BNSF Hi Line Sub - Marias Pass: Whitefish to Cut Bank Montana. Summer 2022

In late July 2022, we took a road trip from Alberta to Montana, to check out the MRL and the BNSF on Marias Pass. On the first day in Montana, we took a quick drive across Marias Pass, before heading down to the MRL mainline. The video starts out with the Eastbound Empire Builder at Whitefish, which we attempted (unsuccessfully) to chase to Essex. At The Izaak Walton Inn, we caught an eastbound grain train with BNSF 5828, sporting the logos of the BNSF predecessor companies and followed it east to East Glacier, Montana. A few days later we returned to Cut Bank to spend a day shooting the bridge.
The next morning, we caught the Eastbound Empire Builder and some freight action before venturing off to Marias Pass and stayed two nights at the Izaak Walton Inn. Locations visited include: Meriwether, Camp Disappointment, Browning, The Two Medicine Bridge at East Glacier, Summit, Marias, Snowshed 4, Essex, Paola, Tunnel 4 at Belton and Whitefish. Near the end of the video, I’ve included some clips of the yard power in Great Falls which had a pair of BN Green units. The final clips are of a loaded oil train with a Santa Fe warbonnet GE on the tailend at Whitefish and Olney, on the Kootenai River Sub.
0:00 Amtrak 8 at Whitefish
1:15 BNSF 5828 at Essex
2:59 BNSF Westbound at Snowshed 4
5:50 BNSF WB Oil Cut Bank East
8:24 BNSF EB Oil Cut Bank East
9:38 BNSF 5828 Two Medicine Bridge
11:05 BNSF EB Oil Cut Bank East
12:03 BNSF WB Manifest Cut Bank curve
14:22 Amtrak 7 Cut Bank
15:00 BNSF WB Manifest Cut Bank Creek Trestle
17:41 BNSF EB Stacks Two Medicine Bridge
19:26 Amtrak 8 Browning Curve
20:01 BNSF WB Grain Cut Bank Creek Trestle
22:08 Cut Bank Curve meet
23:04 BNSF EB Stacks Cut Bank Creek Trestle
25:17 BNSF WB Manifest 7 Units
28:20 BNSF EB STacks Cut Bank Creek Trestle
30:36 BNSF WB 7 Units Camp Disappointment
30:55 BNSF EB Grain Camp Disappointment
32:49 BNSF WB Grain Browning meet
36:15 BNSF EB Grain False Summit
37:42 BNSF WB Grain Marias Summit
39:40 BNSF EB Manifest Summit
41:28 BNSF WB Manifest 7 Units Summit
43:44 BNSF WB Grain Belton Tunnel 4
46:16 BNSF EB Stacks Essex
48:01 BNSF WB Manifest Belton Tunnel 4
51:21 Amtrak 8 Essex
52:14 BNSF EB Manifest Marias
54:25 Essex Helpers return
54:56 BNSF EB Stacks Summit
56:07 BNSF WB Grain w/ CP Power Summit
58:04 CP DPU and IMX departs East
1:01:28 BNSF EB Work Train Summit
1:02:03 BNSF WB Grain Belton Tunnel 4
1:04:10 BNSF WB Manifest Paolo
1:05:50 BNSF EB Stacks Belton Tunnel 4
1:08:02 BNSF WB Grain CP Power Belton
1:09:31 BNSF EB Stacks Paola
1:12:19 BNSF WB Intermodal Izaak Walton
1:14:27 BNSF EB Manifest Summit BNSF-SF-KCS
1:16:39 BNSF WB Stacks Two Medicine Bridge
1:18:07 Amtrak 8 Two Medicine Bridge
1:18:38 BNSF EB Manifest Two Medicine Bridge
1:20:44 BNSF WB Grain Meriwether Elevator
1:22:49 BNSF EB Manifest Browning Curve
1:24:19 BNSF WB Grain Blackfoot
1:27:44 BNSF EB Manifest Cut Bank Creek Trestle
1:30:41 BNSF Local Great Falls
1:32:52 BNSF Yard Power 1 Great Falls
1:34:51 BNSF Yard Power 2 Great Falls
1:36:48 BNSF WB Oil Whitefish West
1:39:07 BNSF WB Oil Olney MT

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

WOW fantastic video and catches. Love the scenery. We subbed your channel and have a wonderful rest of your Tuesday.(Steve)

[@patdino222]

AWESOME Video

[@johnvieira8716]

Maria’s Pass is half of theme use to create my layout the other is the Cascades and the Northern Rockies. Half diesel and steam . It took me the better of 17 years to build it and it took over the whole attic and 2nd floor and a room and a half left. Inspiration came from Gordon Light foot’s Canadian railway trilogy. Now for the Rockies and sierra’s . Now for the Rockies and Sierra’s with the same,Steam and diesel. Riverossi Athearn and new company supplies the power and rolling stock . I’m 63 now and don’t have any Grandchildren but a few dogs Can’t go wrong either way I go. I

[@RTWest-kn5fr]

Excellent! A well-made video if ever one to be seen and detailed. Hard to find this quality and in such a thoroughly enjoyable presentation. Gracias por tu video. RT sends, envía, Colonia Centro Histórico, Puebla, México.

[@spankyham9607]

This is a really well put together video. I love the Montana background. Thanks! Earned a sub here!

[@seankolker]

Should’ve been up in June. It snowed at the pass.

[@norcal_rail_photographer16]

Question about the tunnel 4 spot. When I have gone to the pass in the past I have tried to get a shot at this location. I never have tho because a tree kept blocking my view. Any recommendations on how to get a clear shot of the river, tracks, and tunnel without being photobombed? Thanks.