Western Railroad Discussion > My Fun Visit To Dillon, MT and the UP Montana Sub

Ah, Dillon, MT, important service point on the UP Montana sub and fly fishing mecca. 

The purpose of my trip to Dillon was not to railfan and I did not bring a decent camera. This left me with a point and shoot to grab a few images while killing time between bouts of throwing flies at the local trout. Unfortunately,, the fishing posed a problem for documenting the local railroad scene, as the local in town ran while I was on the river, but I did manage to catch the manifest that runs up and down the sub throughout the week, changing crews at Dillon in the morning and evening. 

Picture 1 captures the MPCSB, the Pocatello Junction to Silverbow manifest, tied down on the main track at the south end of the town of Dillon in the early morning. A dark cloud gives the UP 9100 a sulky moody look while the morning sun highlights the Clark Canyon through which the counterpart MSBPC will climb the steep grade to the top of the Clark Canyon Reservoir dam in the evening. 

Photo 2 captures the MSBPC south of Dillon, at the edge of the aforementioned Clark Canyon, picking up the cars that the Dillon local has left for it on the siding at Ford. 

Image 3 is taken from the same overpass as picture 1 showing the MSBPC tied down on the main track and the crew which will take the train to Pocatello getting on board. There's a yard office up in Dillon and the crews use the white SUV to drive along the tracks to the engines. 
  

---

---

---

A good resource for reading about the Montana Sub can be found here: http://nwownrailfan.com/archives/features/0201spring.html

Capture 4 shows the same train as image 3 but with the crew yet to arrive at the power. 

Pic 5 is taken up in Clark Canyon, just past Barretts, which is where a talc producer is located that provides a lot of the traffic from Dillon area. This is said to be a historic bridge. 

Grab 6 shows some cars in a siding at Dillon.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/19 11:56 by phthithu.

---

---

---

Nos. 7-9 show some views of the local power tied down on the house track and some of the yard trackage. There was a crane and some gons with ties sitting on a yard track the whole time I was visiting. 

---

---

---

In shots 10-11 we view some of the historic resources lovingly preserved and maintained. The train station was built by the Oregon Short Line in 1909 and acquired by the UP later. It saw passenger service until the advent of Amtrak. UP used it into the 80's before moving it's offices off the premises.

Frame 12 shows the UP's yard office. The local power is just out of frame to the right. Main track is behind the office. 

---

---

---

The next three ones are of an industry just south of the yard office and then the local showing how it sits right next to Railroad Ave. in downtown Dillon. 

---

---

---

Great stuff, rarely photographed, the yard office resembles the one in long use at Parr (ex-WP Reno branch).

Out

The autorack cars carry pickups for unloading at Silver Bow.

Seed potatoes are all that is grown in Montana. They are certified free of a fungus or something so they are exported all over the west for growing crop potatoes.

The freight action was pretty slim and I only saw two trains moving through town. The local runs during the day and I wasn't there then. One lucky grab was the southbound MSBPC coming around the big curve into Dillon around 7pm. We were leaving a restaurant at the north end of town, the Den, when the approaching train's horn pierced the air, sending me running for the rental car and shouting at my fishing partner to get a move on. We caught the train at the first crossing in town. They were rolling to a stop at the yard office which allowed us to get to the crossing there and catch the next shot seen here. You can see the local power at left, next to the yard office. I think they may have made a setout after this on the siding in Dillon before tieing down the train at the usual spot.  

---

---

---

That pretty much sums up my visit to Dillon. On the getaway morning I photographed the MPCSB seen in the first photo after sunrise and then went to breakfast at the local diner. Shortly thereafter I hear horns and followed the train north toward Apex, 10 miles or so north of Dillon. I was travelling 80mph up the interstate and Apex was the first offramp available. I thought the train would be twenty minutes behind me. So I took the attached pix and headed back to Dillon, only to see the train was right behind me. Oh well...

The third to last photograph is looking west toward the tracks and I-15 at Apex. There's a main track and a siding here that had what may have been coal hoppers stored on it. Seen in the penultimate pic. Finally we conclude with an image of a cattle guard at the Apex xing. 

---

---

---

One more shot at Apex, looking down the tracks toward Dillon. 

---

Great series - like no. 1 the best.

BB

Good pictures.

Looks like you were able to shoot train south of Dillion, something you can only do during the longer days of late spring and summer. 

donner_dude1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good pictures.
>
> Looks like you were able to shoot train south of
> Dillion, something you can only do during the
> longer days of late spring and summer.

Yup when they were picking up the cars in the siding at Ford. It was probably around 845pmish. Sun went beneath the mountains as they were making the pick up.  

rantoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Your photos may have greater value than you
> realize.

Uh oh. Does that mean changes are on the horizon for the Montana Sub i.e. abandonment of a portion of it?
 

Great Photos ! So how was the fishing? That looked like a nice stretch of water. I have combined Fishing and Railfanning on more than one occasion.

The comment on value might be based on the fact that the UP has been vocal about disposing the line to
some other operator. One might surmise that not enough $$$ have been offered as of yet. I highly doubt
that abandonment would happen but I would be surprised if UP ownership lasted another year. I could see
UP keeping ownership or switching rights as far as DuBois but that would be about it.

Out

The UP rumored offer is Silver Bow to Dubois or so. South of Dubois is where the traffic starts. No access to the yard at Pocatello. Lots of miles for not a lot of revenue. UP has been trying to move it for 20 years or so now.

perklocal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great Photos ! So how was the fishing? That looked
> like a nice stretch of water. I have combined
> Fishing and Railfanning on more than one occasion.

Fishing was decent. Windy in the evening which wasn't advantageous, but cloudy at times as well which was helpful.Some dry fly action at times which is fun.  

Dillon weather at times is not for the faint of heart.

Out

Went to Western Montana College back in 1970 - 71.  Used to be some big 'ol browns swimming below Barrett's Diversion  Dam .