A westbound BNSF grain train grinds through the big cut at Iron Ridge, bypassing the tunnel with the same name, climbing the steep grade of Mullan Pass above Austin, Montana, on September 2, 2003. The crew can look down on the rear of the train at this point, and the rear helper set can just be seen emerging from a distant clump of trees. Two great horseshoe curves above the siding of Austin help the railroad keep the ascent to a 2.2 percent grade on Montana Rail Link’s Mullan Pass.
