Montana Rail Link's Last Fall - Railfanning MRL in Fall 2023

I went to Montana for a week in October and caught some of the action on the Montana Rail Link 2nd Sub between Livingston and Helena. Some track curfews in the area for a few maintenance projects held me back from catching more than I did, but I found some locals running west of Bozeman. I also chased a train from Helena to Bozeman and caught a few special locomotives that MRL has on their roster.
#montana #trains #railfanning #trainwatching
#montanaraillink #mrl #bozemanmontana #bnsf #bnsfrailroad #railroad

[@HOmodeler-lg8vq]

Great video! Love all the action you caught.

[@GnarrProductions]

Thanks!

[@davestrains6816]

Excellent catches and video. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@GnarrProductions]

Thanks Dave! :D

[@consanna]

First great video capturing the scenery and sounds. The MRL leased the line. The BNSF paid MRL 2 Billion to end the lease early. This was not a merger. Rather taking over what was Northern Pacific. The Northern in Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

[@GnarrProductions]

Thanks! :D
Correct, it was a takeover of the line. Not a merger. I tried to word it that way in the video. My apologies if it didn’t play out well.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

It is now official January 1st 2024 BNSF takes ownership of the MRL
After 36 years the former Northern Pacific track line becomes a fallen flag again
Although the orange and black have been a very common sight for the last year on the MRL rails especially on the leadpoint.
Of course the main reason for that is and it will be determined to see how long will the old mrls still be utilized before they're either sold off to short lines or in the museums or scrapped is because they do not have PTC.

[@GnarrProductions]

Yep! Well said.
I know a few GP9’s and SD45’s were scrapped a couple weeks before the merger. I saw that in a Facebook group I belong to. I would imagine that the SD70ACe’s would have PTC installed and the power retained. The other SD40-2’s, and GP35’s I imagine will either find their way to a short line or be kept on the roster. This is of course if BNSF also bought the power, otherwise who knows what MRL (they are still a company as they do own several trackside properties and run a short line in Canada) will do with it long term. I hear that 2 MRL ACe’s were used on a Laurel to Missoula Manifest today.

[@DL541]

Fakebonnet.... lol... In the industry, if we talk about colors, they are referred to as "red and silver," or my preferred "war bonnet."
But well done good video.

[@GnarrProductions]

Thanks!
That’s fair. On the east coast we’ve always differentiated between the Santa Fe lettered ones and the BNSF ones as “Warbonnets” and “Fake Bonnets”. Definitely appreciate the clarity on that from an industry perspective!