Passenger Trains > Discontinued? - Montana Rockies Rail Tours

When did the Montana Rockies Rail Tours stop running? Found this still on the net...

Montana Rockies Rail Tours began as a LLC with four partners in 1995. In 2000 the company was purchased by RailQuest America, which is a corporation formed by a small group of investors and the management team to operate the Montana Daylight. The original route from Sandpoint, Idaho to Livingston, Montana continues to operate today. In 2002 we will have 26 departures (13 east-13 west). The rail route covers the original Northern Pacific Railroad tracks through southern and western Montana and northern Idaho. It is not only a very scenic route, it is a historic route that no other passenger trains traverse! Along with our rail tours, we offer fully escorted motorcoach-linked tours to Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

MRRT is the longest multiple day scenic rail journey in the U.S. The route is 478 miles long, operating from Sandpoint, Idaho to Livingston, Montana or reverse. The rail portion is daylight travel only, which provides each passenger with never-ending views of the spectacular scenery of Montana and Idaho. The tours are offered with three levels of service: Discovery, Big Sky, and our newest Montana Gold!

Montana Rail Link provides the diesel locomotives and the engineers, we operate and staff the fleet of passenger cars and streamlined vista domes, mostly built by the Budd Company from 1947-1955.

Mr. Ainswirth says on the dome car site the cars were sold 12/04. So maybe 04 or 03 last operations? The yahoo MRL group has all the info i think in their archives. The last 4449 trip using their equipment was when you went up, 2002? The main reason cited for their demise they didn't have control of the lodging and paid top dollar, at peak times.

travelogue from 2001 http://www.trainweb.com/travelogues/rayburns/2001l08a.html



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/10 18:13 by dan.

I believe they discontinued several years ago.

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mr. Ainswirth says on the dome car site the cars
> were sold 12/04. So maybe 04 or 03 last
> operations? The yahoo MRL group has all the info
> i think in their archives. The last 4449 trip
> using their equipment was when you went up, 2002?

Dan Ainsworth is a pretty reliable source. I recall that they shut down some years ago.
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Operations ceased in 2004. The last big event was Montana By Steam II with 4449

http://www.movie-trains.com/4449trip.html

It was a damn fine train run by some really good people.I worked on some of the equipment,and later did some PC-1 inspections on some of the Amtrak certified cars.My freind Ken Keeler was the CMO,and did a good job with it.

I rode behind the SP&S 700 in October 2002. Yes, it was a really nice train with well organized hotels in the evening. One of their dome cars was on the Chuyahoga Valley train behind the 765 in September.

Yes a GREAT job. One of the passengers on the 4449 trip was a Make a Wish young man and his family. I will always
remember the monther's tears as she described her son's cab ride with Mr. McCormack. Everything about the trip
was great. I think their problem was getting enough folk to Sandpoint Idaho, not easy from any place.
And a great J.Craig Thorpe poster from the earlier SP&S 700 pull.
Another of the many examples, ride it while you can as tomorrow it may not exist. Arlen

In July 2003, as part of the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association convention, there was an excursion from Billings to Whitehall with return to Livingston for dinner (we were bussed back to Bozeman).

Although diesel-powered, the excellent equipment and appealing scenery made this a very nice excursion. I regret that this was my only trip on a train using these wonderful cars.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/10 10:04 by RuleG.

Did the "Montana Rockies Daylight" in 2002, and I'm glad I did. But it was a difficult operation to run; I stayed the night in Spokane, and then in the morning we were bussed out to Sandpoint due to the volume of trains on BNSF's "funnel". It would have been much better to start the trip in Spokane.

The ride the first day, of course, was spectacular. We went "the long way" through De Smet and not over Dixon Hill, and overnighted in Missoula, which is a curious collection of leftover hippies and stranded 1930s international workers' movement members.

The second day was even more spectacular, over several mountain ranges. The train, of course, ran via Helana, since the Butte line is out of service. The train didn't actually get to Billings, but unloaded off the main line at Laurel, on a wye. Again, we were bussed into Billings.

A great trip, and if it still ran, I'd do it again.

below is an archived letter of discontinuance...

http://www.purewest.com/montana/index.html

Also of interest..

http://www.purewest.com/montana/service_level.html

and...

http://www.purewest.com/montana/history.html

Dave in Msla

shoretower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Did the "Montana Rockies Daylight" in 2002, and
> I'm glad I did. But it was a difficult operation
> to run; I stayed the night in Spokane, and then in
> the morning we were bussed out to Sandpoint due to
> the volume of trains on BNSF's "funnel". It would
> have been much better to start the trip in
> Spokane.
>
> The ride the first day, of course, was
> spectacular. We went "the long way" through De
> Smet and not over Dixon Hill, and overnighted in
> Missoula, which is a curious collection of
> leftover hippies and stranded 1930s international
> workers' movement members.
>
> The second day was even more spectacular, over
> several mountain ranges. The train, of course,
> ran via Helana, since the Butte line is out of
> service. The train didn't actually get to
> Billings, but unloaded off the main line at
> Laurel, on a wye. Again, we were bussed into
> Billings.
>
> A great trip, and if it still ran, I'd do it
> again.

The Montana Rockies Rail Tours, for example, is a trip that I could have seen the successors to the American Orient Express operate if they were going for a 4 to 5 day tour with sleepers and the consist that they had operating.

However, I'd probably start a step back and have the train leave Seattle (around 10 a.m.) head to Portland and then out to Spokane (just because I think the Columbia River Gorge route is a more scenic route than the Empire Builder route over the Cascade Mountains). Passengers enjoy an overnight train experience aboard to Glacier National Park. Day 2 would largely be a tour of Glacier National Park and then back on the train to sort of back-track to get started on the former Montana Rail Tour line. Park the train as needed for overnight sleeping before heading "south" throgh the Montana Rockies.

The two days aboard the train (daylight running) to enjoy what was on the former Montana Rockies Rail Tour line. Overnight parked somewhere along the route. Not sure where the terminus of this journey would be. But it would be a trip with no more than 4 or 5 nights onboard and only two major stops for passengers to get off the train - Glacier and then either Missoula or some other stop on the rail line. The terminus though would have to be somewhere near an airport - perhaps the last day would just be travelling overnight to get to Salt Lake City or extension to Denver by (i.e. largely a daylight trip between Salt Lake City and Denver).

Day 1: Seattle-Portland (overnight onboard enroute to Glacier National Park)
Day 2: Arrive in the Glacier National Park area for a Tour. Then back on train to get on the former Montana Rockies Rail Tour Line (overnight on a siding in Montana somewhere).
Day 3: Former Montana Rockies Rail Tour Line Daylight running with an afternoon stop and overnight parking in Missoula, for example.
Day 4: Former Montana Rockies Rail Tour Line Daylight running with continuation onbboard for an overnight enroute to Salt Lake City.
Day 5: Salt Lake City to Denver