MRLs ‘Night Gas’ rolls along the Flathead River west of Perma, Montana.
Montana Rail Link’s manifest freight from Laurel to Missoula, enter the huge cut that bypasses Iron Ridge Tunnel between Austin and Weed, Montana, while climbing Mullan Pass on July 5, 2021. Tra... (more)
The helpers back in to the pocket as the snow stops and the sun returns. The front of the coal train will back up to reattach the rear portion, then sit while two eastbound trains roll by. I'm not... (more)
Now this is what an MRL coal train should look like. The crew member will uncouple the helper set from the rear of the train. The snow stopped, at least for now.
The coal train at Elliston has been uncoupled from the helpers and the front portion of the train is moving forward to clear the west switch of the pocket track. A crew member throws the derail sw... (more)
Montana Rail Link helpers make quite a few daily trips over Mullan Pass between Helena, MT and Elliston, west of the pass. Here a helper set arrives at Elliston on a westbound loaded coal train. T... (more)
Montana Rail Link helpers descend back to Helena after helping a train west over Mullan Pass. The quartet is cruising east of Austin near Birds Eye on the former NP main.
A massive set of 8 SD70ACe helpers came into town and tied up for the evening in Helena. Unfortunately, the crew told me no westbounds were due until after 11:00 p.m. I was hoping to find a west... (more)
Due to two derailments on BNSF's Glasgow Subdivision in Eastern Montana, a handful of intermodal trains were detoured via the MRL to get to the West Coast. BNSF's Logistics Park, IL to Tacoma, WA ... (more)
Five MRL SD70ACes screaming away on a helper set cut 66 cars into the middle of a 113 car loaded BNSF grain train. Seen here working it's way around the horseshoe curve at Austin, MT, the train is... (more)
MRL4313 leads the helper consist of BNSF 7282 West. Reminiscent of the large helper sets of the DRGW, few places see helper scenes like this in the 21st Century.
Mid train helpers on westbound coal up Mullan Pass
The eastbound M-L departing Livingston, MT starting it's final leg to Laurel, MT.
The Laurel-Missoula rolls WB through the Missouri River Canyon.
The LM Laurel-Missoula freight drills out shop cars at dusk, 9:15pm.
