It’s snowing at East Portal, Colorado, as the Rio Grande Ski Train heads west toward the Moffat Tunnel on the morning of March 24, 2007.

Southern Pacific EMD GP9 No. 3392 pauses between tasks on a local freight at Stockton, California, on March 6, 1994. Built as SP No. 5653 in March 1956, it still retains much of the look of a sta... (more)

Montana Rail Link EMD F45 No. 390 and SD19-1 No. 651 sit inside the diesel house at the railroad’s locomotive shop complex at Livingston, Montana, on October 11, 2005. No. 651 is a rebuilt SD9, ... (more)

An empty Montana Rail Link ballast train departs Logan, Montana, on the railroad’s Fifth Subdivision on October 3, 2022. In the background, MRL’s 844 Logan local waits for the train to clear b... (more)

Amtrak’s California Zephyr rolls eastbound along the Colorado River through Little Gore Canyon between Radium and Azure, Colorado, on August 3, 2014.

An eastbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe stack train is led by Santa Fe GE C44-9W No. 665 as it approaches Bison, Montana, while crossing Marias Pass on June 5, 2002.

Canadian National acquired a fleet of its own version of an EMD GP40-2 beginning in 1973. Built with CN’s own custom-designed safety cab that provides better collision protection, as well as cre... (more)

A Cyprus Northshore ore train works upgrade away from Lake Superior at Silver Bay, Minnesota, along an empty County Highway 3 on September 20, 1991. The train is powered by a pair of rare EMD SD28... (more)

From passengers to beer
For many years, Burlington Northern operated a trio of EMD SDP40s on the branch to Golden serving the sprawling Coors Brewery—on trains called the “Beer Runâ... (more)

While climbing over Sherman Hill on May 28, 2009, two brand new Union Pacific GE ES44ACs power an eastbound intermodal train through the curves at Hermosa, Wyoming.

Soo Line, Milwaukee Road and Conrail EMD locomotives gather at Soo’s former Milwaukee Bensenville Yard locomotive facility at Bensenville, Illinois, on February 7, 1987. Ghostly Soo Line SD40 No... (more)

On a crystal clear and icy cold March 3, 1989, a Burlington Northern freight heads east at Grizzly, Montana, beneath the jagged snow-covered peaks of Glacier National Park. The train is led by BN ... (more)

A westbound Union Pacific stack train rolls toward Dale while working over Wyoming’s Sherman Hill on September 17, 2008.

Santa Fe’s 991 train curves over the bridge spanning I-55 (Stevenson Highway) and is about to cross the Illinois Central and enter Corwith Yard at Corwith, Illinois, on February 9, 1991. Not muc... (more)

Montana Rail Link’s Laurel to Missoula manifest freight, called the LM, crosses the Blackfoot River at Bonner, Montana, on October 7, 2005. Three MRL EMDs power the train—F45 No. 390, SD40 No.... (more)