Nostalgia & History > more on the BN log train in Montana

Valmont had posted a shot, 12:41 yesterday, by BB of two BN geeps on a solid log train.I caught what must be the same operation, at Paradise, MT, about five years later-5-8-78. This
would be about a hundred miles West of where BB took his great shot on the trestle. I would of liked to know where the reload site was. I suppose they could have
made several pickups, as this is a lot of logs.The blades were a real plus for me. This is the West end the passenger and freight lines separation.The geeps are
ex NP, and likely were right at home on this operation.

Keith A (ft)

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Excellent, Nice framing.
JB

That is one very cool picture!

Really nice Keith. Not only did you get the blades but the water tower was also in the background. 

Scott Anderson
Lake Oswego, OR

Gasp. I started working in Montana the year after this, and would have loved to see a solid movement like this. 

If I recall correctly, one of the mills (Bonner?) was making plywood,at the time, and they'd figured out a way to use Lodgepole pine as feedstock. There was a lot of lodgepole available across western Montana, and a lot of it was getting killed off by pine beetles. So USFS was quite willing to sell them. 

What a great shot!

Tom

> … one of the mills (Bonner?) was making plywood,at the time, and they'd figured
> out a way to use Lodgepole pine as feedstock.

Bonner was making waferboard out of big chips from it.

Gotta love the steam loco bells on the Geeps