Montana Rail Link

(Apologies for the slide quality. My scanner is an old junker.)

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(Scroll up from page bottom for chronological order)

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Snoozing in Summer sun, on the service track at Missoula, Montana is SD70ACe #4402:

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Later that same day, the "Night Gas" races through Dixon, Montana.
SD40-2XR #256 & SD70ACe #4312 are leading train R-MRL6211-23:

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Good bye, Dixon depot. As I was awaiting the Night Gas, a demolition contractor
was busily crashing around behind the building, loading debris into a dumpster:

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Those white speckles are not a photo flaw. It is just an ongoing Spring of 2013
snow flurry. SD70ACe #4304 idles in the siding at Elliston, Montana:

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High in the sky, on Montana's world famous Marent Trestle:

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Cruising downgrade through Evaro, Montana:

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Really moving along, passing through Arlee, Montana:

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Backing out of the wye at Dixon, for their return as O-DIXMIS1-05 to Missoula:

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October of 2012 celebrating their 25th Anniversary, (1987-2012), with employee specials.
Wearing unique cab decals, SD40-2XR #260 & 261 with O-MISDIX1-05 at Ravalli, Montana:

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At Garrison, #4308 & team are switching the BNSF interchange:

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A few miles further on, we arrive just seconds too late. Crossing gates
had dropped. The ML has already popped out of Bonita Tunnel:

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Late summer, 2012 at Clinton, Montana & we've caught (M-MISLAU3-23A)
the "ML". Today's power is SD70ACe #4308, SD40-2XR #251 & SD45-2 #332:

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Company sand car #100423:

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Meanwhile, the rest of Missoula Yard is quiet. GP35 #403 on the turntable lead:

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Business Car "Silver Cloud" might just be the most beautiful example existing today:

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MRL Dome Car #105:

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A sleepy Sunday in September, 2010. In Missoula SD70ACe #4308 is busy assembling a train.
Tomorrow a Washington Corporation Horatio Alger Scholarship Special will be run:

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Of Northern Pacific Railway origins, MRL Scale Test Car #100014:

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Rats! Somehow I erred & blurred this view. Remote Control Caboose #1104:

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Missoula Yard, August of 2010. SD9 #608 is shuffling cars:

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Back at Missoula Yard, GP9 #123 idles in the afternoon sun:

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September of 2009. The "Dirt Train" viewed tied up. I could never seem to catch this
operation in action. SD40-2XR #263 and SD45-2 #331 at Bonner Junction, Montana:

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Baking in the August, 2009 sunshine GP9's #113 & 127 await another
call to local service. Paradise, Montana:

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The following are some scans, as noted at page top.

In the early Fall of 1999, I tried to chase the Polson, Montana, Local. It was
one of the most oddly lit mornings I have ever experienced. Skies gave a mix
of dim light or clear blue, with cloud hues grays, orange & purple. As a result,
my camera seemed to have a fit & could not decide how to ingest those views.

Through Ronan, past elevators which sadly were no longer loading out:

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Finished switching the mill at Dunham, now passing through Pablo:

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After switching a loaded hopper of pea gravel & setting out an empty, ready to leave town:

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In low angle sun glare, GP9's #132 & 128 arrive in old Polson Yard:


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