Mid America Energy (Council Bluffs, IA) empties head west across the Sand Hill Subs towards Alliance and onward to the coal fields of the Powder River Basin.

A lone SD70MAC, sporting the BN executive paint scheme, brings up the rear of an empty coal train near Ellsworth, NE.

146 empty coal cars for the Black Thunder Mine waste no time racing across the Sand Hills Sub. As the empty coal train approaches Ellsworth, it'll soon start to notch down and come to a stop as it... (more)

BNSF 8890 brings up the rear of a fresh load of Powder River Basin coal though the hills of Western Nebraska.

BNSF 5948 & 9781 eastbound on BNSF's Sandhills Sub.

BNSF 6428 is on the west end of a work train parked at Ellsworth Nebraska.

BNSF 6280 leads a loaded Kansas City and Light coal train through the small burg of Ellsworth. This will be as green as the Sand Hills get this year because of the mild winter which resulted in a... (more)

BNSF 9215 leads a load past Ellsworth onto the new double track between East Ellsworth and Bingham in the Sand Hills.

After cruising across the new double track between Bingham and Ellsworth, it negotiates the high speed super elevated curves at 50 mph just west of Ellsworth on its way to Alliance

An eastbound BNSF unit coal trains cools its heels for a few minutes at Ellsworth, NE, waiting for a parade of westbound empty trains.

A loaded CGL bound for Lansing, MI cruises through the S-Curve at Ellsworth with green signals to Bingham.

A loaded Union Electric power set cruises through the S-Curve just before the Ellsworth siding west of Ellsworth, NE

Stopped second in line, at the east end double track, BNSF 9159 & 9730, wait for a few westbound trains to clear single track, before they continue on east with there load of coal.

A RWSX coal load leans into the curve on BNSF's scenic line through the Sandhills of Nebraska. Hwy 2 in the background provides an excellent way to follow this heavy duty main line.