing over from Main 3 to Main 2 at Reno Jct. This is because a BNSF load will be heading eastbound on Main 3 before long. Meanwhile, a UP load getting a fresh crew will come out on Main 1 from Black Thunder Mine shortly to head eastbound as well.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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828
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF
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A pair of BNSF DPUs push this load eastbound (geographically south) on Main 1 underneath one of the main signal bridges located here at Reno Jct. This particular signal bridge has a single signal on it for westbounds on Main 1. There is a turnout just behind these DPUs where the a track breaks away from Main 1 and heads toward the Black Thunder and Black Thunder East loadouts.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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850
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF
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A loaded BNSF coal train heads east (geographically south) on Main 3 through Reno Jct on clear signals. Meanwhile, another BNSF coal train slowly creeps underneath the West Black Thunder Mine tipple. A third BNSF coal train waits for a recrew north of the tipple in the distance, and a UP empty head west on Main 2.
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Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Kevin Morgan
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Reno Jct
Campbell County, CO
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838
(Add a Comment)
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Orin (BNSF)
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BNSF, Union Pacific
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Reno Jct is a fantastic place to spend a few hours as a railfan. You have signals in both directions from the Co-450 road overpass to help let you know when trains are lined through, and can see for nearly a mile to the south and about four miles to the north. It is not uncommon for trains to meet through here, such as in this shot. A UP empty on Main 2 meets a BNSF empty on Main 1.
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