October 1, 2022, dawned rainy and cool in Townsend, Montana, along Montana Rail Link’s grade over Winston Hill on the Second Subdivision. Might as well stay warm and dry in our Vrbo accommodatio... (more)

Montana Rail Link EMD SD40-2XR No. 264 and EMD GP9 No. 109 power a short MRL Helena local out of Townsend, Montana, on the afternoon of September 30, 2022.

Dwarfed by Montana’s Big Sky Country is an eastbound BNSF stack train descending Winston Hill on the afternoon of September 28, 2022. Powered by two pairs of locomotives, leading and as a rear D... (more)

Montana Rail Link EMD SD40-2XR (a rebuilt SD40) No. 264 and EMD GP9 No. 109 pull eight cars up Winston Hill out of Townsend, Montana, on the afternoon of September 29, 2022.

Montana Rail Link’s Helena local scurries up Winston Hill west of Townsend, Montana, passing the Silos community and recreational area alongshore Canyon Ferry Lake on the afternoon of September ... (more)

Bolting over Winston Hill
Weather turned quite storming in parts of Montana on the afternoon of July 8, 2022. My brother Tom, his son Charlie and I were waiting on Montana Rail Link’s ... (more)

Westbound BNSF freight passes the classic searchlights at West Townsend on a beautiful June afternoon in Big Sky Country.

MRL's Helena local accelerates westbound from it's work at Townsend, MT as it crosses the Missouri River. On this day it would be a "hurry up and wait" as the local would meet 2 EB's an... (more)

Montana Rail Link's Helena Local job has arrived in Townsend, Montana behind GP9 109 and SD45 355. The conductor is throwing the switch into the Graymont Limestone Quarry to swap cars before headi... (more)

The westbound Helena local, with the last SD45 and GP9 left on the roster, starts back west towards Helena after switching Townsend.

After roughly two weeks of being in the shops after receiving a crankcase over pressure alarm, many thought the last of MRLs iconic SD45 fleet was done for. However, Livingston brought it back to ... (more)

Montana Rail Link’s Helena switch serves the limestone plant at Townsend, Montana, on the morning of June 30, 2017.

Powered by EMD SD40-2XR No. 257 and EMD SD45 No. 346, an eastbound Montana Rail Link ballast train takes the siding at Townsend, Montana, on the morning of June 26, 2019.

Montana Rail Link’s Helena switch, led by EMD GP9 No. 109, is passing the old stock pens and loading chute at Townsend, Montana, on July 3, 2018.

Moments before sunset on October 7, 2020, Montana Rail Link’s Helena local departs Townsend, Montana, after meeting an eastbound BNSF train there, and storms over the Missouri River bound for a ... (more)