The couple days we spent west of Helena, the weather was about everything you could imagine. Sun, snow, wind, rain, clear skies, cloud skies, cold, and warm weather was coming and going about ever... (more)

It is pretty crazy how filthy the Helena Helpers get by shoving thru the Mullan Tunnel. The tunnel was originally built in 1883 at 3879' long. 400 feet at the west end was taken out as a part of a... (more)

Blue thunder
One of the visceral treats of Montana Rail Link’s route over Mullan Pass is listening to a heavy unit grain or coal train assault the hill from a location near the top of... (more)

The MRL crosses over Austin Creek on this steel trestle near Skyline on Mullan Pass. The trestle is 494 feet long, 94 feet high, and built in 1896 by the Northern Pacific. Here we have a loaded co... (more)

It is pretty crazy to see how much westbound trains gain in elevation in a short distance climbing Mullan Pass. Here a coal train crawls along with 4 MRL manned helpers pushing mid-train. If you l... (more)

A trio of orange units lead a loaded coal train across the Austin Creek Trestle at Skyline, deep in Mullan Pass on Montana Rail Link's Third Sub. This was the first train routed over Mullan after ... (more)

An afternoon Laurel-Missoula ascends Mullan pass, just short of the Skyline trestle.

BNSF loaded grain train G HASPSA3 06M slowly climbs the 2.2% grade up Mullan Pass on a beautiful, spring afternoon. Photo taken from Skyline, Montana on June 10, 2022.

With a moderate rainstorm rolling over Mullan Pass, Montana Rail Link SD40-2 No. 259 leads a westbound loaded ballast train over Skyline Trestle on a dreary, spring afternoon. Photo taken from Sky... (more)

As a moderate rainstorm rolls over the Rocky Mountains, BNSF empty grain train X INBBYN9 09M charges east over Skyline Trestle on a rainy, spring afternoon. Photo taken from Skyline, Montana on Ju... (more)

An eastbound BNSF coal train makes its way downgrade on Montana Rail Link’s line over Mullan Pass at Skyline, Montana, on June 28, 2017.

Helena helper #1 glides down Mullan Pass heading back to town to push another load of dinosaur poop over the Continental Divide.

An eastbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe manifest freight drops downgrade through Skyline, Montana, while crossing Montana Rail Link’s Mullan Pass west of Helena, on July 6, 2001.

A late afternoon manifest navigates the Skyline trestle across Greenhorn Creek, battling Mullan Pass and nearing the continental divide. The pair of H2 Dash 9s on point were built within a couple ... (more)

Skyline Cut A coal load charges the 2.2% grade and 10 degree curves just west of Skyline, Montana. The dark sky in the background is a departing thunderstorm that just deposited much ne... (more)