Red Bluff & Pony This branch line constructed by the Butte Short Line, was built to haul precious metals out of mines near Pony and Red Bluff. Like many western railroad/mining ventures th... (more)

Snowing at Bridge 57
BNSF GE ET44C4 No. 3943 leads an eastbound unit oil train across the Clark Fork on Bridge 57 west of Trout Creek in a Montana snowstorm on February 6, 2021. Interes... (more)

An eastbound BNSF grain train sails across Bridge 62 spanning the inlet of Swamp Creek into the Clark Fork at Tuscor, Montana, on the crisp morning of October 5, 2020.

It’s almost 6 p.m. on a cool Montana winter eve at Trout Creek on February 5, 2023. A trackside fire helps warm us up a bit as the “blue hour” descends upon the Clark Fork River Valley. The ... (more)

Montana Rail Link’s 844 local drops down a 2.2 percent grade leaving Harrison, Montana, on June 27, 2023. This local generally serves the grain elevator at Harrison once a week on Tuesdays.

Just after sunset on July 5, 2023, Montana Rail Link EMD SD70ACe Nos. 4302 and 4301 power a Helena to Bozeman turn dropping downgrade past milepost 214 east of Winston, Montana.

With th... (more)

For many, many years, Montana Rail Link 50-foot boxcar No. 100982, faded but still adorning MRL’s original logos, has sat on a stub spur at Toston, Montana. It’s still there on July 9, 2023!

A pair of BNSF ES44C4's lead an empty grain train as it hustles east through Livingston, Montana after descending from Bozeman Pass. Meanwhile, a Montana Rail Link helper set eases out of the yard... (more)

Cresting the pass, one of BN's late scheme SD60Ms leads a hot intermodal east.

Montana Rail Link EMD SD70ACe Nos. 4404 and 4318 power a Helena to Bozeman turn eastbound down Winston Hill approaching Townsend, Montana, on the afternoon of July 7, 2023. During the bridge rebui... (more)

Montana Rail Link’s 844 local is in the process of picking up MRL SD40-2XR No. 265 at Sappington, Montana, after making a trip up the Harrison branch to retrieve two empty fertilizer cars from t... (more)

Montana Rail Link EMD GP35 No. 404 heads up the Harrison branch light engine to retrieve a pair of empty fertilizer cars at the Harrison Elevator on June 27, 2023. To the southwest in the backgrou... (more)

With the collapse of Montana Rail Link’s Yellowstone River Bridge near Reed Point under the weight of MLAUMIS on June 24, 2023, and the subsequent severing of a busy main line, MRL and BNSF had ... (more)

Following the Big Hole River, UP MPCSB rolls northbound through the La Marche Gulch with no. 1943, "The Spirit of the Union Pacific" veterans unit, in the lead.

Montana's Busiest Station. Webb Rail's former Northern Pacific Railway Budd built Pullman dome/slpr 313 (WEBX 801044) and former Northern Pacific Railway Budd built dome/coach 549 (WEBX 801045) we... (more)