The Flickr Burlingtonnorthernsantaferailway Image Generatr

I've been revisiting some of my archived raw files from years ago and this is another from Amtrak's #8, the eastbound Empire Builder, a snapshot taken from my sleeping car roomette not long after departing King Street Station in Seattle about ten years ago (3-19-2015). Little did I realize until now that not only was the bascule bridge (drawbridge) we were crossing was a historical Great Northern bridge but that these locks carry more traffic than any other in the US and are historical, as well. They separate the freshwater of Lake Washington and its tributaries from the saltwater of Puget Sound but also include a fish ladder for migratory fish such as salmon.

It's still just a window snap with my old 4/3 DSLR but I was glad to find this hiding in my old "dusty" folders, for such engineering at the turn of the 20th century still impresses me.

An intermodal's power sheds heat waves even on a windy late afternoon (5-7-2025) at West Snowden, Montana, preparing to knock green to red as it passes a westbound mixed freight that took the siding not long before. I didn't catch the leader or the second unit numbers, unfortunately. I'm glad that #7705 was facing the rear, though, for there's a lot of graffiti on the far side that's been there since at least the late 2000's. (I'm not fond of such defacement and won't further it in any way in images. The railroads obviously care little about image in this modern "bottom line" day and age, though.)

A mixed westbound rolls west through Culbertson, Montana on a nearly cloudless midweek evening (5-7-2025), though it wasn't long before the small agricultural community was returned to its peaceful state. The freight was nothing noteworthy, especially in such stark light with nary a cloud in the sky but I was suffering cabin fever and got out after work to shoot a bit anyway, while scoping out some different locations. While technically spring, it seems we've fast-forwarded from subzero temps to highs already in the lower 90s with very little rain. Fingers crossed that the brown grasses and tumbleweeds we see here become green in the very near future.

Following its first stop in Montana and a brief wait in the hole on the Snowden siding for an eastbound intermodal, a mixed manifest led by GE's takes the westbound main, slack out and slowly gathering speed as it resumes its trip west on the Glasgow sub. (5-7-2025)

Spring-green has been slow to arrive in the Plains this year, for the snowmelt is long gone and rains have been relatively stingy with the moisture. We've also had many days of stout winds that have dried things all the more. Such winds night before last made me thankful for modern image stabilization, for it was whipping rather well as it blew across the Missouri River breaks.

Department of Transportation FRA test car DOTX 216 heading east bound at Anaheim CA April 7th, 2025.

hile waiting for the FRA Inspection BNSF 7661 leads a west bound general merchandise train with 8 units. Anaheim CA April 7th, 2025.

BNSF 3740 bringing up the rear of an FRA Inspection train with DOTX 216 and BNSF 5159 leading. Anaheim CA April 7th, 2025.

BNSF Yard Job 105 works East Thomas Yard ( BNSF’s Birmingham Terminal )

Finally was able to capture this visitor on CN rails.

BNSF 6144, CSXT 1900 Seaboard Airline heritage unit, and CSXT 3301heading east after setting out BNSF 750 heading east out of Berry AZ, 3/3/25

BNSF 8194 leading a west bound domestic double stack train into Kingman AZ, 3/3/25

CSXT 3301, CSXT 1900 Seaboard Airline heritage unit and BNSF 6144 after setting out BNSF 750 at Berry AZ. 3/3/25

BNSF 6144, CSXT 1900 Seaboard Airline heritage unit, and CSXT 3301heading east after setting out BNSF 750 under threating skies. Berry AZ 3/3/25

BNSF 6144, CSXT 1900 Seaboard Airline heritage unit, CSXT 3301 and BNSF 750 on train QLACATG6 setting out BNSF 750 at Berry AZ 3-3-25

BNSF 8791 leading an eastbound international double stack train through Kingman AZ. 3/3/25

Climbing it’s way slowly up and out of the San Joaquin valley and deeper into the mountains is a south bound BNSF manifest twisting its way through Rowen, in and out of the cloud shadows and back into the early morning sunlight. Here the railroad continues to gradually climb the mountain but Highway 58, too east bound traffic, is traveling down a moderate grade.

Rowen, Tehachapi Pass, CA - March 20, 2019

BNSF 4771 leading an intermodal train with Ferromex 4073 amd 4093 folloeing. Yorba Linda CA 2/23/25

BNSF 4268 leads Container Intermodal from Logistics Park Kansas City to Long Beach CA (SLPKLBTl7 06K) With BNSF 4286, BNSF 5412 KCS 4805 (in CPKC Paint) and BNSF 6671 on the point with BNSF 7295, BNSF 4642 and BNSF 4397 as mid train DPU. At Yorba Linda (Esperanza) CA February 9th, 2025.