We were still rolling along to Keystone.
Yet another curve.
The narrow gauge wye at Oblivion. While the original railroad was standard gauge, a third rail was added at the start of this tourist train and Oblivion was the eastern destination from Hill City in those days.
There are plenty of curves on this railroad.
Another view of Elkhorn Mountain.
Down at the end of the road.
Elkhorn Mountain and a home.
The train crossed the Leaky Leaky Valley.
Beautiful views in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The frequent curves enabled us to photograph the steam engine.
Passing through a canyon.
A slip and slide at the Judson Baptist Camp.
The engine performed a blow down at this point.
Curving through the canyon the rest of the way to Keystone.
Arriving at Keystone station.
The engine ran around the train after taking on water, which is when the trouble started. The steam line to the braking system was blocked so we could not use Black Hills Central Railroad 110 on the trip back so GP9 63 was sent from Hill City to bring us back. Arrival was planned for sometime around 12:30 PM and the crew let everyone off. Chris went for food while Robin and I stayed aboard and chatted with fellow passengers.
Black Hills Central Railroad 110 was placed on the rear to return it to Hill City.
At 12:27 PM, Black Hills Central Railroad 63 arrived and once all the passengers returned, we departed.
There were plenty of opportunities to photograph the GP9 leading our train.
The End of Third Rail sign from the narrow gauge days.
The white building is a Sears and Roebuck house kit from 1912.
The steam engine was trailing.
A deer and her fawn. We returned to Hill City and it had been an interesting trip. We had lunch at the High-Liner Snack Shoppe then departed for Keystone over the route we would have chased the steam train had it run another trip, which it did not. We reached Keystone then turned onto US 16A.
We drove through this tunnel on the way to Rapid City and our next stop at Storybook Park.
Homestake Mining Company 18 inch gauge 0-4-0 24 is a compressed air locomotive built by H.K. Porter in 1909. It has been moved to Walt Green Park and Mickelson Trail Trailhead in Lead.
South Dakota Cement Plant 0-4-0T built by H.K. Porter in 1911 and is now called Patsy.
Porter builder plate 4979 built in 1911.
Next we went to Dollar General, which was my first visit to that chain and the three of us acquired what we needed. Next we crossed the street to Safeway for food for our upcoming two-night stay and drove to our next destination.
The Milwaukee Road freighthouse in Rapid City. We then went east to the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern rail yards and luck was with us.
There was a Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern train getting ready to leave.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern SD40-2 6431, ex. Iowa Chicago and Eastern 6431, exx. Union Pacific 3909, nee Missouri Pacific 3225, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1976.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern SD40-2 3429, ex Iowa, Chicago and Eastern 6421; nee Union Pacific 3722, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1980.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern SD40-2 6432, ex. Iowa, Chicago and Eastern 6432, nee Union Pacific 3653, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1979.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern snow plough 1001.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern snow plough 1002.
There was another set of Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern power here.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern GP38-3 2087, ex Dakota Minnesota and Eastern 3832, exx. Kansas City Southern GP40 789, exxx. Illinois Central Gulf 3053, nee Illinois 3053, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1967.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern GP39-2 2086, ex. Dakota Minnesota and Eastern 3831, exx. Kansas City Southern GP40 760, exxx. Conrail 3130, nee Penn Central 3130, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968. From here, we drove to Dakota Junction.
Nebraska Northwestern Railroad SD9 303, ex. Dakota Northern 303, exx. Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range 303, nee Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range SD18 192, built by Electro-Motive Division by 1960.
We went into Chadron for a post office drop and to pick up some dinner at Subway then made our way to the Ponderosa Ranch and put our luggage in the cabin before having dinner on our picnic bench.
Scenes from our cabin.
Our cabin.
Chris Parker and Robin at the picnic table. The owner then arrived, told us the rules and the best places from which to see trains, then settled up with us for our two-night stay.
Sunset at the Ponderosa Ranch. I started to write this travelogue but once darkness fell, stopped to gaze at the myriad of stars overhead, something I had seldom seen living in the city. I went to bed very happy.
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