Thanks for the Memories

When the nation's largest class I railroad saw the former Northern Pacific mainline across Montana as northing more than a surplus asset and operational headache, Montana Rail Link rose to the challenge of turning one of the most treacherous stretches of mountain railroading in North America into a very profitable and well run business, nearly becoming a class I carrier itself in the process. It was a company which provided exceptional and consistent customer service, helping businesses across the state of Montana grow and prosper. It was the livelihood of a dedicated group of professionals who took pride in their work because they performed service for a company that saw them as more than a six digit PIN number. MRL set a shining example of everything railroading should be for the rest of the industry to follow. But alas, instead of mirroring the example set for them, the largest corporate railroad conglomerate in America has chosen to take back what they once saw as worthless and destroy all of the great relationships with customers and employees that were built over the last 37 years.

 

While looking through images I've made of Montana Rail Link over the past six years or so, I really struggled to find a single one that would be fitting to post on a day like today, and one that portrayed what the railroad meant to me. I finally settled on this frame, captured in July 2018 of a neat sign which greeted MRL crews as they knocked down the absolute signal at Tobin on their approach to Helena Yard. While the sights and sounds of second generation EMD locomotives were certainly the draw for many, including myself, it's the little details like this that gave this railroad so much character. Today, the searchlights, sign, and railroad are all gone. I could say they fell in the name of progress, but I think MRL's employees, who are now the latest victims of BNSF mismanagement would say this is quite the opposite.

Done