Eastbound unit coal empties of Deseret Power Railway swing through a sweeping “s curve” at milepost 24 in colorful and remote Coyote Basin, Utah, on October 20, 2015.

On a cold and snowy October 10, 1997, Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder climbs over Marias Pass at Marias, Montana, led by GE P40DC No. 812 and EMD F40PH No. 378.

Montana Rail Link’s MLAUMIS, also known as the LM, is heading through McQuarrie, Montana, on October 7, 2005. The westbound train operating from Laurel to Missoula is powered by MRL EMD F45 No. 39... (more)

A southbound BNSF coal train approaches the Highway 59 overpass north of Bill, Wyoming, on June 21, 2019. It’ll be interesting to note how much longer there will be enough tonnage to justify four ... (more)

Rock Creek Canyon
Right in the gut of rugged Rock Creek Canyon on Rio Grande’s Craig Branch, an eastbound coal train exits Tunnel 45 between Crater and Volcano, Colorado, on September 8,... (more)

Copper Basin Railway EMD GP39 No. 503 flanks “new image” sister No. 401 at Hayden, Arizona, on the morning of April 21, 2017. CBRY is replacing the classy copper and black stripes on the short hoo... (more)

An empty BNSF coal train passes by on the main line dropping off Logan Hill, Wyoming, as a BNSF coal load waits for a new crew at Converse Junction after loading at Antelope Mine on July 4, 2019. ... (more)

Greenhorn warbonnets
Climbing Mullan Pass, a westbound BNSF manifest freight works up the 2.2% grade at Greenhorn Trestle between Weed and Skyline, Montana, on June 29, 2016. Two warbon... (more)

Montana Rail Link’s Helena local is preparing to pick up a BNSF SD70ACe off the house track at Lombard, Montana, in some of the very last sunlight of June 28, 2016. Two days before, BNSF No. 9105 ... (more)

Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western’s “wayfreight” slogs past the grain elevators at Underwood, North Dakota, on August 31, 2018. Powering the train is DMVW SD50F Nos. 5439 and 5408 paired with SD40... (more)

Union Pacific GE AC4400CW No. 6704 has its old prime mover and generator carefully lifted out of locomotive at UP’s South Morrill Locomotive Facility on September 14, 2017. During this overhaul, t... (more)

A westbound Norfolk Southern coal empty sails through Iaeger, West Virginia, along Railroad Avenue (left) and old U.S. Highway 52 on May 14, 2014.

Storms are quickly developing over Wyoming’s Powder River Basin as a northbound BNSF coal train drops down Logan Hill into Converse Junction on July 4, 2019.

Midwesterners on the Moffat
After I moved from Wisconsin to Colorado in 1997, this is the first train I photographed! An eastbound Union Pacific freight drops downgrade encircling the m... (more)

Amtrak’s Winter Park Express ski train has arrived at busy Denver Union Station on Track 5 on the evening of February 8, 2019. Skiers scramble to gather up their belongings and ski equipment from ... (more)