The Black Hills Central Railroad

Date: May 21, 2026
Photographer: Mike Potratz, West Des Moines, Iowa
Location: Keystone, South Dakota (Black Hills National Park)
In the Black Hills National Park, there is a steam engine train that provides “tourist” rides between the towns of Keystone and Hill City. We recently vacationed there and the railroad tracks ran right behind the cabin we were staying in! I had watched it each day to get a photo. Finally on our last day there, it was overcast and drizzly, just what I was hoping for in getting a great black & white photo of this engine. Stood along side the track and captured several photos as it approached, settling on this one as the framing and steam coming out the top was just right.