An eastbound set of light Montana Rail Link helpers slide downhill back to Helena Montana.

Montana Rail Link helpers slowly moving back downhill to Helena. This photo is taken from Austin Road at the Skyline trestle.

At west Livingston MRL 4307 shoves hard on the rear of a westbound coal load along with MRL 259 and 4405.

A westbound BNSF coal load as just picked up a 3 unit MRL helper set for the climb up Bozeman Pass.

Little buddy
While a horse and his little goat buddy seem more interested in the photographer, in the background, a Montana Rail Link helper set of three EMD SD70ACes drifts down the 2.2... (more)

Even though Montana Rail Link EMD SD70ACe is just seven years old in this image, it is having its prime mover changed out with a new one from Electro-Motive Diesel. A new 4,300 horsepower EMD 16-7... (more)

Amidst a Summer thunderstorm, a quartet of Montana Rail Link SD70ACe's lead the second section of a Laurel, MT to Pasco, WA manifest out of Helena. The helpers couldn't be cut in mid train due to ... (more)

Twin SD70ACe (4-pack) helper sets stand ready on the roundhouse tracks at MRL's Helena Yard. Dark skies to the east and wet ground are all that is left of a brief deluge that hit just minutes earl... (more)

Four SD70ACe's slip and grind on the wet rails up the 2.2% of Mullan Pass with the rest of a M LAUPAS in tow.

The drive from Minot to Helena didn't seem worth it after the beginning of the last day; we had lost something valuable to us in the hotel, my railfan girlfriend hurt herself while foaming the hel... (more)

Montana Rial Link's "Helper 2" with a trio of SD70ACes enters the old weather worn portal of Mullan Tunnel at Blossburg, MT, beginning the descent eastward down the Continental Divide back to Hele... (more)

Having shoved one part of BNSF 9382 West, C-BKMSPB1-30, a coal train from Buckskin Mine to Boardman, Oregon, up Mullan pass, MRL "Helper 2" consisting of SD70ACe's 4307, 4303, and 4309, moves to e... (more)

Mid-train helpers