All that remains...
On the MRL's 5th Sub, a ballast pit at Pipestone is the final industry. Traffic at Three Forks, Sappington and Harrison keep the northern end very busy, with the local making the long trip to Whitehall once a week as well. In the warm months, ballast trains are the lifeblood of the 5th Sub. On busy weeks, the loading crew might see 4 or 5 ballast trains. Owned by Washington Companies, this pit supplies all the ballast the MRL uses, both chips and road ballast, as well as large amounts for the BNSF. Once the Northern Pacific's famed Homestake Pass route, known for the North Coast Limited and its many trestles and sheer cliffs, now sees ballast trains as its furthest occupants. It's quite an impressive operation stuck in the middle of nowhere! It is interesting to see SD70ACe's operating on a line which will still turn up chipped NP china and relics from time to time.
All that remains...
On the MRL's 5th Sub, a ballast pit at Pipestone is the final industry. Traffic at Three Forks, Sappington and Harrison keep the northern end very busy, with the local making the long trip to Whitehall once a week as well. In the warm months, ballast trains are the lifeblood of the 5th Sub. On busy weeks, the loading crew might see 4 or 5 ballast trains. Owned by Washington Companies, this pit supplies all the ballast the MRL uses, both chips and road ballast, as well as large amounts for the BNSF. Once the Northern Pacific's famed Homestake Pass route, known for the North Coast Limited and its many trestles and sheer cliffs, now sees ballast trains as its furthest occupants. It's quite an impressive operation stuck in the middle of nowhere! It is interesting to see SD70ACe's operating on a line which will still turn up chipped NP china and relics from time to time.