Burlington Northern/Chicago Northwestern In The Powder River Basin, WY -1991

WARNING: This is probably the most boring railroad video you'll ever watch! Two hours of Powder River Basin coal trains in uninspiring landscape. Lots of wind noise (It's Wyoming, the wind always blows). :)
That out of the way, for those who want to see PRB operations in the earlier 1990's you might enjoy this video. Back in those days a good part of the PRB was still single track, with some sections of double track. Compare that with today, where most of the PRB is triple track with some sections of 4-track mainline! It was still Chicago Northwest with trackage rights into the PRB, not the UP.
Lots of older power too. Tons of BN SD40-2's and C30-7's. SD60M's were just starting to show up on the scene. And brand new UP AC4400's (which are still the mainstay of UP coal train power today, after all these years).
There's only one non-coal train in the entire video, a BN intermodal that spent all day slowly winding it's way through the CF of coal trains. The PRB was a total mess in those days. An engineer told me it wasn't unusual for a crew to board a train sitting in siding and sit in the same spot for 12 hours until relieved by the next crew!
This video was shot a few years before the new public road was built that currently runs down to Antelope Creek and NACCO Junction, which IMO is the most scenic area of the PRB.
Locations include:
Walker Siding, East and West ends.
East Bill and the Bill area.
Middle of nowhere between NACCO Jct. and Reno Jct.
Reno Jct.
Loading facility at the Black Thunder Mine.
All video was originally shot on 8mm tape using a Sony camcorder.
Let me know if you stay awake the entire two hours! :)
Enjoy.

[@neilybobmojo_railfanning]

The "bark" on those U boats is amazing!

[@Modelwarshipsdotcom]

Not boring, I've watched it twice now. Glad you took the time to record BN before the merger.

[@Fitch721]

From an railfanner's standpoint, it doesn't get much better than the late 80's thru mid nineties... mixed consisting galore! Cabless power, -8's, asst. standard cab EMD's, Oaky SD's, SD70m's coming on line etc. Lot's more standard cab GE traction up there than I was seeing in California during that time. Note to author: Still wide awake here... and that's coming from an SP/SSW diehard! Thanks for sharing!

[@Cnw8701]

Boring? Sure seeing nothing but coal trains out in the middle of nowhere may seem boring, but look at how many there are! Look at the wide variety of power that you basically no longer see!

[@1MTSRider]

From howling, roaring EMDs to chugging, shlacking GE's, this was, is, and always will be railroading to me. I'm sorry, but todays GEVOS and ACe's just aren't exciting like this era. This video was in no way boring. Now if it was todays railroading, wellllllll ...

[@stampycatfan01lol]

the GEVOs and ACEs are AWESOME!

[@EdmontonRails]

stampycatfan01 the EMDs dont roar like they used to and the GEs dont rumble like they used to and there's no thundering Alcos/MLWS.

[@stampycatfan01lol]

Noah S. Now, it's the other way around.

[@rolpfeiffermuller935]

Thanks airing and sharing the outstanding video.Endeavors aand exertions are prominent.Bliss

[@chrisshaw1964]

I was a CNW conductor out there. I worked out of Bill, WY and South Morril NE through the nineties until 2010. The UP took us over in 1996, they ruined a great job.

[@jeremyamundsen537]

Ruined a good railroad and friendly, hardworking workforce. UP power is shitty.

[@anb7408]

UP always had an "our way or the highway" approach with any railroad they took over. And that cost them big time after the SP merger. The whole damn railroad collapsed in on itself in an epic meltdown.

[@EdmontonRails]

for some reason older videos like this with the lower quality cameras seem friendlier, warmer, bettter

[@jamesm6638]

@@steiger256 tHaS rAciSt

[@anb740]

Long before the third (and fourth) main track, predominant AC traction power and DPUs. Those were the days. 11:29 Single track main and one train is literally right on another train’s rear end. Wow! No wonder they added 2-3 more mainlines!

[@minnesotarailfan12]

Awesome power variety, back before GE owned the new loco market. The newest engines on the BN were those nice clean SD60M's and Dash 8's on the CNW. I'd have to look harder but you probably saw widecab UP Dash 8s. The AC4400 came out the same time as the C44-9W, in 1993.

[@stevenmichael2845]

Wow, those Coalporters sound amazing without any flat spots...

[@johnfisherjr.5911]

Great video, love seeing the older locomotives.

[@karljung1333]

Today is Jan 18, 2021. Great video as far as I am concerned. Many Thanks !

[@scotty4579]

Great video i enjoyed seeing this video as i was born the year this was shot , these units and train are why I love coal trains

[@AC44CWCTE5695]

Awesome video! I would like to railfan on the Powder river someday! This was not boring at all it's classic and thank you for sharing it with us! : )

[@SmithConductor]

This is the opposite of boring. Look at those brand-New UP C40-8Ws, BN EMD Demos, Nathan K5H's, and a Cab Tour of a New SD60M. Thanks for Sharing!

[@kraigkasten]

Sure has changed since 91! Even the railroads have changed!

[@RantzBizGroup]

Great post, in fact, quite relaxing and fun to watch - I spent a few year on that interstate!

[@railjames]

Gerfmon, well done, not boring at all. I have railfaned the PRB at it's peak a couple of years ago, your video is fascinating, in that I can see locations like they were back then, and then the power is outstanding. Thanks for sharing!

[@johnobtrains]

I so agree with the Pro comments on this post......simply awesome,and draws on strong nostalgia.........if your a modeler,it's even better to take from the past.......

[@irelandbloke]

Super video

[@Landaux]

50:19 RABBIT! lol! ..Nice video! Classic motors! Beautiful country. :-)

[@Lakeside_Rail_Productions]

dang, of course UP had to take over the CNW, like all the other great RR empires including the SP and DRGW. Wish they were still around today.

[@utubewatcher806]

tight blocking

[@brandedmcgowan6968]

Ac4400cw was produced around 1994 ironically cnw was the first to ever ordered em.

[@anb7408]

The sheer volume they were pushing on that predominantly single track main with passing sidings at that time was mind-boggling. It was routine for a southbound to sit in the hole for up to TEN trains to pass before finally leaving. Basically, three mainlines worth of trains squeezed onto a single track! Felt sorry for the poor dispatcher!

[@denniscoleman8802]

Love seeing the CNW Green and Yellow!!!😎👍❤️

[@amessman]

Interesting that they had the loads take the siding, I figured it would be the other way around

[@tacomamike2005]

Thank you for sharing this...its great

[@emersonsd40-2lee]

Será que voçe tem algum video mais recente ano 2012 ou 2013 nesta junção de Reno ou km 430 ou sabe o link de alguém que tem ? Este e muito Bommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Veja alguns meus aqui no Brasil !!!!

[@davew6728]

Great video watched start to end need more like this one on here.

[@floodedcar123]

Nice video! I love coal trains

[@fiatman71]

53:42 man you can really hear that CNW SD50's 645F3B screaming at 950 RPM

[@davidvanschaick5565]

Good Stuff Gerald !! wow, orange UPs