Trip to North Platte 2015 by Marc Fournier

# 1 The Needles, CA El Garces hotel with a newly erected ATSF Cantilever signal. # 2 The old and abandoned ATSF Ash Fork, AZ Mainline

09/11/15 West Portal abd Tunnel MF-03	09/11/15 Abandoned Tunnel Ash Fork MF-04	09/11/15 old Route 66 East Ash Fork MF-05
# 3 - 5 The old and abandoned ATSF Ash Fork, AZ Mainline, tunnel and an abandoned portion of Route 66.

09/11/15 Dam built by AT&SF in 1911 MF-06	09/12/15 Petrified Forest MF-07	09/15/15 D&RGW Colorado Springs MF-08
# 6 The 1911 AT&SF built Ashford, AZ stone dam. # 7 Petrified Forest N.P., AZ. # 8 Historic D&RG Station - Colorado Springs, CO

09/16/15 Scotts Bluff, NM MF-09	09/17/15 Nebraska Storm MF-10	09/17/15 BNSF empty coal train MF-11
# 9 Scotts Bluff (N.M)., NE. # 10 NOTHING should get your attention more than a gathering NEBRASKA STORM. # 11 BNSF 9119 coal empty is NB to the WY coal fields.
The following are from The North Platte, Nebraska RailFest 2015.

09/19/15 UP Excursion Train MF-12	09/19/15 Area 51 (nothing with aliens) MF-13	09/19/15 UP GE ES44AC MF-14
# 12 The UP Excursion Train & of course, Marc bought a ride. # 13 UPRR AREA 51---told that the name has something to do with the rail cars / rail traffic through this section of the yard. # 14 - 20 UPRR displays - UP Bailey Yard - North Platte, NE.

09/19/15 UP E9A MF-15	09/19/15 Inside UP Shops MF-16	09/19/15 UP DDA40X MF-17

09/19/15 Display of locos MF-18	09/19/15 UP/WP SD70ACe Heritage MF-19	09/19/15 Diesel Loco Components MF-20

09/19/15 Golden Spike Tower MF-21	09/19/15 Overview from Tower MF-22	09/19/15 Engine Facilities MF-23
# 21 The Golden Spike Tower - overlooking UPRR Bailey Yard---North Platte, NE. # 22 - # 23 Views from the Golden Spike Tower.

09/19/15 getting darker MF-24	09/19/15 last view from Tower MF-25	09/19/15 UP 4-6-6-4 Cody Park MF-26
# 24 - # 25 Views from the Golden Spike Tower. # 26 UP 3977 on display in North Platte's Cody Park.

09/21/15 UP loco storage line . . MF-27	09/21/15 . . in Missouri Valley, IA MF-28	09/22/15 Turntable Council Bluffs MF-29
After leaving N. Platte, NE, Marc traveled East into Western Iowa to photograph: # 27 & # 28 UP loco storage line of about 60 units in Missouri Valley, Iowa. # 29 Iowa Interstate RR active turntable in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

09/24/15 BN C30-7's at Alliance Yard MF-30	09/24/15 Car Henge Auto Museum MF-31	09/24/15 Coal Train Crawford Hill MF-32
Heading NW toward the Powder River Basin, he stopped in Alliance, NE: # 30 Two elderly BN GE C30-7's in the BNSF Alliance, NE yard. # 31 CarHenge Auto Museum in Alliance, NE. # 32 BNSF coal train @ Crawford Hill, NE

09/24/15 Coal Trains Crawford Hill MF-33	09/24/15 BNSF DPU's Crawford MF-34	09/25/15 Bicycle Art Black Hills, SD MF-35
# 33 BNSF coal trains @ Crawford Hill, NE # 34 BNSF DPU's awaiting work @ Crawford, NE. # 35 Bicycle Art - Black Hills, S.D.

09/27/15 South Dakota Badlands MF-36	09/27/15 Devils Tower MF-37	09/27/15 Climbers MF-38
# 36 The South Dakota Badlands. # 37 & # 38 Devils Tower (with Climbers) National Park, WY.
Coal resources within the Powder River Basin are HUGE and the mining operations are equally immense. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_River_Basin

09/27/15 MF-39	09/27/15 MF-40	09/27/15 MF-41
Marc sends the following to illustrate the PRB operations. # 39, # 40 Removing overburden (right) to get to the coal seam (left). # 41, # 42, # 43, # 44 Pictures of the HUGE equipment used to uncover and mine the coal.

09/27/15 MF-42	09/27/15 MF-43	09/27/15 MF-44

09/27/15 Warning Sign MF-45	09/27/15 Loading UP Train MF-46	09/27/15 Triple Track Main MF-47
# 45 Warning to folks like FEARLESS Marc. # 46 Loading UP coal train. # 47 Triple Main, PRB, WY

09/28/15 Black Thunder Mine MF-48	09/28/15 Personal Warning MF-49	09/28/15 Quad Mainline Bridges MF-50
# 48 Black Thunder Mine loadout & quad main. # 49 A PERSONAL, but unheeded warning. # 50 Quad Mainline bridges, PRB, WY
Marc finished his trip by touring The Flaming Gorge, Red Canyon, Dinosaur Naional Monument & Green River Utah areas.

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09/10/15 The Needles, CA El Garces Hotel MF-01	09/11/15 Old AT&SF Main at Ash Fork, AZ MF-02