Powder River Basin Gallery

No. 4361 - Union Pacific - Shawnee, Wyo.

An empty Union Pacific coal train with new aluminum hoppers head back into coal rich Powder River Basin. A new third mainline is being built from here at Shawnee, Wyoming running over 14 miles east with high speed crossovers.

No. 4397 - Union Pacific - Shawnee, Wyo.

A loaded Union Pacific coal train passes the old Shawnee school house as it heads east. A new third mainline is being built from here at Shawnee, Wyoming running over 14 miles east.

No. 4927 - Union Pacific - Lost Springs, Wyo.

The Union Pacific added a third mainline track that runs for 14 mile on the Powder River Sub.

No. 9846 - Union Pacific - Gillette, Wyo.

An empty Union Pacific coal train rolls north up the Orin Sub through Coal Creek Jct. on a wet rainy day.

No. 9801 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

Rain or shine, coal needs to move in the Powder River Basin.

No. 4395 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

An empty Union Pacific coal train sails under the new inactive signal bridge for the lead to the wye for West Black Thunder's loop track.

No. 4484 - BNSF Railway - Wright, Wyo.

Multiple BNSF trains are captured here at West Black Thunder near Wright, Wyoming. One train is half loaded as one empty waits on the loop track and another waits directly off the triple tracked Orin Sub.

No. 5556 - CAT Haul Truck - Gillette, Wyo.

Coal haul truck travels across a barren snow covered landscape for the next load of coal to haul for the Belle Ayr mine south of Gillette, Wyoming.

No. 5561 - Belle Ayr Mine - Gillette, Wyo.

A desolete snow covered landscape dotted with towering concrete coal silos, the Powder River Basin.

No. 5575 - BNSF Railway - Wright, Wyo.

Coal hoppers roll across the snow covered landscape of the famous coal deposites of the Powder River Basin. The newer loop track Ys of the Orin Sub to the West Black Thunder loadout.

No. 5643 - BNSF Railway - Bill, Wyo.

BNSF and Union Pacific coal trains converge at Converse Junction in the snow covered Powder River Basin. The Union Pacific train has just left Antelope Mine and is headed south towards Logan Hill.

No. 5589 - Black Thunder - Wright, Wyo.

Blowing snow and coal hoppers surround Hilight Road that parallels a large portion of the Orin Sub. West Black Thunder appears as a silhouette on the snow filled sky.

No. 5539 - BNSF Railway - Gillette, Wyo.

An empty BNSF coal train kicks up snow as it makes time down the Orin Sub from Donkey Creek Jct. passing under the signal bridge by Belle Ayr mine.

No. 7855 - BNSF Railway - Gillette, Wyo.

An empty coal train has just arrived to the Eagle Butte Coal Mine north of Gillette, Wyoming. A loaded train is set to depart.

No. 5922 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

A mile long Union Pacific coal train is dwarfed by West Black Thunder's massive concrete coal loadout towering over the Wyoming landscape.

No. 6342 - Union Pacific Railroad - Bill, Wyo.

One of the busiest stretches of railroad in the country lies across the coal fields of eastern Wyoming in the Powder River Basin. This area is sparsly populated with most of the workforce driving in from either end of the Orin Sub. Gillette on the north end and Douglas the south end. This homestaed is just south of Bill which lies between the two and is nothing more than a hotel and cafe today. Union Pacific's crew change is here as well but the general store and post office are now shattered.

No. 5822 - BNSF Railway - Bill, Wyo.

An endless string of coal hoppers depart the Powder River Basin. An interesting feature seen in this photo shows how the right of way was cut through the rolling hills of the prairie.

No. 5473 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

Looking over the West Black Thunder loadout and Reno Junction on the Orin Sub. Two Union Pacific coal trains are within view in a view that stretches over twelve miles.

No. 5470 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

Looking south at the massive West Black Thunder concrete coal loadout silo located near Reno Jct. just west of the Orin Sub mainline. Trains normally enter the south side enterance and exit out this side.

No. 5500 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

Loaded coal hoppers are powered up the grade from Reno Jtc. south towards Douglas onto Union Pacific tracks. The West Black Thunder silo towers above the landscape.

No. 5535 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

Two Union Pacific coal trains pass each other at the junction for the North Rochelle mine loadout and loop track.

No. 6260 - Union Pacific - Bill, Wyo.

Antelope mine can be seen off in the distance as an empty Union Pacific coal train works up the Orin Sub towards Reno Jct.

No. 6214 - Union Pacific - Wright, Wyo.

Much of Wyoming has this desolate openess and wispy pastel landscape with a constant light breeze. A railroad was built right through it and without reason, this abandoned structure still stands.