Photo ID: 105501 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 119 Park County, MT 1734 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link During the four day trip my dad and I took to Montana and Wyoming, this was my favorite picture! A westbound BNSF coal train is charging up the eastern slope of Bozeman Pass. While this is a BNSF train, a Montana Rail Link crew is in control as the train climbs the 1.8%. Livingston Peak (9,295 feet above sea level) sits in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105500 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 119 Park County, MT 1390 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link 9,295-foot-tall Livingston Peak stands tall in the distance on a beautiful August afternoon as a BNSF coal load works hard on the pull up the east side of Bozeman Pass. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105499 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 116 Park County, MT 1611 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link As this westbound BNSF coal load (with MRL crew) heads west out of Livingston, MT toward Bozeman Pass, Livingston Peak stands tall in the distance. The mountain peak is 9.295 feet high and is located in the Absaroka Mountain Range. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105497 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Livingston Yard Livingston, MT 1359 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) BNSF, Montana Rail Link A westbound BNSF coal load sits on the main track in Livingston, waiting for manned MRL helpers to hook on to the rear and help shove the train up and over Bozeman Pass. If you look closely, you can actually see said helper units preparing to hook on, way off in the distance (left side of the frame, between the tank cars and the coal train). Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105496 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 117 Park County, MT 1270 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link These light units are headed east toward the yard at Livingston where there is a westbound coal load waiting for them. The helpers will hook on to the end of the coal load and help shove the train over Bozeman Pass. The helpers will then return down to Livingston and do it yet again for a second coal load waiting to go over the pass as well. Fortunately, it is only about 14 miles from Livingston to the top of the pass, so it doesn't take too long for the helpers to return after each shove. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105495 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 120 Park County, MT 1638 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 2nd Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Light helpers approach O'Rea Creek Road from the west, descending down the east side of Bozeman Pass. These helpers are based out of Livingston Yard and are used to help shove heavy train up the 1.8% grades of Bozeman. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105492 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 19 Sappington, MT 1875 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link The 844 local works on switching at Sappington, MT. The crew just performed a cool maneuver to get the engines on the end end of these two cars. The engines had been attached to the box car. Rather than go all the way around the two cars on the siding, they use a great alternative. The train was east of the siding here and the engineer quickly accelerated west. The brakeman then uncoupled the engine from the cars. The engines continued to accelerate in to the clear in the siding. The brakeman threw the switch and the cars rolled down the main. The brakeman then set the handbrake to stop the two cars. The engines can now come out on the main and hook up to the covered hopper. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105491 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 12 Gallatin County, MT 1490 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Being a branch line, several of the grade crossings on the MRL's 5th Subdivision do not have crossing gates. One such example is this grade crossing at Old Yellowstone Trail, just on the eastern edge of Willow Creek, MT. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105490 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 12 Gallatin County, MT 1632 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link With only three cars in tow, MRL's 844 local is approaching the Old Yellowstone Trail grade crossing. The local works on MRL's 5th Subdivision, which is a branch line originating at Logan, MT. Love seeing the "stick track" (jointed rail) through the telephoto lens. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105489 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 7 Three Forks, MT 1276 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link This Montana Rail Link GP35 looks mighty sharp in blue. I particularly liked this units (as well as the one it is coupled to), because, prior to being Montana Rail Link, this unit was actually DRGW 3047. If you look close, you can see a slight notch in the nose where the MARS light used to be. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105488 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 7 Three Forks, MT 1388 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link While switching out Imerys Talc America plant in Three Forks, the 844 local had to pull across the Bench Road grade crossing a couple of times. Here, the pair of (ex-DRGW) GP35s is shoving back against the train, spotting some cars at the plant. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105487 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 7 Three Forks, MT 1533 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link The 844 local switches out the Imerys Talc America plant in Three Forks. As cool as it was to see Montana Rail Link for the first time, these two engines have an extra special meaning to me as they were originally Rio Grande GP35s! MRL 403 started life as DRGW 3039. Great to see it well maintained and still working hard in 2015 on a fantastic (mountain) railroad. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105486 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 5 Gallatin County, MT 1569 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link The 844 local is about to cross over the Madison River and then under I-90 as it enters the town of Three Forks. In the distance, one of more than 40 forest fires burns, generating a significant amount of smoke. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105485 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 5 Gallatin County, MT 1324 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Montana Rail Link's 844 local passes by some standing water, offering up a nice reflection as the train heads toward Three Forks. There, it will spend about an hour switching out the talc plant before continuing west. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105484 Date Shot Photo By Friday, August 14, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 3 Gallatin County, MT 1592 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad 5th Subdivision (MRL) Montana Rail Link Montana Rail Link has a local (called the 844 local) that runs from Logan, MT down MRL's 5th Subdivision. It services industries in the towns of Three Forks, Willow Creek, Sappington, and Whitehall. Here, the local is paralleling I-90 on the way to Three Forks. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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