At sunrise on September 23, 2008, Montana Rail Link’s Polson Local, powered by MRL GP9 No. 111 and GP35 No. 402, heads north at milepost 16, between Charlo and Ronan, Montana. The magnificent Mission Mountains provide a rugged backdrop, with morning clouds flowing over the mountaintops that are dusted with an early snow. Closure of the Plum Creek Timber Co. sawmill in Pablo in 2009, the largest shipper on the Polson Branch, was a major blow to the line. The branch was embargoed in 2011 and hasn’t seen a train since.
