A clash of seasons
An early autumn snowfall in the higher elevations of Mullan Pass surrounds Austin Creek Trestle (a.k.a. Skyline Trestle) at Skyline, Montana, on October 11, 1997. Low... (more)

Three Boeing 737s are on the head end of this Kansas City, Kansas to Spokane, Washington manifest as it "flys" over Greenhorn Gulch.

Four "unmanned" Mullan Pass helper SD70ACe's lead another duo on a heavy 111-car "ML" over the incredible Skyline Trestle on a chilly Fall morning. You sure can tell which units spend the most tim... (more)

Flying high in the sky...
but first these B737 fuselages have to be completed in Boeing's Renton facility. A single BNSF ES44C4 #6720 is hauling a short Boeing train over MRL's 3rd Sub on thi... (more)

Helper 1 has an additional set of SD70ACes in tow as they roll downgrade over Skyline Trestle with fresh snow on the ground from the previous day.

A short ballast train eases to a stop while a crew member walks up to the MOW crew to prepare the train to dump on Skyline Trestle.

A 80 car LM grinds up the grade over Greenhorn Gulch between Skyline and Weed behind a pair of MRL's newest SD70ACes.

A short maintenance of way train with one of MRL's SD40-2XRs rolls over Skyline Trestle just below the summit of Mullan Pass.

On this summer day in 2002 the sounds of classic EMD 645's echoed through the mountains as MRL SD45-2 306 leads this westbound over Skyline Trestle on its climb up Mullan Pass. Third in the consis... (more)

Last Light.... A trio of AC locomotives lifts a unit coal train into the setting sun at Skyline, MT. By the time the swing help passes the bridge, the sun will fall behind the shadow of the Con... (more)

Over thirty-four thousand horsepower fight gravity, curvature and trailing tonnage to lift 17,842 tons of Montana's finest black diamonds over the 2.2% grade of the Northern Pacific route over Mul... (more)

Can you hear it?

The faint rumble of EMD 710's echo off the evergreens of the Helena National Forest, slowly getting closer and closer. Then it appears, a quartet of freshly washed ... (more)

Railroading is a game of numbers.

90 cylinders. 10,800 horsepower. 7,894 tons. 17,200 more horsepower. 2.2 percent.

Three MRL SD45's, with the help of four more EMD's cu... (more)

A westbound manifest crosses Austin Creek Viaduct / Skyline Trestle. The bridge lies within Helena National Forest and crosses the former military Road "Mullan Road". At the top of the p... (more)

MRL4408 leads an Officers special across Skyline Trestle. The special is climbing Mullan Pass on its was home to Missoula. Perhaps, the passengers are enjoying a nice evening Chardonnay as they ... (more)