In a panned photograph, LTV Mining (former Erie Mining Company) EMD F9A No 4212 leads an empty ore train west through Cramer, Minnesota, on September 24, 1994.

A Great Northwest Railroad (GRNW reporting marks, a Watco Company) freight led by WAMX No. 3920 rolls across Union Pacific’s huge Snake River Bridge at Joso, Washington, on September 21, 2015. T... (more)

Montana Rail Link’s 844 local has just made a run up to Harrison to pick up a pair of empty fertilizer cars from the Harrison Elevator and is now at Sappington, Montana, on June 27, 2023. The co... (more)

Two BNSF coal trains meet on the four-track main line over Logan Hill north of Bill, Wyoming, on the afternoon of October 18, 2018.

Respite at sunset: At sunset on May 4, 2011, East Hump at the sprawling Union Pacific Bailey Yard at North Platte, Nebraska, has a lull between trains. The double crossover and diamond between, ar... (more)

As freight cars roll over East Hump utilizing the north track, a track gang works on south track on May 3, 2011. Union Pacific’s massive North Platte Yard in Nebraska is always busy and has to k... (more)

A Union Pacific train gets sorted outside the windows of East Hump tower while East Hump Foreman R.C. McKain supervises the operation in the lower level of the tower at North Platte, Nebraska, on ... (more)

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&Wâ... (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)