A total of seven SD70ACe's and one ES44AC lift a loaded coal train out of Montana's capitol city and towards the top of the famed Mullan Pass.

A trio of SD70ACe's lead a Westbound coal load through Austin with the help of four more ACe's cut in mid train and a lone GEVO pushing on the rear. Gotta love Montana railroading!

With the climb up and over Mullan Pass behind them, this westbound Aberdeen, SD to Kalama, WA grain load eases into the east end of Elliston where the MRL helpers will cutoff from the train and pr... (more)

The daily Kansas City to Pasco high priority manifest, complete with Boeing 737 fuselages, grind up the east side of Mullan Pass and over Skyline Trestle.

A coal train derailment at Jens earlier in the day has these two westbounds tied down at Helena awaiting the reopening of the 3rd Subdivision the next day.

With the climb over Mullan Pass behind them, two former Santa Fe SD75Ms and a "peach" Dash 9 start the descent westward to Garrison with a five unit helper set of MRL SD70ACes cut in 78 deep.

A quartet of MRL SD70ACe's glide down Mullan Pass towards Helena, where they'll help to lift another coal train up the hellacious grade.

Four SD70ACe's slip and grind on the wet rails up the 2.2% of Mullan Pass with the rest of a M LAUPAS in tow.

The drive from Minot to Helena didn't seem worth it after the beginning of the last day; we had lost something valuable to us in the hotel, my railfan girlfriend hurt herself while foaming the hel... (more)

Helper 1 prepares to detach from a westbound loaded grain train.

A five unit set of MRL SD70ACe's cruises down Mullan Pass into Helena, MT after helping a westbound upgrade. The units are closely following an H-PASKCK. Now that both are clear of the main, the l... (more)

Montana Rail Link's Laurel-Missoula manifest rolls along the Clark Fork River approximately 25 miles east of Missoula. The train was recrewed at Bearmouth and will have clear sailing into MRL's Mi... (more)

Mid train helpers on westbound coal up Mullan Pass

A eastbound BNSF freight train coast downhill towards Helena. This eastbound is about 2 miles east of Mullan Tunnel as they cross over the trussel that just east of the well known Skyline Trestle.... (more)

A 4-unit MRL mid-train helper set assists an 18,917 ton coal train, the heaviest ever to traverse Mullan Pass, out of Helena. The fourth unit, 4300, is not working and more power will be added at ... (more)