POWDER RIVER BASIN RAILFANNING GUIDE |
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There are plenty of railfanning possibilities in Powder River Basin; an almost constant parade of trains going to or from the mines. But you need a good map, like DelOrmes Wyoming Atlas and Gazetteer. At first I thought I didn't need a detailed map, but after a tour into Jacobs Ranch Mine that ended on some bad unpaved roads, I decided to buy a map....
My railfanning guide starts from the south in Douglas (i.e. opposite the railroads mileposts, but it makes this guide easier to follow), the I-25 will get you here. Douglas can be a good base if you need a place to stay, it has a few motels. An alternative is Gillette 113 miles further north, offering plenty of motels and places to get gas and food. Remember that there is not much between Douglas and Gillette, so make sure you have enough gas.
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| Flat Top Road (Road 48) | From Douglas, take highway 59 north for about 8 miles. On the right is Flat Top Road, it's a gravel road. Follow Flat Top Road for about 3.5 miles east to an overpass over the railroad. From this overpass you have good photo opportunities in both directions. Just north of the overpass is the summit of Walker Hill, southbound and loadad trains is out of sight until the summit, but can be heard for a long time, and because of the summit, they go slow, so there is time to get you camera ready. Northbound empties can be seen at a long distance. |
| Walker Creek Road (Road 43) | Back on highway 59, continue about 2-3 miles further north to Walker Creek Road, a paved road on the right. Take Walker Creek Road for just over 1 mile, here is also an overpass. The railroad is on level ground here, so speed is pretty high. |
| Robinson Road | Further north on highway 59, Robinson Road is a gravel road on the right. I haven't been to this location, so I don't know the details. |
| Highway 59 underpass | About 7 miles north of Walker Creek Road (or about 17 miles north of Douglas) the railroad crosses over highway 59 on a bridge, this means that the railroad is now on the left/west side of highway 59. |
| Highway 59 overpass | After having been on the west side of highway 59 for a long time, the railroad crosses under highway 59 north of Bill and is now again on the east side (right side). This overpass is not a good railfanning spot, but it is a good landmark. |
| Steckley Road / Logan Hill | About 9 miles after the highway 59 overpass (not the highway 59 underpass) Steckley Road goes off to the right and Road 34 goes off to the left (I mention this because I remember Steckley Road being a bit difficult to find). Take Steckley Road east for 1.7 miles, here is an overpass over the railroad. This is the summit of Logan Hill, at milepost 69. Southbound, loaded, coal trains go very slowly uphill (~ 5 mph) so there is plenty of time to get your camera ready! In the far distance looking north trains can be seen just north of the Antelope Mine. A very good location. |