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Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
2011 Convention
Gillette, Wyoming
This PowerPoint presentation shows some of the
highlights of the 2011 Friends of the Burlington
Northern RR (FOBNR) convention in Gillette, Wyoming
from June 8-12, 2011.
My thanks to Rodney Black, Kent Charles, Dean
Dickerhoof, Peter Ferch, John Parker, Dave Poplawski,
Boras Rosser and Gary Seymour for the use of their
photos in this presentation.
PowerPoint slides and Photos by Patrick Lana, MMR unless otherwise noted.
Photos have been compressed to reduce file size so quality may vary.
Introduction
Dean Dickerhoof, Rodney Black and I rode with Kent Charles who drove up
from his home in Maricopa, AZ. We left Denver metro area about 8am June
8 for Gillette, WY and the FOBNR Convention. We followed US 25 to
Douglas, WY where we stopped for lunch and a look at the Douglas
Railroad Interpretive Center.
On the way to Gillette
Douglas, WY Railroad Interpretive Center
CB&Q #5633 4-8-4
On the way to Gillette
Douglas, WY Railroad Interpretive Center
CB&Q #14140 Wooden Caboose
On the way to Gillette
From Douglas, WY, we followed Wyoming 59 and back
roads to maximize our railfanning opportunities in the
Powder River Basin. We arrived in Gillette about
5:30pm at the Best Western Hotel.
Southern Powder River Basin Mines
Source: Union Pacific RR
On the way to Gillette
South of Bill, Wyoming
Kent Charles Photo
On the way to Gillette
Our First Drag Line
Note pickup
Cordero Mining Co. #150
On the way to Gillette
Local Wildlife
Cordero Mine
Loaded BNSF ready to depart Northbound
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Wednesday Evening, June 8, 2011
John and Dave handled registration at the Best Western Tower
West Lodge.
Rodney Black Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Wednesday Evening, June 8, 2011
FOBNR President John
Adams welcoming
attendees
Convention Organizer
Kent Charles
explaining logistics.
After our “All Aboard” dinner at Appleby’s, we returned to the hotel
for the opening welcome and slide presentations.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
We carpooled to Hill City, SD to ride the 1880 Train through the
Black Hills. We followed the BNSF Line to Alliance. The weather
was overcast and rainy.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
The BNSF Line to Alliance had a M.O.W. window open so very few
trains.
Empties headed to Gillette
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
We followed the BNSF Line to Alliance.
CB&Q depot at Newcastle, Wyo.
Dean Dickerhoof Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011, The 1880 Train
Black Hills Central #110 refueling at the Hill City Shops. Photo taken from the
station which is the original CB&Q Depot.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011, The 1880 Train
Black Hills Central #110.
#110 is a 2-6-6-2T articulated Mallet built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1928.
Kent Charles Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011, The 1880 Train
The FOBNR Attendees on board the Black Hills Central coach “Bluebird”. The car was
a CB&Q flatcar transformed by the Black Hills Central car shop.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011, The 1880 Train
Keystone is the other end
of the line for the 1880
Train. Here, #110 moves
from one end of the train
to the other for the return
to Hill City.
Dean Dickerhoof Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
After the 1880 Train ride, we toured
the South Dakota State Railroad
Museum which is adjacent to the
train station. The museum has a 70
foot long timeline depicting South
Dakota and American RR history.
The last entry on the time line is to
the right…
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
South Dakota
State
Railroad
Museum
Timeline.
Peter Ferch
photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
South Dakota State Railroad Museum
Mr. Rick Mills, Museum’s Executive Director, presented the colorful history of Black
Hills railroading.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday June 9, 2011
A last look at the sights at the 1880
Train before we returned to Gillette. BN
Caboose #19866 above was originally a
Northern Pacific Caboose built in 1906.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday Evening, June 9, 2011
Kent Charles presented selected scans of Jack Keers’ slides which will be
added to the FOBNR website.
Jack Keers, 75, Pipestone, (MN) died April 1, 2008. He joined the Pipestone
Fire Department in 1954 and served for 31 years, including the years from
1974 to 1977 when he was fire chief. He also belonged to the Minnesota
State Fire Chiefs Association. In 1979, he became a board member of
Historic Pipestone, Inc., and for ten years he served on the Heritage
Preservation Commission. He was a county commissioner and was named
commissioner of the year in 2005. He also received an Outstanding Service
Award for the improvement of county government in Minnesota. His slides
of BN and BNSF trains were donated to the Friends of the Burlington
Northern Historical Society after his passing.
Following are some examples of his slides:
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday Evening, June 9, 2011
Photo by Jack Keers as scanned by Kent Charles for the FOBNR.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday Evening, June 9, 2011
Photo by Jack Keers as scanned by Kent Charles for the FOBNR.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday Evening, June 9, 2011
Photo by Jack Keers as scanned by Kent Charles for the FOBNR.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Thursday Evening, June 9, 2011
Photo by Jack Keers as scanned by Kent Charles for the FOBNR.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday morning June 10, 2011
FOBNR Group Photo on BN U30C #5802 which is “stuffed and mounted” at the
Gillette Wyoming Cam-Plex display area. Notice anything unusual in the paint
scheme?
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday morning June 10, 2011
Did you notice the BN
herald on the cab was
applied backward?
Doug and Barb Geiger in
the cab.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday morning June 10, 2011 Black Thunder Mine Tour
Arch Coal’s Black Thunder Mine is the largest single coal-mining complex in the
world. The mine produces the energy equivalent of 1 million barrels of crude oil
every day. It produces nearly 4 tons of coal per second – 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year and supplies over 10% of America’s coal.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday morning June 10, 2011 Black Thunder Mine Tour
One of the Mining trucks we saw at the Black Thunder mine. Note tons being carried
on digital readout.
Gary Seymour Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday morning June 10, 2011 Black Thunder Mine Tour
Front end Loader
The Ursa Major drag line that was working at Black Thunder.
Gary Seymour Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday morning , June 10, 2011 Black Thunder Mine Tour
Dean Dickerhoof photo
FOBNR Tour Group with
1st haul truck at Black
Thunder Mine.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Afternoon June 10, 2011 Eagle Butte Mine Tour
School Bus
Kent Charles Photo
The Alpha Eagle Butte Mine tour was open to the public while Black Thunder was
not. Here is their new pit on the west side of Hwy 59. The lower dragline is working
on the coal seam while the upper shovel is working on overburden.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Afternoon June 10, 2011 Eagle Butte Mine Tour
While at the Alpha Eagle Butte Mine , we observed a small blast on the overburden.
Kent Charles Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Afternoon June 10, 2011 Eagle Butte Mine Tour
This is a CAT 240 ton haul truck.
Replacement cost about $2.5 million.
1,200 gallon diesel fuel capacity.
Weight empty about 185 tons.
Note the two
youngest
members of our
group pushing
the truck into
place!
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday June 10
After dinner at the Chop House we walked across the pedestrian bridge at
the downtown Gillette Yard. The photo looks east. This is a very small
yard. The next day we would tour the huge coal staging yard east of town.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
After the Membership and Board meeting was held , more slides!
This is a National Farmers Organization grain car that Dave Poplawski and
his Dad loaded by grain truck.
Dave Poplawski slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
Peter Ferch presented a great collection of BN slides. An example:
Pile Driver in Aberdeen.
Peter Ferch slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
Boras Rosser presented a great collection of BNSF slides. A few examples:
BNSF 8932 West at South Edgemont, SD.
Boras Rosser slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
Boras Rosser presented a great collection of BNSF slides. A few examples:
Helpers in the pocket as the DPU’s clear, Crawford Hill.
Boras Rosser slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
Boras Rosser presented a great collection of BNSF slides. A few examples:
BNSF 5343 West near Home Valley, WA on the Fallbridge sub.
Boras Rosser slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
Boras Rosser presented a great collection of BNSF slides. A few examples:
BNSF 4896East approaching the Marias Pass summit.
Boras Rosser slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Friday Evening June 10
Boras Rosser presented a great collection of BNSF slides. A few examples:
BNSF 4896 East at the Two Medicine Bridge, East Glacier, MT.
Boras Rosser slide
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday morning June 11 More Railfanning
North of Gillette at what may be the Rawhide Mine load out and power
plant.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday morning June 11 More Railfanning
At the Cordero Rojo Mine, the pick-up truck was actually smashed by a
large load truck similar to the one pictured.
John Parker Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday morning June 11 Donkey Creek Yard Tour
About 10:30am , we caravanned out to Donkey Creek Yard from the hotel with our
tour guide Will Cunningham, Manager of BNSF Coal Operations in Gillette , leading
the way.
Dave Poplawski Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday morning June 11 Donkey Creek Yard Tour
Will Cunningham, Manager of BNSF Coal Operations in Gillette , is pointing
to a detail in the arrival/departure tracks. We could not have asked for a
better guide and the trainmaster presenters were also outstanding…
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday morning June 11 Donkey Creek Yard Tour
Our presenters at the Yard Office were left to right Tyler, Patrick (both
Trainmasters) and Will. Tyler said he wanted to be there just to see what a
bunch of “Foamers” looked like. I am sure we did not disappoint!
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday morning June 11 Donkey Creek Yard Tour
Above are two locomotives being fueled by truck. Rather than bring the
locos to a fueling track the truck comes to the locos. Below is the fueling
station where trucks reload. Fuel is brought in by the tank car load. This is
a contract operation.
Donkey Creek Yard Crew
Kent Charles Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
Sign in Wilmer Yard.
Peter Ferch Photo
After a quick fast food lunch, we headed downtown to
the crew building where we shot this John Wayne
Poster. The painter is or was a BNSF employee.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
Then it was over to the Rock Pile
Museum where we shot this BN
caboose. It had a beautifully
restored interior complete with
chairs , desks and all the details,
including radio and fusee box.
The Rock Pile Museum also
contained this outside braced
CB&Q Boxcar.
Rodney Black Photo
The Rock Pile Museum BN
Caboose builders Plate.
Peter Ferch Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
After the Rock Pile Museum, we headed to Donkey Creek Yard And the
Junction. We caught this train, our only freight, heading east at the Power
Plant.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
Action at Converse JCT on the Orin Line. There are 6 trains visible in this
shot.
Dave Poplawski Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
Southbound empties at the natural gas plant on the Orin sub. The doe has
one (or maybe two) fawns in tow.
Dave Poplawski Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
West of Gillette, we caught a
loaded coal train in the big open
Wyoming sky.
Rodney Black Photo
Kent Charles Photo
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Saturday June 11 More Railfanning
My last train photo for Saturday was this westbound coal under clear
Wyoming skies. Note Trigger the horse not batting an eye at the passing
train.
Friends of the Burlington Northern RR
Banquet
The final event of the day and
convention was the Banquet. The meal
was very good, the company was great
and the conversation lively.
Will Cunningham, Manager of BNSF
Coal Operations in Gillette, was the
keynote speaker and talked about the
BNSF and the Powder River Basin ,
present and future. Thank you, Will for
a great presentation and tour of BNSF
Gillette facilities. Whenever I see a
necktie of the Fallen Flags of the BNRR
I will think of you!
Gary Seymour Photo
With that, I bid my old and new friends
farewell with a hope that our paths will
cross again soon and that we may see
each other next year in Amarillo, Texas
for the 2012 FOBNRR convention.
On the way Home
Sunday, June 12
UP & BNSF at Caballo Roja mine highway overpass.
Dean Dickerhoof photo
On the way Home
Sunday, June 12
Okay. I like BIG highway
trucks, too so took some
photos on this trip.
On the way Home
Sunday, June 12
What is this?!
Answer A: Coal dust can cause the railroad roadbed to fail so we were helping the railroad
remove coal dust at a road crossing culvert.
Answer B: The BNRR ran the first unit coal train from PRB to Iowa Power in 1972, so my N scale
Crandic RR needed some PRB coal for its run to Iowa.
Rodney Black Photo
On the way Home
Sunday, June 12
Wyoming!
Where the deer and the antelope play…
On the way Home
Sunday, June 12
Wyoming!
Where the deer and the antelope play…
Overall Trip Notes:
At approximately 6:30pm on Sunday June 12,
2011, I arrived home in the Denver, CO area. Kent
stayed overnight and then left early the next
morning to continue home to Maricopa, AZ. From
Denver, we had covered 1,393 miles on the trip to
Gillette.
Of the four days we were on the road, I think it
rained all but two. I still managed to take over 280
photos. I think Rodney shot over 500 and I have no
idea how many Kent and Dean took.
All in all, it was a great trip…
The author Gittin-R-Done.
Kent Charles Photo
BUT IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME!