Montana Rail Link’s Paradise local trundles over Bridge 208 west of Donlan, Montana, on September 23, 2009. Normally, the local flies through here after finishing up switching at Tricon Timber in St. Regis, but today it has a “restricted speed” crane bringing up the rear. This bridge was one of five spans crossing the Clark Fork built when the cutoff between St. Regis and Paradise was constructed in 1909. In 1989, MRL determined that it needed upgrading to support modern tonnage ratings, and instead of replacing it, superimposed arches were added in place in the existing structure. The MRL bridge gang also added a new concrete ballast deck and completed the job on October 3, 1990.
