For this series we follow former Northern Pacific across Idaho and Montana. We will also catch a few shots of the Butte, Anaconda, & Pacific, Milwaukee Road, and Rarus Railway. The Northern Pacific began in Duluth in 1870 and built west. Operations began in Washington near Seattle in 1876 and built south toward Portland. In 1881 construction started at Wallula and built northeast to Sandpoint, then east along the Clark Fork River. These segments were joined together at Gold Creek, Montana in September 1883. There was much work remaining. The Mullan Tunnel (west of Helena) was completed in November 1883, Bozeman Tunnel (west of Livingston) was completed in January 1884, and Stampede Tunnel was completed in 1888.

Montana Rail Link took over control of the former Northern Pacific line from Sandpoint, ID to Jones Junction, MT from the BN in October 1987. Most of the traffic on the MRL is bridge traffic from the BN operating between Spokane and Laurel, MT. But MRL also handles local traffic using a fleet of 176 locomotives and 2,100 freight cars.

All pictures in this series are on disks 11 and 12. You can purchase a disk and printout any of the pictures for your own use to dress up your train room or add color to a house that just cries out for more train pictures.

Boardman Coal Train
Plains
Paradise
Evaro Hill
Quinns
Toole
Missoula
Bonner
Clinton
Nimrod
Drumond
Garrison

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