Western Railroad Discussion > Essex montana

what are some good trains that go through there and what is the closest yard next to the essex helper yard and where can i get maps of the bnsf line near marias pass

Operationally, the closest yards to Essex are Whitefish and Shelby.

I'd suggest the DeLorme Montana Atlas for a good overview of Marias Pass...also the Flathead National Forest Forest Visitors map is good for railfan use...contact the Flathead NF office in Kalispell and they can probably sell you one over the phone.

Good trains? The grain trains operating over Marias are some of my favorites, so are the Z trains. The M trains get the most interesting power combinations and generally stop for helpers at Essex.

Here's the 1968 USGS topo map from Terrserver- http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=12&X=382&Y=6688&W=1&qs=%7cessex%7cmt%7c The Izaac Walton Inn is southwest of the building with the flag on it. Click on "Aerial Photo" in top right for a 1990 Black & White view. Here's the 1995 USGS map for Marias Pass- http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=12&X=407&Y=6692&W=1&qs=%7cmarias+pass%7cmt%7c The "Aerial Photo" is also from 1995.

Then go to <imageatlas.globexplorer.com> type in "Essex" and "MT" and zoom in as far as you can at the bottom for a color view from 1/2005! You can even see the shadow of the overpass over the BNSF. "Marias Pass" doesn't work, but type in "Bison" and follow the BNSF southwest to Marias Pass. Try not to spend hours and hours looking at it!

mapboy

EMPIREBUILDER101 Wrote:
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> what are some good trains that go through there
> and what is the closest yard next to the essex
> helper yard and where can i get maps of the bnsf
> line near marias pass

There is a wide assortment of trains thru Essex on any given day. AMTK #7 and #8 are through there in the daylight during the summer, both in the dark during the winter. Then there are general freight, stack, auto and grain trains. The heavier trains require helpers from both directions.

The helpers lay over in the yard at Essex which is less than a 100yds from the front door of the Izaak Walton Inn. They are serviced in Whitefish which has a classification yard. The yard at Shelby mostly is for the interchange of cars to an from Great Falls and Canada. The Essex yard is used for work trains as well as the helpers.

The maps mentioned are all good but you really do not need one if you just drive Hwy 2 between Browning and Whitefish. While there are 'secrets' to be found most of the photography in the area is wide open and available.

For maps, I have used Microsoft MapPoint. I got a free copy just before the first release so the price was right for me but I think it can be found for $100 if you get an OEM version. Check Amazon or Ebay. Even a one or two year old version should be quite adequate. Like every computer map system I've seen, it has a few errors on it but overall, it's pretty good. It even shows a lot of the industrial spurs.

Here's a couple of screen shots. I typed in "essex, mt." and got a choice of a few places, including the Amtrak Station. The next screen is zoomed in a bit and the last one is zoomed out. You can see where Marias Pass is, east of Essex.

Hope this helps.

John

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Microsoft Train Simulator 1.0

Try to find a copy of the book MONTANA'S MARIS PASS: EARLY GN MILEPOSTS and BNSF GUIDE by John R. Coy & Robert C. Del Grosso. Published by Great Northern Pacific Publications box 627A Bonners ferry ID. 83805.
It came out in 1996 but you may be able to find a copy at a used book website. This book has everything you need to know about photographing trains around Marias Pass. This is a great guide and I would not have gotten so many wonderful photos when I went there if I hadn't brought the book with me.
Ken Gear