La Veta Pass meaning Mineral Vein Pass lies at 9242 feet at the the top of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. This eastbound train is climbing the 2.5% grade approaching the famous "loop&... (more)

A BNSF westbound slithers thru ex. DRGW's Tunnel district with a fairly short and light manifest. Leaving Tunnel 13 the train is entering the toughest portion of the westbound pull up the Moffat ... (more)

A coal load tops the 3% section below Pando on Tennessee Pass. The train is struggling against multiple curves some as tight as 12 degrees at Stillwater under a steady light rain. This location w... (more)

A westbound Union Pacific manifest slowly thunders west up the 2% grade thru the gorgeous South Draw, deep in the Tunnel District of the Moffat Tunnel Subdivision. The heavy manifest has two Cana... (more)

ACID Freeport McMoran's first "Hill Turn" is pulling Shannon Hill. The 5 GP38s with the original face of the 1970's blasts up the 4.5% with 21 cars of heavy Sulfuric Acid. Tradit... (more)

Freeport McMoran's first "Hill Turn" is pulling past the depot at Clifton. The train will spend about 45 minutes filling the small yard at Clifton with cars for the Arizona & Eastern. The gorgeo... (more)

Freeport McMoran's third "Hill" turn marches up the last of the three percent grade before turning into the 4% incline. The 5 little mountain locomotives are making good speed on the hi... (more)

Freeport McMoran switches the concentrate track at the the massive crusher complex. The Morenci Mine is one of largest Copper Mines and reserves in the world. As the road sign for gas indicates,... (more)

Arizona & Eastern B40-8 screams out of Clifton Tunnel #2 as it assaults the 2.12% grade out of the San Francisco River Canyon. This will be the second A&E Hill Turn out of Clifton. The Freeport ... (more)

Not a Illusion The grade here is not a illusion, it looks like the ramp on a roller coaster. This Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Company's "Hill Turn" is hanging over the steep... (more)

King of the Mountains 4.5%! Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Company's "Hill Turn" conquers the grade above Clifton, AZ. This is the 1st of three Hill turns the FRI will make up... (more)

The Little Engines that Could! In a isolated corner of Arizona lies the meanest operational railroad grade in the United States, the 3%+ climb up Shannon Hill. The grade climbs a ramp from... (more)

BIG BOY 4014 under Pikes Peak. Union Pacific's magnificent restoration starts up the 1.2% climb towards Cedar Point. The train is on the former transcontinental mainline of the Kansas Paci... (more)

"Kansas is not all Flat" Cimarron Valley's new C40-8 4053 and sister ex CSX motor lift 100+ cars out of the Arkansas River Valley approaching Ensign, Kansas. The long rolling cl... (more)

CVR 8501 sits outside the Cimmaron Valley shops at Santana, KA for repairs that may never come. The unit began life as a LMX unit leased to the Burlington Northern. The unit were always known for... (more)