Railfanning Wyoming and Montana - 3C, Powder River Basin

Hi, The second day of our visit to the Powder River Basin dawned clear. Picking up from the day before, we began at Cordero Rojo Junction, a little north of where we finished the previous day.

As on the previous day a loaded coal train was sitting on the north leg of the wye waiting to depart (above and below).

On the previous day we had seen two types of trains I had never seen in the basin before; a stack train and a manifest train. Unfortunately, we were out of position for a photo of either train and they were too fast to catch. However, on this day the stack train came while we were just hanging out. On the rear were a cut of auto racks and then some general merchandise.

Next a UP train that had been waiting moved up to begin loading (above and four below).

The Cordero Rojo Mine load-out is in the background.

Moving south to Reno Jcn. we decided to check out the Black Thunder and North Antelope mines. While driving in towards the mines we encountered a loaded BNSF coal train getting ready to depart. We returned to Reno Jcn. to wait for it (above and below)

The load-out in the background services the Black Thunder Mine. An older, double load-out is at the mine.

We caught the train again at the next bridge south of Reno Jcn.

During a lunch stop at Converse Jcn. northbound coal loads came through

with a pair of SD70ACes running as DPUs (above and below).

Thanks for looking.

Railfanning Wyoming and Montana - 3B, Powder River Basin

Hi, This post will cover the afternoon of our first day in the Powder River basin.

The afternoon began along Hilight Rd with a southbound Union Pacific coal train (above and two below). Note that UP rights in the Powder River Basin end at the northernmost mine.

While waiting at Lawver Rd., the overpass in the background of the first photo, this piece of work equipment, which I think is a ballast cleaner, came past.

Moving north about a mile to Hoadley Rd. at Coal Creek Junction we encountered what appeared to be a track geometry train (above and below).

Shortly a UP coal train went south (above and below).

We were able to catch the train again off Hilight Rd (above and below).

Then it was back to Hoadley Rd. for still another southbound UP coal loads (above and below). Note the windmill to the left in the photo below.

We beat the train to the Lawver Rd, over pass (above and below).

The rest of the day was spent along Hilight Rd. First up a north bound coal train met a south bound coal train.

The north bound continued north (above and below).

We got it again about a 1/2 mile south of Lawver Rd. Thus ended day one.

Thanks for looking.

Railfanning Wyoming and Montana - 3A, Powder River Basin

Hi, We spent two very productive days in the Powder River Basin. Therefore, I will be dividing the the blog posts into four parts. This one covers the morning of the first day.

We drove over to the BNSF yard just east of Donkey Creek Junction. Nothing seemed to be happening so we returned to Donkey Creek Jcn. where we spotted coal empties about to head south into the coal fields. We caught the train at the point where Brunsen Rd. crosses the track south of Donkey Creek Junction (above and below).

Bishop Road, south of Caballo Mine provided our next photo location (above and two below).

Next we moved to Cordero Rojo Junction where T-7 Road crosses the track. A loaded coal train sat waiting for a road crew to take it north to Donkey Creek Junction (above and two below).

Cordero Rojo Mine is in the background.

Soon an empty coal train headed north for loading.

A Union Pacific empty coal train followed the BNSF train north past the waiting coal loads.

Crossing T-7 Rd. to the north side of the bridge resulted in photos of the DPUs (above and below).

Thanks for looking.

Railfanning Wyoming and Montana - 2B

Hi, After lunch on May 8th we continued east.

                                      
At West Dunmore, MT westbound coal loads sat in the siding. We photographed the road locomotives and

the DPUs at East Dunmore.

A covered hopper train sat on the main line at Crow Agency, MT; shown here with the DPU.

The first moving train we saw was this coal train at Wyola, MT.

One of its DPUs was a Ferro Mex SD70ACe.

Still another coal train was photographed at Aberdeen, MT;

again with DPUs (above and below).

The final location of the day was at Parkman, WY (above and below).

Thanks for looking.