Magnificent memories of one of the world's finest trains, and that scenic wonder that is Homestake Pass. I was lucky enough to ride the North Coast in early 1962, and will never forget how good train travel could really be. Gee, did we REALLY give it up for freeways and flying sardine cans??
Great history here, I flew over Homestake Pass low-level in a helicopter last year. The tracks were still mostly intact, but it was obvious they hadn't been used in a while. It is a really spectacular stretch of railroad, and I was wondering what it would be like to see a train twisting along the tracks. Thanks so much for posting all these fantastic videos. I know of your father from many of his PGE/BCR pictures, but had no idea he documented so much of what is now gone in North America.
Great Northern received their Comes in 1955. The Northern Pacific did the year before in 1954. It is commonly referred to the 1954 Vista Dome Train. Great Video!
Having grown up along the former Northern Pacific transcon (long after NP was assumed into the BN), seeing this video helps fill in so many gaps in what I have always imagined must have been a colorful past! Great to see the CBQ and NP passenger and freight trains plying these Montana lines. What a spectacular find--thanks for sharing!
I travelled aboard the North Coast Limited from Seattle to St Paul in 1961. It was still a fine train. Remember the stop at Butte, where the UP's Butte Special was on the adjoining platform. Those were the days.
You bet! I took it from Seattle to Bismarck in 1966. It was still a fine train then. And, yes, the Butte Special was at the Butte depot. I even have a photo of it that I took from the Vista Dome. Great times.
Thank you for posting this. My great uncle would have loved to have seen this, and my grandmother told me about the luxery, thrill and joy of riding the North Coast Limited out of Butte. I was definately born in the wrong time, and wish I could have experienced such a trip through Montana. If you have other videos I would be grateful if you posted them. Thank you!!
The North Coast Limited received it's dome cars in 1955, so the film would have to be later than 1953. I rode this train just after BN came on the scene but the only evidence of the merger was the BN logo on the sugar packets in the diner. It was a great train.
My dad worked for the NP until his death in 1970 just after the merger. I would give "my left leg" to go back in time, ride the North Coast Limited again, and record all I could with modern digital camera technology. This video here is very accurate and representative of the NP from Butte to Billings. Somewhat unrelated, I took my last run on a passenger train over these same tracks in July, 1975 (Amtrak equivalent, Spokane to Minneapolis) and of course, not long afterward there were no passenger runs on the NP main line. Should have never happened. An Amtrak Superliner would be welcome. Riders would be dazzled by the scenery.
At 6:42 on the video I noticed the tail car NP 393, Spokane Club. This car is now being displayed at the Northern Pacific Railway Museum Toppenish WA. This is the first video I have seen of it running on the line. We invite ya-alls to come out and see our restoration.
Anyone know where the tower @2:55 was located? So many CB&Q units in Billings/Laurel! You just don't think of them in MT, but they were there. I never got to ride the NCL, but somewhere around 67-69 my mom, sister and I rode the CBQ from Billings, MT to Creston, IA. That was not a first class passenger train at all at that time. But still remember the trip! Thanks for putting this footage up!
> Anyone know where the tower @2:55 was located? That's a great question! It's not the MILW diamond in Sappington, there's no mountains in the background. It's not the xing of MILW's Bozeman branch in Three Forks, the angle and background are both wrong. Was the NP's old main around Belgrade still around in '53? That's the only thing I can possibly think of.
Just shared this on Facebook. Love that it has the NP that one of my Cousins worked and CB&Q that my Paternal Grandfather and one of his btothers were part of!
@4:31, it's interesting to see that there were a lot of boneheads even back then who would challenge a many-thousand-ton train. Good grief! Thanks again for sharing these with us! Hopefully you can get these films to one of the railroad video companies to sell (assuming you might be interested in such a thing, and I hope you are! :-) )
It would take some serious funding but I believe a steam locomotive tourist train from Whitehall to Butte could work from May to October. It could be a great tourist draw to that part of Montana. Probably too costly at this point.
I really like the Northern Pacific passenger paint scheme!
Thanks, everyone, for your very nice comments. Dad was a diligent recorder of railway history over the years.
Magnificent memories of one of the world's finest trains, and that scenic wonder that is Homestake Pass. I was lucky enough to ride the North Coast in early 1962, and will never forget how good train travel could really be. Gee, did we REALLY give it up for freeways and flying sardine cans??
Great history here, I flew over Homestake Pass low-level in a helicopter last year. The tracks were still mostly intact, but it was obvious they hadn't been used in a while. It is a really spectacular stretch of railroad, and I was wondering what it would be like to see a train twisting along the tracks. Thanks so much for posting all these fantastic videos. I know of your father from many of his PGE/BCR pictures, but had no idea he documented so much of what is now gone in North America.
Thank you ! For the great footage. Now thats how you run a Railroad !
Great Northern received their Comes in 1955. The Northern Pacific did the year before in 1954. It is commonly referred to the 1954 Vista Dome Train. Great Video!
Having grown up along the former Northern Pacific transcon (long after NP was assumed into the BN), seeing this video helps fill in so many gaps in what I have always imagined must have been a colorful past! Great to see the CBQ and NP passenger and freight trains plying these Montana lines. What a spectacular find--thanks for sharing!
+Christopher Stroh Thanks Christopher!
I travelled aboard the North Coast Limited from Seattle to St Paul in 1961. It was still a fine train. Remember the stop at Butte, where the UP's Butte Special was on the adjoining platform. Those were the days.
You bet! I took it from Seattle to Bismarck in 1966. It was still a fine train then. And, yes, the Butte Special was at the Butte depot. I even have a photo of it that I took from the Vista Dome. Great times.
Can’t beat the scenery of the NCL route.
Thank you for posting this. My great uncle would have loved to have seen this, and my grandmother told me about the luxery, thrill and joy of riding the North Coast Limited out of Butte. I was definately born in the wrong time, and wish I could have experienced such a trip through Montana. If you have other videos I would be grateful if you posted them. Thank you!!
Beautiful railroad photography! Wish those great trains were still running, would have loved to ride them.
They would still be running if the people would have continued to ride them.
@@jackjules7552 Thanks for the wonderful jewel of wisdom.
I was a chair poster and it was great
I really want the trains back in homestake pass
Thank you for sharing the video! Very much enjoyed watching!
I love this train!
your videos are a real treasure..
The North Coast Limited received it's dome cars in 1955, so the film would have to be later than 1953. I rode this train just after BN came on the scene but the only evidence of the merger was the BN logo on the sugar packets in the diner. It was a great train.
Wow! Great video. The real bonus is the footage of Billings and the trip on the far west CB&Q trackage through Wind River Canyon in Wyoming.
My dad worked for the NP until his death in 1970 just after the merger. I would give "my left leg" to go back in time, ride the North Coast Limited again, and record all I could with modern digital camera technology. This video here is very accurate and representative of the NP from Butte to Billings.
Somewhat unrelated, I took my last run on a passenger train over these same tracks in July, 1975 (Amtrak equivalent, Spokane to Minneapolis) and of course, not long afterward there were no passenger runs on the NP main line. Should have never happened. An Amtrak Superliner would be welcome. Riders would be dazzled by the scenery.
At 6:42 on the video I noticed the tail car NP 393, Spokane Club. This car is now being displayed at the Northern Pacific Railway Museum Toppenish WA. This is the first video I have seen of it running on the line. We invite ya-alls to come out and see our restoration.
thank you;dave wilkie for the splendid photography.
Anyone know where the tower @2:55 was located?
So many CB&Q units in Billings/Laurel! You just don't think of them in MT, but they were there.
I never got to ride the NCL, but somewhere around 67-69 my mom, sister and I rode the CBQ from Billings, MT to Creston, IA. That was not a first class passenger train at all at that time. But still remember the trip!
Thanks for putting this footage up!
> Anyone know where the tower @2:55 was located?
That's a great question! It's not the MILW diamond in Sappington, there's no mountains in the background. It's not the xing of MILW's Bozeman branch in Three Forks, the angle and background are both wrong. Was the NP's old main around Belgrade still around in '53? That's the only thing I can possibly think of.
I'm guessing the tower may have been somewhere around Whitehall.
Between Chicago, Illinois and Pacific Northwest.
Marvelous. I actually enjoy the silence as I found my mind inserting locomotive and other train sounds as I watched.
Thanks for sharing!
- Reg
Thanks Nicholas!
My parents were 14 years old when this was filmed. I'm 54 now.
This is fantastic, shots over Homestake Pass are priceless as this line is out of service.
tom koller thanks!
Looks like it will be back in service before too long, now that BNSF is taking back the Montana Rail Link trackage!
@@gregretro The current condition of that section is worse than horrifically bad. It will take a lot of money to get it back to a safe condition.
Just shared this on Facebook. Love that it has the NP that one of my Cousins worked and CB&Q that my Paternal Grandfather and one of his btothers were part of!
The long climb west out of Butte was spectacular!
Thanks!
Long climb East.
Awesome scenes! Thanks for sharing your family keepsakes with us.
@4:31, it's interesting to see that there were a lot of boneheads even back then who would challenge a many-thousand-ton train. Good grief! Thanks again for sharing these with us! Hopefully you can get these films to one of the railroad video companies to sell (assuming you might be interested in such a thing, and I hope you are! :-) )
It would take some serious funding but I believe a steam locomotive tourist train from Whitehall to Butte could work from May to October. It could be a great tourist draw to that part of Montana. Probably too costly at this point.
Love the camera shots!
Nice. Thanks for the comment.
beautiful video--add some music to it
boy that fellow in the trench=coat is smoking like it was still legal!