CN 2962 is pulling 50 cars of coal up the 1.25% grade at Steeper, Alberta. The train loaded earlier the same morning on the gorgeous Luscar Industrial Spur....

Northern Pacific 26339.... Time standing still... On the Northwest side of Great Falls Montana sits a couple dozen railroad treasures. The yard consists mostly of late steam era 40 foot boxc... (more)

On the Northwest side of Great Falls Montana sits a couple dozen railroad treasures. NP17319 is a Northern Pacific boxcar built in May of 1941. The original herald can be seen starting to show th... (more)

Montana Mountain Climbing.... Perhaps the best place on Mullan Pass to witness the struggle of man versus gravity is at Iron Ridge. The grade here is a stiff compensated 2.2% with 10 degrees curv... (more)

A westbound BNSF coal train digs into the Austin Loops on Mullan Pass. The grade here is a compensated 2.2% and the many curves bring the train down to a crawl as the monster passes the new Austi... (more)

A westbound BNSF manifest heavy in unfinished steel, I-beams and tank cars climbs the 2% grade thru South Boulder Canyon. The train has 5 big motors, configured 3x2. The railroad has followed Sout... (more)

Scaling the side of the cliff next to South Boulder Creek a BNSF manifest climbs the 2% grade. The river is dropping much faster than the railroad as the white water below can attest. The left sid... (more)

An empty coal train twists thru the narrow confines of South Boulder Canyon. The train is entering one of the tightest curves on the ex DRGW mainlines at 12 degrees.... This section of railroad is... (more)

A new Tier 4 heavy General Electric locomotive leads a long high tonnage lumber laden manifest up the 2.1% grade at Tunnel Two. This short tunnel is near Caliente, CA on the twisting climb to Teha... (more)

Canyoneering Moffat Style.... A westbound climbs up the 2% grade above South Boulder Creek. This location is between Tunnel 27 and Tunnel 29. The scar on the mountainside is daylighted Tunnel 28.... (more)

Climbing towards the morning sun... A westbound manifest curves east as it twists towards the Great Divide.... The 2% grade is very evident by the next level of track that can be seen above the lo... (more)

A 53 car eastbound (southbound) grain load climbs thru the twisting curves at Cable. These curves are in 'suburbs' of Tehachapi, California. Most grain over Tehachapi moves westbound. However thi... (more)

Tehachapi. The twisting grade between Tunnel One and Bealville is a stiff 2.1%. This westbound manifest heavy with lumber is climbing the grade as it enters the north leg of the Allard horseshoe.... (more)

A BNSF westbound manifest storms up the 2.3% grade at Warren, CA. This is a a transition area from the hot Mojave desert to the Tehachapi Pass. This pass separates the Tehachapi Mountains from th... (more)

Tehachapi Pass separates the Tehachapi Mountains from the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is the Sierra Nevada Mountains that can be seen rising in the distance....This long manifest heavy i... (more)