FINAL SUMMER OF THE MONTANA RAIL LINK

In 1987, Burlington, northern leased it's former northern Pacific main line and several branches across southern Montana the Washington Companies. The Montana rail link, as the road became known, quickly rose to become a fan favorite in the railfan community. The MRL had all of the hallmarks of a classic class 2 railroad, customer based service, a focus on local traffic, and a variety of heavy road freights and interesting scenery it traveled through. But in January of 2022, the magic was announced to be over, as the Washington companies entered into an agreement with BNSF to terminate its lease early. Thus began a mass pilgrimage Of railfans to go see the hallowed ground where SD45s used to conquer the continental divide and race along the Clark Fork river. In the August of 2023, I spent a week exploring the area and capturing the spirit of the MRL before it disappeared for good. While the 20 cylinder behemoths that used to roam the line between Billings and Sandpoint were no more, the Montana rail link still put on a grand show. And I can say with confidence that as an icon of Class 2 railroading in the united states, the Montana rail link definitely Went Out with a Bang.

Compared to previous RailfanJunction videos, we will be following the Montana rail link in geographic rather than temporal order. Starting in Billings, Montana, we will take the Montana rail link's first subdivision West to the classification yard at Laurel, and then follow the second subdivision and course of the Yellowstone River through the small communities of Columbus, Reed Point and Greycliff before reaching Livingston. From here the grade stiffens as trains work their way up Bozeman Pass to the summit and the 3,015 foot long Bozeman tunnel. Heading downgrade, the tracks pass through Bozeman and Belgrade before arriving at Logan, where the MRL's 5th subdivision departs from the mainline. Passing by the headwaters of the Missouri River, trains race through Toston and Townsend before arriving in Helena, where the second subdivision ends.

The Montana state capital is home to a yard, helper terminal and crew base for trains operating over Mullan Pass, the toughest piece of railroading along the MRL. Swing helpers will be added here for the climb up to Austin and the summit at Blossburg, home to 3,986-foot-long Mullan Tunnel. Descending through Garrison, where the BNSF line to Butte heads south, MRL trains head into Missoula, where the LM and ML manifests, and day and night gas locals arrive and depart from.

At De Smet, the main line splits, with the 4th subdivision continuing west along the Clark Fork River through Alberton and St Regis, and the 10th subdivision climbing Evaro Hill and passing through the towns of Dixon and Perma, where it reconnects with the 4th subdivision at Paradise. From there, trains follow the Clark Fork to the end of our journey at Thompson Falls, Montana.

[minnesotarailfan]

Awesome documentation of the whole system! This is how I'll remember MRL. In August 2023, I finally got out to Montana on a road trip and while I didn't spend much if any time railfanning, I got to see pretty much the whole MRL system as we drove to and from Seattle.

[MontanaDirtRoads]

Miss seeing these go by my work everyday or delivering our steel

[Nicola]

Outstanding documentation! I've never seen anyone film sorting operations in the Laurel freight yard: thanks for doing that!

[GEVOlutionCPKC]

Another breaking It friend amazing hunting 🔥

[colefd]

Railroading at any altitude is cool...

[Superfreaky]

Here from BrutalMooses fanmail livestream he did on 22nd December, your tape and tape sleeve was so cool!

[TheLewistownTrainspotter]

I think after January 1st, we'll basically see MRL engines be sissipated throughout the BNSF network.

[USArailfanner]

For one of your next videos can you do a tour of the van Buren yard in San Jacinto I would really like to see what it looks like when the San Jacinto local arrives there

[MrDgwphotos]

What is going on with the Gas Local power running around the train at Evaro? It seems like a weird maneuver to make on what should just be a run to Missoula, unless they are having to double the hill?

[USArailfanner]

Hey man do you know if the Union Pacific Colton job still exists? If so what specific areas does it run since it no longer runs through HighGrove to riverside

[선규황-kn]

직선처럼 제한속도를 위반하고 곡선을 직선으로 잘못 인식한 정기관사 정씨에게 금고형이 확정되었다.