Nostalgia & History > More Cascade Green in Big Sky Country

One final look at Burlington Northern's operations in southwestern Montana in the 1980's...

First up, a four unit swing helper assists an eastbound BN pig train at West End, the west slope of Bozeman Pass. Looking back, I remember being a bit disappointed that morning when the helper was placed on the point. The quad of green "dash two's" blocked a "tiger striped" GP50 from leading the train up the hill.

The big cut in the photo leads to Bozeman tunnel, and Interstate Highway 90 crosses the divide on top of it. On the opposite side of this tunnel is Muir siding leading down the east slope of the pass towards Livingston...

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If you look closely at this photo, to the left and to the right above the BN 6357 East are a set of former Milwaukee Road girder bridges. The left bridge was a grade separation above the Northern Pacific and to the right a more recent bridge raised the Milwaukee above Interstate Highway 90. This abandoned branch was apparently built to serve Bozeman and connected to the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Extension mainline to the west.

Of note in this head end consist is BN GP9 #1934...shoving for all it's worth!

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A "colorized" view of the Belgrade depot that I posted a couple of days ago. Burlington Northern 3008 West blasts by the old NP structure with a long train of piggybacks. This depot has apparently been moved away from this location along the old NP. The BN 3008 is likely a former Burlington Route unit with the EMD nose light...

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On the west slope of the pass, a four unit point helper assists a westbounder with dynamic braking down Bozeman Pass near the site of old Trail Creek...

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You may recognize this particular location up the canyon east of the town of Bozeman. The Northern Pacific once posed passenger trains for publicity stills at this site with the jagged granite rocks of Gallatin Mountains in the distance. This westbound train had no less than SEVEN matched BN green units out of Livingston that afternoon. Note the abandoned bridge of the once double tracked mainline leading towards the east to West End summit.

James

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Again James I really enjoyed your shots. I think the cool thing about this is this has got to be one of the few places that just might be better than it was during the 80's. Back then you were assured BN sd40's but these days it wouldn't be rare to still see that, plus you've now got the beautiful MRL plus the BNSF is quite colorful through here. Thanks for scanning them.

-Tyler

Excellent photos, as usual James. What I particularly enjoy is your commentary and "homework". The last time I visited the pass, in July '89, I photographed the westbound MRL local, train #841 at the exact same spot. However, the reason I picked this spot was the convenient large bush/small tree that hid the parallel freeway! Thanks for the history.
JB

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3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Excellent photos, as usual James. What I
> particularly enjoy is your commentary and
> "homework". The last time I visited the pass, in
> July '89, I photographed the westbound MRL local,
> train #841 at the exact same spot. However, the
> reason I picked this spot was the convenient large
> bush/small tree that hid the parallel freeway!
> Thanks for the history.
> JB

That's pretty scary how close those photo's match as to location. It almost looks like you both stood in the same spot and used the same camera settings. Good job, both of you for taking some excellent pictures.

Craig

> That's pretty scary how close those photo's match
> as to location. It almost looks like you both
> stood in the same spot and used the same camera
> settings. Good job, both of you for taking some
> excellent pictures.
>
> Craig
>


I'm thinking the way this is being told is inaccurate at best. I figure GrandeGold and 3rdswitch were really trackside together in '86. GrandeGold took his pic while 3rdswitch, always the patient one, decided to stand around till '89 when that tree could adequately hide the freeway. Good photography is harder than it looks.

Thomas

Love the green!!!