A Montana Rail Link helper set arrives at Helena Yard on July 1, 2020. Quite a few blue MRL locomotives are present—three helper sets, the Helena local power and MRL’s Laurel to Missoula freig... (more)

I would say that the wildfire smoke was bad that season, but it was my first visit. For years I had wanted to photograph the MRL in "Big Sky Country" and now that I had finally made it h... (more)

All the westbound BNSF heavies have been pushed up Mullan Pass at night into first light before a long work window begins west of Helena, Montana, on July 7, 2022. The last Montana Rail Link helpe... (more)

The gas local heads works west along the Clark Fork River as it approaches Plains.

The gas local heads east at the Flathead River crossing on the 10th sub between Perma and Paradise.

An eastbound BNSF freight heads up the Clark Fork River Valley on Montana Rail Link’s Fourth Subdivision main line between Heron and Noxon, Montana, on the afternoon of February 24, 2015. I bit ... (more)

The conductor minds the first of two cattle gates that the Harrison local negotiates as it approaches it's namesake destination. A wintry mix approaches from the mountains.

SPOLAU with a considerable assist into Livingston.

LM crawls into Helena Yard with coal empties waiting to head east. This train had to be set out in Townsend with power issues, so a helper set ran down to bring it in.

On the afternoon of July 3, 2022, an eastbound BNSF coal empty follows the the Clark Fork between Heron and Noxon, Montana, on Montana Rail Link’s scenic Fourth Subdivision.

The Harrison local nears the end of the approximately weekly journey to the agribusiness in Harrison. Today's catch was 2 loads of fertilizer inbound and one empty outbound. It's hard to believe... (more)

LM is picking up some cars and helpers at the junction, requiring them to pull clear of the signals. The extra power up front will be sent all the way to Missoula to assist in helper service for ... (more)

A second "LB" utility job was sent from Laurel to clean up Livingston Yard, which was essentially 80% auto racks. After meeting the standard LB west, this job heads east. The two 4400'... (more)

The Bozeman Helpers shove on the rear of a long ML to get it over the hump at the west end of Bozeman Tunnel.

Working up the 2.2 percent grade of Mullan Pass, a set of four Montana Rail Link EMD SD70ACes being used as a manned helper, leans into an oil train passing through Iron Ridge cut between Austin a... (more)