Photo ID: 105520 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Manhattan Gallatin County, MT 1906 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link For my first trip to visit Montana Rail Link, I invited my dad to come along with me. He is the reason that I love both trains and photography. I have many fond memories of train chasing with him both along the Moffat and the Joint Line. Memories include our car breaking down on a snowy night along I-25, and the battery in his motorcycle dying in Colorado Springs. Fortunately, we didn't have any troubles while making new memories here in Montana. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105518 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1982 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link Just west of the siding of Bozeman, this BNSF coal train is running on clear signals as it continues west. The train will meet an eastbound coal empty a bit further west at the siding of Belgrade. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105517 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1896 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link The Northern Pacific Depot still stands in Bozeman, MT, although it is a little bit worse for the wear. It has been completely boarded up and there is a significant amount of graffiti on the outside. MRL's 841 local comes down the main past the depot, ready to do some more switching off of the mainline. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105516 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1609 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link There are a few signal bridges with searchlight signals still standing on Montana Rail Link. The west switch of Bozeman is one such example. Here, the 841 local is backing out on to the main track in order to perform some additional switching. Note the brakeman on the centerbeam flat at the back, protecting the reverse move. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105515 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1840 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link The 841 local moves west on the siding at Bozeman toward the west end. The local has a clear signal to come out of the siding and on to the main track. Once there, the dispatcher will realign the switch for the main and flag the local back down the main toward more of its train that needs to be switched out. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105514 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1478 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Montana Rail Link's 841 local backs passed the Bozeman Depot on the siding. The local is working on getting some switching done in order to allow a westbound coal load come through and continue west. This unit was built as an SD40 and was originally C&S. While is still looks like an SD40 on the outside, it has been upgraded to an SD40-2 internally. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105513 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1411 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link A GP35 from the 841 local just dropped off some cars filled with lumber and now backs down toward the rest of the local. An SD40, also being used on the local, was left behind as this track cannot support six axle engines. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105512 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1823 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link I've always been a fan of the GP35. It was the perfect cross between a GP30 (which had a smaller center radiator fan) and the GP40 (which had a standard spartan cab). This is one of six GP35s on MRLs roster (401-406). Three of those GP35s, including the one seen here, came from Rio Grande! This particular unit was once DRGW 3043. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105511 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Bozeman, MT 1410 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Montana Rail Link's 841 local, based out of Livingston Yard, switches some lumber around on some tracks alongside the siding and the main. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105510 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Tunnel Park County, MT 1877 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link When the Northern Pacific originally built up and over Bozeman Pass in 1882, the tracks passed through a 3,652-foot-long tunnel. In 1945, Northern Pacific replaced the tunnel with the current 3,015-foot-long tunnel. You can clearly see the portal of the original tunnel here, now fenced off and largely covered in dirt and foliage. I do not know exactly why the replaced the tunnel...if you have information on this, feel free to leave it in the comments! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105509 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Tunnel Gallatin County, MT 2091 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link Bozeman Tunnel may only be 3,015 feet long, which is short when compared to the 6.2-mile-long Moffat Tunnel, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get a lot of exhaust! When a coal train such as this one is working to make it over the summit, the tunnel quickly fills with a lot of exhaust. It is not a place you'd want to be caught when a train came charging through. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105508 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Bozeman Tunnel Gallatin County, MT 1969 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link Got exhaust? This westbound BNSF coal train has just about made it to the top of Bozeman Pass (note the sign trackside that says "summit"). Evidence of just how hard the engines are working is apparent as a plume of exhaust accompanies the units upon existing the west portal. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105506 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 120 Park County, MT 1965 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link, BNSF At first glance, you may think this coal train is coming toward the photographer. You might also notice that the headlights on MRL 290 are on dim. These three MRL units are actually manned helpers pushing hard on this coal train, which is climbing Bozeman Pass. The coal train is running in a 3x(0)x4 configuration. Once at the top of the pass, the three MRL units will cut off the train and return to Livingston Yard. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105505 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 119 Park County, MT 1611 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link About 24 hours earlier, this SDP40R was in Laurel, being setup as the third unit on the "LM" freight. It seems the unit may have been in Laurel for either a checkup or for repairs. The LM set the unit out in Livingston and, today, it is being used in helper service on Bozeman Pass. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105504 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 119 Park County, MT 1370 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Montana Rail Link takes quite a bit of pride in their motive power. Manned helper used to assist in the climb over Bozeman Pass and Mullan Pass can wind up extremely dirty. But MRL regularly washes their helper units in Livingston (Bozeman Pass) and Helena (Mullan Pass), keeping them looking shiny clean. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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