The Montana Rockies Daylight climbs out of Helena headed for Mullan Pass on a hot and dry August afternoon. This train was a two day trip operated by Montana Rockies Rail Tours and the MRL for a t... (more)

Beginning the arduous climb over Mullan Pass is Burlington Northern train 123 at Tobin, just west of Helena, Montana, on September 10, 1995. A portion of the city of Helena can be seen in the back... (more)

A still bright warbonnet-painted Burlington Northern Santa Fe GE C44-9W No. 4719 leads a westbound freight that begins the climb of Mullan Pass leaving Helena at Tobin on June 5, 2002. The grade i... (more)

With a beautiful scene in the distance, a BNSF grain train is pulling hard out of Montana's capital city of Helena.

108 loads of crude oil have started their battle with gravity as they head west out of Helena and climb up and over the Continental Divide.

Rebuilds under a Big Sky
A trio of unique Montana Rail Link locomotives with a westbound freight climbs out of Helena at Tobin, Montana, heading for the 2.2% grades of Mullan Pass on the... (more)

A westbound BNSF freight begins the climb of Mullan Pass leaving Helena at Tobin, Montana, on June 29, 2017. The grade increases to 1.3 percent here, but will reach 2.2 percent further up the pass... (more)

A westbound BNSF manifest freight digs into the grade leaving Helena for Mullan Pass at Tobin, Montana, late in the afternoon of June 29, 2017. A portion of the Treasure State capital can be seen ... (more)

A BNSF coal train passes the searchlights at the west end of Tobin.

A BNSF grain train has just departed Montana's Capital city, Helena (seen in the distance) and begins the stiff climb over Mullan Pass.

Helper #3 starts to dig into the eastern edge of MRL's Mullan Pass in the middle of a heavy grain train.

With MRL's Helena Helper #3 tucked in mid-train, a loaded BNSF grain train from West Bowdle, SD to Kalama, WA begins its climb up Mullan Pass. They've just departed the double track at Tobin on th... (more)

BNSF's Pasco, WA-Laurel, MT manifest cruises downhill in full dynamics into Helena, MT for a crew change.

After adding a four unit helper set at Helena Jct, this Boardman, Oregon bound coal load starts the long climb up Mullan Pass.

An entire grain train is visible in this one shot. Leading is a former BN executive SD70MAC, followed by a ubiquitous GE Dash-9. Four MRL SD70ACes can be seen in distance helping the train up the ... (more)