Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Originally released in 2011
BNSF and Union Pacific coal trains ply the Orin Subdivision in Wyoming's Powder River Basin between Donkey Creek Junction and Shawnee Junction.
The Powder River Basin lies between Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Thirteen active mines produce over 400 million tons of low-sulfur coal each year and it is up to the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to transport it from the mines to customers throughout the United States and various ports for export.
Over 100 miles of coal hoppers roll through the Powder River Basin each day. The majority of traffic can be found along the Orin Subdivision between Donkey Creek Junction and Shawnee Junction, making this the highest tonnage mainline in the world. This joint line serves several Powder River Basin mines including the Caballo, Belle Ayr, Cordero Rojo mines, Coal Creek, Black Thunder mines, North Antelope Rochelle and the Antelope mines.
We begin at Donkey Creek Junction and follow the Orin Sub south to Shawnee Junction where joint trackage ends. Between those two points, a steady parade of long, heavy coal trains traverse the triple track main.
This program is available on DVD and Blu-ray by visiting 7ideaproductions.com 7ideaproductions.com/products/coal-trains-of-the-powder-river-basin?_pos=1&_sid=0d8a2f632&_ss=r
0:00 Intro
1:46 This is Wyoming
2:58 Donkey Creek Junction
9:51 Caballo Junction
15:11 Cordero Rojo Mine
19:23 Coal Creek Junction
31:00 Hilight Gas Plant
34:47 Thunder Junction West
43:16 Black Thunder West
48:16 Reno Junction
53:22 Antelope Mine
58:52 Cleaning the Ballast.
1:05:56 Converse Junction
1:13:17 Logan Hill
1:21:05 Bill
1:30:52 Lightning Creek
1:36:52 Eberspecher Road
1:40:43 Walker Creek Road
1:43:45 Flat Top Road
1:45:47 Bill Hall Road
1:48:35 Shawnee Junction
Originally released in 2011
BNSF and Union Pacific coal trains ply the Orin Subdivision in Wyoming's Powder River Basin between Donkey Creek Junction and Shawnee Junction.
The Powder River Basin lies between Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Thirteen active mines produce over 400 million tons of low-sulfur coal each year and it is up to the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to transport it from the mines to customers throughout the United States and various ports for export.
Over 100 miles of coal hoppers roll through the Powder River Basin each day. The majority of traffic can be found along the Orin Subdivision between Donkey Creek Junction and Shawnee Junction, making this the highest tonnage mainline in the world. This joint line serves several Powder River Basin mines including the Caballo, Belle Ayr, Cordero Rojo mines, Coal Creek, Black Thunder mines, North Antelope Rochelle and the Antelope mines.
We begin at Donkey Creek Junction and follow the Orin Sub south to Shawnee Junction where joint trackage ends. Between those two points, a steady parade of long, heavy coal trains traverse the triple track main.
This program is available on DVD and Blu-ray by visiting 7ideaproductions.com 7ideaproductions.com/products/coal-trains-of-the-powder-river-basin?_pos=1&_sid=0d8a2f632&_ss=r
0:00 Intro
1:46 This is Wyoming
2:58 Donkey Creek Junction
9:51 Caballo Junction
15:11 Cordero Rojo Mine
19:23 Coal Creek Junction
31:00 Hilight Gas Plant
34:47 Thunder Junction West
43:16 Black Thunder West
48:16 Reno Junction
53:22 Antelope Mine
58:52 Cleaning the Ballast.
1:05:56 Converse Junction
1:13:17 Logan Hill
1:21:05 Bill
1:30:52 Lightning Creek
1:36:52 Eberspecher Road
1:40:43 Walker Creek Road
1:43:45 Flat Top Road
1:45:47 Bill Hall Road
1:48:35 Shawnee Junction
![Rails Through the Freezer [Where Trains Battle Winter]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xAs1CgoXUGM/mqdefault.jpg "Rails Through the Freezer [Where Trains Battle Winter]
This is a compilation of some of my favorite winter scenes from the past fifteen years of shooting train videos in the western US and Canada.
Featured videos include:
Manned Helpers on Soldier Summit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjciaCuNujo
The Funnel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dexc0OJJ-8&t=142s
Canadas Fraser Canyon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mo0UAuXy3M
Canadas Thompson Canyon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDu1rGOrgXw&t=1704s
Through the Shadow of Mt Shasta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV6k3SGrGrc
Through the Oregon Cascades Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF962nigskQ
MRL Montana Main Line Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d-4-MZjT-4&t=25s
Winter on Stevens Pass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ygaiz49zUg
0:00 Intro
1:58 Soldier Summit Snow, UT
8:50 Lake Pend Oreille, ID
12:02 CP and CN in the Fraser and Thompson Canyons
19:36 UPs Black Butte Sub, CA
22:28 Winter in the Oregon Cascades
29:59 MRL on Mullan Pass, MT
36:18 Stevens Pass Snow, WA")
![The Kearney Sub [Union Pacifics Triple Track Main]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yj9AtnprTh0/mqdefault.jpg "The Kearney Sub [Union Pacifics Triple Track Main]
In the heart of America there is a super-highway paved with steel running between North Platte and Gibbon Junction, Nebraska.
It is known as the Kearney Subdivision and historically it has seen well over 100 trains per day. Traffic may be down from the line’s heyday in the early and mid-2000’s, yet this is still a fantastic place to watch trains.
This program begins with a nighttime visit to the Golden Spike Tower as a summertime thunderstorm lights up Bailey Yard. We then turn east through Maxwell, the Buttermilk Curves, Gothenburg, Lexington, Kearney, Gibbon Junction, and many other noted locations before wrapping up at the BNSF flyover at Grand Island.
Dominating the scene are monster double-coal trains that measure up to three miles in length, running to and from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. In addition to coal are mixed manifests, hot-shot intermodals, and locals that service industry found along the route.
Along with cameras on the ground, aerial coverage of the Buttermilk Curves and Gibbon Junction gives a whole new perspective to this amazing line.
This program is available on DVD and Blu-ray by visiting 7ideaproductions.com. https://www.7ideaproductions.com/products/the-kearney-sub-union-pacifics-triple-track-main?_pos=1&_sid=b41afb6be&_ss=r
0:00 Intro
2:34 Map
4:08 North Platte
10:10 Platte River
24:08 Keith
32:14 Maxwell
45:37 Pawnee
48:53 Brady Curves (Buttermilk Curves)
59:51 Gothenburg
1:05:22 Willow Island
1:07:52 Peppered by a Coal Train
1:12:40 Cozad
1:16:16 Darr
1:25:32 Lexington
1:30:28 Overton
1:32:17 Elm Creek
1:44:46 Kearney
1:48:02 Gibbon
1:49:33 Gibbon Junction
2:08:22 Shelton
2:08:47 Wood River
2:10:53 Grand Island")
![Cajon Pass [BNSFs Cajon Subdivision]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z4HR53Yjcmk/mqdefault.jpg "Cajon Pass [BNSFs Cajon Subdivision]
Originally released in 2011, this is a look at Cajon Pass not long after the third main line was completed by BNSF. This is big-time railroading pre PTC (Positive Train Control) and PSR (Precision Scheduled Railroading).
We will begin in San Bernardino first thing in the morning and head east over the summit and through the Mojave Desert to Barstow.
A great variety of trains are featured including mixed manifests, auto racks, coal and piggyback trains. We will visit famous locations such as Sullivan’s Curve, the Mormon Rocks, the daylighted tunnels at Alray and much more.
There is plenty of action on BNSF’s new triple track main plus UP trains on the former SP Palmdale Cutoff, making a total of four main lines over Cajon! The high density of trains, noteworthy scenery and numerous photo locations has made this THE destination for railfans from all over the world.
This program is available on DVD and Blu-ray by visiting 7ideaproductions.com. https://www.7ideaproductions.com/products/cajon-pass?_pos=1&_sid=e6fe7754d&_ss=r
0:00 Intro
2:54 Map
3:42 San Bernardino
7:21 Cargill Elevators
10:40 Devore
13:09 Keenbrook
22:15 Swarthout Canyon
25:50 Cajon
29:46 Sullivans Curve
41:15 Mormon Rocks
47:02 Steins Hill
49:19 Walker (Named for Chard Walker)
52:07 Former Tunnels at Alray
59:27 Milepost 58
1:01:25 Hill 582
1:18:09 Silverwood
1:28:38 Summit
1:39:17 Martinez
1:41:35 Natural Crossover
1:43:33 Frost
1:45:15 Victorville
1:46:07 Lower Mojave River Narrows
1:48:32 Oro Grande
1:49:37 Helendale
1:51:06 Hodge
1:55:16 Barstow")
![Winter on the Pocatello Sub [UPs Main Line from Idaho to Wyoming]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z7MnWO4B250/mqdefault.jpg "Winter on the Pocatello Sub [UPs Main Line from Idaho to Wyoming]
Trains and snow! Visit this seldom-seen portion of Union Pacifics Oregon Short Line route through Idaho and Wyoming. We will begin in Pocatello and head east to Granger, where the Oregon Short Line route joins UPs busy Omaha to Ogden main line west of Green River. Besides Pocatello, we will visit McCammon, Lava Hot Springs, Pebble, Bancroft, Soda Springs, Montpelier, Harer, Fossil, and Granger.
This program was shot in January, 2024.
0:00 Intro Map
1:05 Pocatello
3:46 McCammon
8:53 Lava Hot Springs
10:41 Blaser
14:17 Pebble
19:17 Bancroft
22:14 Talmage
24:24 Soda Springs
26:49 Montpelier
34:01 Harer
36:31 Fossil
39:59 Granger")
![BNSFs Dickinson Sub [through the Badlands of Montana and North Dakota]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zhvDvU7atco/mqdefault.jpg "BNSFs Dickinson Sub [through the Badlands of Montana and North Dakota]
Follow todays BNSF across eastern Montana and North Dakota as it follows the old Northern Pacifics Yellowstone Division between Glendive, MT and Mandan, ND, near Bismarck. Travel from the banks of the Yellowstone to the mighty Missouri with big trains and beautiful scenery in the summer and fall seasons.
This program is available on DVD and Blu-ray at 7ideaproductions.com. https://www.7ideaproductions.com/collections/frontpage/products/bnsfs-dickinson-sub
0:00 Intro
2:34 Map
4:33 Glendive
14:13 Curry
22:23 Hodges
27:08 Beaver Hill
29:30 Wibaux, Montana
31:17 Yates, N. Dakota
36:15 Sentinel Butte
40:05 Rider
48:00 Medora
49:09 The Badlands
50:00 Sully Springs
1:02:00 Fryburg
1:10:53 Dickinson
1:12:37 Gladstone
1:22:57 Boyle-Taylor
1:25:34 Richardton
1:30:25 Antelope
1:33:38 Hebron
1:47:45 Glen Ullin
1:49:51 Big Muddy Creek Bridge
1:51:30 Dengate
2:03:45 New Salem
2:06:17 Lyons
2:07:53 Mandan
2:11:27 Missouri River Bridge")
