Still earning its keep
Montana Rail Link’s Helena local with eight cars flies up Winston Hill at milepost 215 east of Winston, Montana, on the afternoon of June 25, 2020. MRL EMD GP9 No... (more)

Just before a golden sunset on July 1, 2019, Montana Rail Link’s Helena switch tops Winston Hill and begins dropping downgrade just east of Winston, Montana. Powering the local with cars for RY T... (more)

The sun is setting on June 25, 2019, as an eastbound BNSF coal empty that has surmounted Winston Hill drops downgrade out of Winston, Montana, at milepost 216 on Montana Rail Link’s Second Subdivi... (more)

With the Canyon Ferry Reservoir in the distance, the land stretches out for miles and miles. Below, former NP 210 and CNW 873 head the local to Townsend.

On the afternoon of June 30, 2020, rain storms have moved east over the Big Belt Mountains after passing across Winston Hill and Canyon Ferry Lake, as a BNSF freight led by GE ET44C4 No. 3951, gri... (more)

An eastbound BNSF vehicle train begins its descent of Winston Hill approaching milepost 215 east of Winston, Montana, on June 30, 2020.

Under a big Montana sky, a westbound BNSF freight climbs Winston Hill approaching milepost 216 at Winston on the afternoon of June 25, 2019.

With a loaded unit train or grain on the drawbar, BNSF 7924 crests the hill at East Winston, Mont. on Montana Rail Link's 2nd Subdivision at a leisurely pace of 5 MPH.

Montana Rail Link GP9 #109 leads the Helena local west by the searchlights at Winston,MT.

Rain has moved off over Canyon Ferry Lake on the background as Montana Rail Link’s Helena local returns home climbing Winston Hill westbound east of Winston, Montana, on the afternoon of June 30, ... (more)

Four of a kind
On BNSF, the locomotive road number doesn’t get any bigger than this. On September 21, 2009, BNSF EMD SD70MAC No. 9999 is the trailing DPU on the rear of a coal train cl... (more)

In a light rain falling on Montana’s Winston Hill, an eastbound BNSF unit oil train begins heading downgrade out of Winston late in the afternoon of June 30, 2020.

A fifteen-car Montana Rail Link Helena local descends Winston Hill approaching milepost 215 east of Winston, Montana, on June 30, 2020. Powering the train is EMD SD40-2XR No. 263 and GP9 No. 109.

Clipping along with seven cars for the cement plant at Townsend is Montana Rail Link’s Helena local just east of Winston, Montana, on June 25, 2020.

Venerable Montana Rail Link EMD GP9 No. 109 smokes it up leading the Helena local up Winston Hill at milepost 215 east of Winston, Montana, on the afternoon of June 25, 2020. MRL 109 was built in ... (more)