Page 15 - September October 2016

Tom and Lindsay’s Railfan Guide # 5: The Powder River Basin Coal Line
By Lindsay Beare and Tom Watson
Introduction
For the railfan interested in heavy-duty modern railroading and specifically big coal trains, the lines emanating from the Powder River Basin coalfields in Wyoming offer the most intense concentration of activity currently to be found in the whole of North America. This guide focuses on the heart of this activity, The Coal Line, along which are to be found eight of the ten largest coal mines in the United States. (See map).
This railfan guide contains suggestions only and does not consent to trespass, nor does it authorise photography for monetary gain and the authors are not responsible for any accident, injury or damage to property or to any person or persons who use it.
Location
The Powder River Basin coalfield (hereafter called the PRB) lies beneath a very large area of low rolling hills and grasslands, most of which is designated as the Thunder Basin National Grasslands and which extends from the town of Douglas WY., north to Gillette WY., and beyond into Montana. For those unfamiliar with this area Douglas is approximately 120 miles north of Cheyenne, WY and about 220 miles north of Denver CO. The I-25 interstate runs north from Denver, through Cheyenne to Douglas and on to Casper and Sheridan WY. The I-90 runs east to west from the Black Hills of S.Dakota, through the middle of the coal region to Gillette and on to Sheridan. The Coal Line runs due north from Orin, just south of Douglas, to Gillette, linking all the biggest mines and with a short extension north of the I-90. Wyoming highway #59 links Douglas to Gillette, running north – south between the two towns.
For ease of reference, we suggest purchasing the Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer for the state of Wyoming. The PRB is covered on pages 45,55,and 65 in the 2008 edition.
Population
Population of this area is approximate five (5), and these souls are located in the hamlet of Bill, WY. Everybody else is travelling through or working, and/or lives in the communities of Douglas, Gillette or Casper. (Actually this isn’t quite as true any longer, there being several recent small developments such as the town of Wright off Highway 59 near Gillette, mainly to house mining personnel.)
Overview/Tour: South to North
We anticipate that the majority of railfan visitors will approach the region from the south, from Denver. The alternative would be to come west from The Black Hills (e.g. Mt Rushmore) on I-90.
The PRB coalfields produce well over 20% of all the coal used in U.S. power stations and also a substantial amount is exported to destinations such as China, Japan, the U.K. and Australia. The whole of the P.R.B. stretches north from Douglas about 250 miles all the way into Montana and the Yellowstone River. But the Coal Line itself runs from Orin to Gillette, a distance of approximately 140 miles.
Wyoming Highway 59 more or less parallels the main tracks of the Coal Line with excellent vantage points along the way for spectacular uninterrupted photography. There is almost no vegetation, (other than grass), no buildings, trees, poles or visual clutter to spoil your viewing enjoyment.
The “town” of Bill consists of a general store and post office plus a recently constructed motel and diner, It is about 35 miles north from Douglas: Apart from the following, there is nothing else in-between Douglas and Bill.
About four miles south of Bill are the Trinity Rail Car maintenance workshops. These service both UP and BNSF rail cars. At Bill itself is the UP (formerly C and NW) yard (6 tracks plus set-out siding, plus 3-track main) with crew change facilities and refuelling racks for locomotives going in and out of the PRB. The yard offices are linked with the motel and diner by a tunnel under the two sets of tracks.
Heading north from Bill the line parts company from Highway 59, but can still be seen and accessed from many side roads in the area. The Delorme atlas is now vital for road details and access points.
Most side roads are unpaved and may be dusty in summer and muddy in winter. A 4x4 SUV is advisable unless your hire car insurance covers off-tarmac driving. Nearly all the side roads lead to an overpass from which the tracks can be viewed. We have indicated many of these on the accompanying map, (as “Hwy OP”).
One of the best vantage points to see train action is the Steckley Road overpass. This is a bridge that spans all four tracks that head due north and south, and is at the crest of Logan Hill, a 5 mile-long grade at 1% leading up to the crest. It is not uncommon to see (and hear !) two 18,000-ton loaded coal trains struggling up one side while two mile- long MTs cruise up the other. Steckley Rd is also signed as US Forest Service Rd # 942. Heading north on Highway 59, at a crest there is a well-marked turning on the left, Road #34, the Jenne Trail Rd, and Steckley Rd is the right-turn directly opposite (east). After Logan Hill, return to Highway 59.
Continue north up Route 59 to the next turning on the right, Rd 37, Antelope Coalmine Rd., which is tarred. As its name suggests, this leads to the Antelope and Rochelle mines, where several train sets may often be seen awaiting loading; also Nacco Bridge and Nacco Jct where a BNSF helper unit is usually parked. This is another good location for photography. Continuing on Antelope Rd brings you to a grade crossing which takes you to the east side of the tracks. Antelope Rd becomes Matheson Rd and leads into Mackey Rd and a T-junction with Edwards Rd. Turn left (west) on to Edwards Road (Rd 30), cross the bridge over the Coal Line and then turn right (north) onto (new) Highlight Road. (Do not turn first right onto “old” Highlight Rd). This road parallels the four tracks to Reno Jct., the spiritual heart of PRB coal operations. Reno Junction serves two mines: Jacobs Ranch and Black Thunder. Black Thunder Mine is the largest open cast coal mine in the world and by far busiest mine in the PRB. It is said that this one mine produces one-sixth of all the energy used in the USA. You may get stuck here as rail traffic is more or less continuous. Be warned: Road traffic is also very heavy and driving and parking may require extra care. (If time permits, Black Thunder does offer public tours and the scale is mind-boggling.) At Reno there is a siding where MoW equipment is stored; there is also a wye, a gigantic load-out with a balloon track, and a road bridge where Rd 450 crosses Highlight Rd, with excellent views over the whole area. Continue on north up Highlight Road until it reaches Rd 99 and return to Highway 59. Take this north until it reaches Bishop Road (Rd 12) This road leads to close proximity to three mines: Caballo , Caballo Rojo, and Belle Ayr. Bishop Rd will take you under two legs of a wye at Belle Ayr, again a good spot for photography. Then if you continues on Bishop Rd it will take you off into the remote grasslands and, on a good tarmac surface following a rather circuitous 20 mile route it eventually leads north to Highway 51 at East Rozet. This is the east end of Rozet, and a staging yard for BNSF coal trains going in (empty) and out (full). Rozet Yard is about four miles long and can be seen from Highway 51. The west end of Rozet Yard leads directly on to the northern end of the Coal Line at Donkey Creek Junction. This is a very large triangle (or wye in US parlance) and has many vantage points for photography. It can be accessed from Highway 51 via Cedar Creek Dr or Timber Creek Rd. Continuing on Highway 51 West will lead you into Gillette, (formerly known as Rockpile). This is substantial town on the I-90 and significantly larger than Douglas,
If you don’t fancy a scenic drive through the Grasslands, you can always drive up Highway 59 into Gillette and then take Highway 51 East out to Donkey Creek and Rozet. You will also pass the massive Wyodak mine and power plant on the north side of the road.
ROUNDHOUSE October 2016 15