Montana Rail Link Trains Battle Mullan Pass!

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This is the epic battle of high tonnage trains verses gravity! Montana Rail Link utilizes manned helpers based in Helena to assist heavy westbound trains over Mullan Pass, a stiff 2.2% climb to the Continental Divide in Montana's Rocky Mountains. Five-unit sets of EMD SD70ACe's spill their guts as swing-helpers lugging heavy tonnage over the grade. Classic SD40's and 45's get a good workout along with BNSF GE Dash 9's, GEVO's, and EMD SD70MAC's.
With news that the MRL will soon fade into the BNSF, we thought it was fitting to share some of our favorite scenes from the winter and summer of 2011.
This is from our 2011 DVD release "MRL Montana Mainline Part 2." If you would like to purchase the entire program, it is available at www.7ideaproductions.com. www.7ideaproductions.com/prod...

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25 янв 2022

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Комментарии : 90

@andyharman3022 Год назад

I love the sound of raging EMD's in the morning.

@7ideaproductions Год назад

Yes it truly is music to my ears.

@kenneycooper6199 2 года назад

The sound of those EDM'S on the MRL line is music to my ears.

@Willysmb44 2 года назад

Excellent program. Props to the crew for standing out in the bitter cold to get this!

@TrainLordJC 2 года назад

A very well presented video of American diesels at work. Most enjoyable.

@DelayInBlockProductions Год назад

Amazing, as always.

@anb740 2 года назад

Makes me sick that all of this (MRL power) is going away. Fun while it lasted, and glad I’ve made multiple trips there in the last decade!

@matthewwatkins9008 2 года назад

God I love the sound of those EDM’S. Is the BNSF keeping all the the Montana Rail locomotives?

@anthonyschwarz1572 2 года назад

@@matthewwatkins9008 I think they will i’m not sure if they will repaint them though

@O-PAC 2 года назад

@@anthonyschwarz1572 Hopefully they’ll keep them in the MRL colors. Such a great paint scheme. I guess BNSF has another logo to add to their 25th anniversary locos now.

@anthonyschwarz1572 2 года назад

True, It would be sad for them to atleast not keep a few as the paint scheme like they did with the ATSF and BN

@Greatdome99 2 года назад

My guess is that if MRL's power doesn't fit into the current BNSF roster, they'll sell them off the shortlines, but it'll take some time. I won't miss that dark blue color scheme--like SP gray, very hard to photograph.

@williamwilliams3447 2 года назад

So nice to see these beautiful trains without the hideous grafitti on all the cars.

@jimmyhook4852 2 года назад

R.I.P. Montana Rail Link. ;-;

@paradoxicalcat7173 Год назад

Great video!

@ScottJohnson4449 2 года назад

Love the MRL. Take pics while you can!

@hervedougnac2141 2 года назад

with the commentary it 's very nice ! thank 's & hello from Lyon France

@BobSmith-mj7ik Год назад

Beautiful scenery. I like how you filmed the same location in both summer and winter.👍

@7ideaproductions Год назад

Thank you! In Montana, it really makes a difference.

@gravelydon7072 2 года назад

Know that grade as we stalled out on it on a passenger special. MRL sent one of the SD-40s up from the following freight to shove on the rear. They had added an extra to it just in case we stalled. The following crew wanted to bring two but were told by the dispatcher that they were only to take one. We went over the trestle doing 40 with the helper on the rear.

@zz750211 2 года назад

I don't know why, but I just love seeing the heat haze from the exhaust. Very well done!

@dixieboy5689 2 года назад

Incredible all the way. Wonderful video. I loved every bit of it. Thx The audio is incredible. Stunning Real thing.

@7ideaproductions Год назад

Thank you. One of the reasons I shoot video rather than stills it to capture the audio. Especially those two-stroke 645's spilling their guts. Nothing like it!

@LyfovRyan51 2 года назад

Hat's off to the camera crew out there in that temperature.

@StormySkyRailProductions 2 года назад

WOW spectacular video from that area, I really wished we could have made it out there to catch all the MRL EMD action before something like this happened with the BNSF.

@wildbill9919 Год назад

I have the Pentrex video "Mullan Pass" filmed in the early 90s. Both are great.

@domhnallmorris 2 года назад

This is a great video and the commentary and insight is welcome. Greetings from Scotland.

@davemcmahon8140 2 года назад

Awesome ending to this great vid. Thanks!

@shawnleih2916 2 года назад

Yes like watching BNSF and MRL work together ❤️ video.

@chipsrafferty8362 Год назад

Superb from every angle.

@jamielacourse7578 Год назад

Those Rail link units are some sharp looking locomotives. Great shade of blue. I can't stand that Conrail blue.......

@7ideaproductions Год назад

Yes they are and they will be missed when they dissolve into the BNSF.

@Rbnqss 2 года назад

The color scheme of MRL is one of my favorites, another fallen flag colors that we will miss.

@carlosromanmoreno1144 2 года назад

Perttu, I am from Chile and I like to watch the videos of the American Railroads, but there are some terms that I do not master very well, for example when you say Fallen Flags you mean units that have already been retired , that is, they are no longer in service ? Regards from Chile.

@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan 2 года назад

We will surely miss Montana RailLink it's a shame that BNSF terminated the lease

@Rbnqss 2 года назад

@@carlosromanmoreno1144 No, it means companies that does not exist anymore

@carlosromanmoreno1144 2 года назад

@@Rbnqss Thank you friend, regards.

@MontanaDirtRoads 2 года назад

I live next to their yard, I will miss seeing these trains, they're so much prettier then the bnsf trains, the mel engines are always clean and maintained well, a lot of the bnsf units are pretty nasty

@icecold1950 Год назад

Awesome video. Beautiful scenery. Love the trestle shots.

@anscrailfanner6812 2 года назад

Nice variety of mixed freight traffic, and rolling stock in general! Just something I don’t get to see much on NS over here on the east coast these days unfortunately. Mostly intermodal trains, but it’s all good. At least a decent amount of trains still run through my area.

@blabbergasted4380 Год назад

Amazing scenery. Nicely framed shots.

@OregonCrow 2 года назад

Thank you.

@duodetrenes 2 года назад

Like 137. Wonderful video. Getting 😉😉

@daviddowling9830 2 года назад

Awesome video

@7ideaproductions 2 года назад

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

@anb740 2 года назад

FYI, as of my last trip to Mullan Pass in 2019, the access road to the Greenhorn trestle at 20:40 had since been blocked off with a gate. The Austin Creek trestle over Austin road was, thankfully, still readily accessible.

@SangiTariq Год назад

I love this train 🚂 journey ❣️

@TheRailfanDan 2 года назад

Very good stuff Aaron!

@7ideaproductions 2 года назад

Thanks Dan! When shooting the winter scenes the pixels on my LCD screen started to freeze. Some of the shots around Austin Loop and Skyline Trestle I just had to guess on the framing and pray I pulled focus correctly. Also that was shot on HDV tape which fortunately did not succumb to the cold.

@TheRailfanDan 2 года назад

@@7ideaproductions Wow well you could have fooled me I wouldn't have thought you were doing any guess work at all. That's lucky you had one thing that wasn't affected by the cold. The extreme temps can definitely affect our work!

@juanpabloruizleal1833 Год назад

Fantástico espectacular

@svtrains4773 2 года назад

Great video! Like 300)

@theronerd Год назад

Is it common for the FRED to be leaking air?

@arthurschipper8906 2 года назад

No more coal for Boardman, Oregon (@20:15). Goof balls shuttered the power plant.

@7ideaproductions Год назад

Yes it is sad to see it gone.

@paul-andrelarose3389 Год назад

Major air leakage on brake pipe connection at tail end (marker 1:55; EOT unit), possibly due to cold weather, but unacceptable prior to departure, particularly in mountain territory. 2023/02/24. Ontario, Canada.

@SangiTariq Год назад

I wish to work in Canada railways.

@lukebarron656 Год назад

Why do they use rental locomotives as helpers why not just use owned power?

@kyleejem9548 2 года назад

Into the blue mountains on RFD tv

@RTWest-kn5fr 2 года назад

Well... I was thinking I'd make a cup of coffee and watch a reasonable length train video... and, this shows up on my YT list. How 'bout that? I guess seeing 11:11, 1:11, 2:22 and 3:33 every time I passed by my microwave today on its LED clock WAS the UNIVERSE speaking to me after all. Where the hell is that on days I'm thinking of buying a lottery ticket? Gracias por tu video...¡excelente! RT sends... envía... Colonia Centro Histórico, Puebla, México...

@chrisperry1151 2 года назад

I see MRL still uses the classic search light signals for their track switches. Awesome. Too bad BNSF will upgrade the line eventually and kill off more great RR history…😢😢!! Excellent filming, narration, and scenery!!

@dixieboy5689 Год назад

>> 1:05 >> How much fuel is in those belly tanks on the 3 locos ?

@7ideaproductions Год назад

I believe the tanks can hold 4900 gallons on the EMD SD70 ACe.

@hervedougnac2141 2 года назад

i am wondering if they are any drivers in the middle and ending locomotives , or is it controlled (with any distant system , radio orders etc...) by the front locomotive driver ?....thank 's

@7ideaproductions 2 года назад

The locomotives in the middle are "manned" with an engineer and conductor. Their engineer communicates with the lead engineer via radio. The locomotives on the rear are radio controlled (distributed power) by the engineer on the lead locomotive.

@NE-Explorer 2 года назад

Do they still release end helpers while moving like they did 20 years ago. I just see mid-train units.

@anb740 2 года назад

You’re thinking of Bozeman Pass to the east. They still use both mid train and rear end MRL helpers there. And yes, I’ve caught them cutting those helpers off while still moving right as the tail end goes into Bozeman tunnel. The helpers will immediately return back to Livingston and tack onto the next westbound. Super heavy west bounds will get mid train helpers that will sometimes stay on all the way to Bozeman.

@RedArrow73 2 года назад

What model are the MRL helpers?

@DeathLetterBlues44 2 года назад

The most common are EMD SD70ACe locomotives. I did see 2 SD40-2xr locomotives in the last clip at Mullan tunnel.

@SIGINT007 2 года назад

It is unfortunate that the owners of MRL are not keeping it alive in their portfolio

@dknowles60 2 года назад

why should they BNSF had 90% of the traffic. not much local bussiness. dennis is a very smart person but if dennis can make it who can

@SIGINT007 2 года назад

@@dknowles60 so why has it been a good idea since the 80s but now suddenly it’s not?

@gravelydon7072 2 года назад

@@SIGINT007 Because back then they thought that the route was too motive power and crew intensive and would rather run the train over the Northern Route or down South. Turns out that they really did need to keep the route in BNSF. CSX did the same sort of thinking back then but yanked up the track between Grafton and Parkersburg. Now they wish they had it still in place.

@MrDgwphotos Месяц назад

@@gravelydon7072 BNSF did not exist for another decade. MRL was formed in 1987.

@gravelydon7072 Месяц назад

@@MrDgwphotos But the former company did exist and merged into what now is BNSF. So it was the former part of BNSF that thought that it was too labor and motive power intensive and you have to consider it a BNSF decision as there were already merger feelers out. BN was the part that wanted to get rid of it. And it was BNSF that they paid to under the lease agreement.

@kelliejensen7796 2 года назад

😬 P r o m o s m!!

@kenmelrac 2 года назад

Why not put out some NEW material?? This is over 10 years old now

@spacecalander 2 года назад

BNSF wont know what to do with AC power, probably replace them with Dash 9s cause its still the 90s to them. Might as well go with Dash 8s.

@davidwhiting1761 2 года назад

BNSF runs plenty of AC power. They'll probably keep 'em there in the area for helper duty. The SD45s will probably be sold or retired and replaced with either Dash 9s or ES44DCs cascaded down from other services using the ES44C4s and ET44C4s.