Jake Linderman, second trick operator on the second floor of East Hump tower, talks to a switch crew on the radio at Union Pacific’s big yard at North Platte, Nebraska, on May 3, 2011.

Railroad zip ties
Used to keep the air hoses together during transit, heavy-duty zip ties litter the tracks over the hump where cars are separated while being classified at East Hump, in... (more)

Pin puller
In the old days of hump yard operation, men manually pulled the pin and uncouple cars as they slowly topped the hump. It’s still done that way today, only the pin puller is... (more)

At Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard at North Platte, Nebraska, a group of UP EMD SD38-2s, along with two SD40-2s, are being used as power at East Hump and jockey for track space west of the hump. On ... (more)

Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western EMD SD60F Nos. 5501 and 5544 slowly roll through the yard at Coal Creek Junction, North Dakota, on August 29, 2023. Up on the hill in the background is the DMV&W�... (more)

Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor No. 5390 leads the eastbound Union Pacific LJP45 dirt train through the short canyon between Wash and Wellington (sometimes referred to as Wellington Canyon), U... (more)

Heavy clouds and fog envelop the Clark Fork River valley as an eastbound BNSF coal empty follows the southern bank of the river approaching Trout Creek, Montana, on January 25, 2020. The Clark For... (more)

An eastbound BNSF grain train passes by on the main line while Montana Rail Link’s Helena local prepares to pick up a BNSF SD70ACe off the house track at Lombard, Montana, very late in the day o... (more)

A Canadian Pacific local arrives in front of the grain elevators lining the tracks at Max, North Dakota, on August 28, 2018. This local works east out of Max on the railroad’s New Town Subdivisi... (more)

A westbound Union Pacific container train works upgrade through the milepost 823 signals between Green River and Peru, Wyoming, on the afternoon of June 22, 2023.

Searchlight signals protect the west end of Winston siding atop Winston Hill on Montana Rail Link’s Second Subdivision on the afternoon of July 2, 2018. Slowly climbing the grade from Townsend i... (more)

California Zephyr dome-observation car “Silver Solarium” carries the markers of Amtrak’s westbound CZ at the station stop of Grand Junction, Colorado, on February 5, 2018.

The lounge at the rear of California Zephyr dome-observation car “Silver Solarium” is a popular place to ride, relax and enjoy the passing scenery—second to the dome—of course. The car is ... (more)

From the front dome window of California Zephyr dome-observation “Silver Solarium”, riding the tail of Amtrak’s westbound CZ, is a view of a meet with an eastbound BNSF freight at Tabernash,... (more)

Out of the storm
With the collapse and reconstruction of MRL’s Yellowstone River Bridge near Reed Point from June 24 to July 22, 2023, and the subsequent severing of a busy main line,... (more)