Montana Trip - 5

Hi, Our objective this day was to visit Lombard, MT where the former Milwaukee crossed the former Northern Pacific, now Montana Rail Link, in Lombard Canyon.

As we headed east from Helena we encountered a westbound BNSF coal train in Winston Siding and stopped to photograph the DPU.

Shortly a westbound MRL train showed up with a pair of SD70ACes on the point. We guessed this to be train LM (Laurel/Missoula), above and below

and chased it to photograph it again at the west end of Winston Siding. From here we headed on to Lombard Canyon. Although there are many great views in the Canyon we elected to drive directly to Lombard.

After a difficult drive we reached Lombard where we photographed a couple of westbound trains, a coal train (above and three below) and

  

a grain train in the siding being passed by empty coal cars (above and below).

At this point the sun was getting on the wrong side of the tracks so we left the Canyon and stopped to have lunch at Toston, MT. Then we drove south, stopping at Logan, MT to photograph the westbound Z train (above and three below).

We then drove into Livingston, MT where we found this work train sitting on a spur track.

All day we had been on the lookout for a deadhead passenger special which had been scheduled to arrive in Bozeman in the early afternoon. By evening it still had not arrived but we heard something on the radio so we drove over to the station to see what was happening. Just as we were getting to the tracks the local came into town, above and two below,

and began switching (above and below).

Having completed its switching the local left town.

About ten minutes later the special finally showed up.

Thanks for looking.