Western Railroad Discussion > Across the MRL Thursday

Date: 08/22/20 17:27
Across the MRL Thursday
Author: kyrasmus

Part of this week's trip required me to drive from Spokane back home to Utah, so took a little scenic route via the MRL's 4th Sub from Sandpoint to Missoula.

Photo 1 is an act of good timing, as I just had crested the hill east of the siding at Eddy, MT and saw a headlight of this westbound grain train streaking along the Clark Fork River between Paradise and Thompson Falls.

Photo 2 - turned around high tail to get him passing the still standing searchlight signals at East Eddy. There are still quite a few of these NP relics along the route, but I'm sure with time they will start to disappear, so may have to make a return trip sooner than later.

I saw a total of 3 westbounds, another grain loads just west of the siding at Hope, ID, and a unit crude train west of St. Regis. Hard to say how many trains total as the road and tracks separate for large distances and I had to make some time. Still seems like MRL has parked freight cars everywhere, but bridge traffic seems to be keeping the lights on alright.

Photo 3 - As I arrived into Missoula a local with the 500 was bringing 5 empty hoppers back into the yard, while the 401 worked the gas local cars in the yard. A BNSF coal empty was setting out a few bad orders in the yard as well, but otherwise all was generally quiet on the east end of the 4th Sub.

Kyle Rasmussen
Centerville, UT