The Flickr Mrl4Thsubdivision Image Generatr

Three Dash 9-44CW's lead an eastbound unit train of covered hoppers near the Noxon Rapids Dam in Noxon, MT.

BNSF’s Day Gas Local led by an SD70MAC heads west through Woodlin nearing its destination of Pipeline.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

An ET, ES, and Dash 9 lead a westbound train of black diamonds deep from the heart of the Powder River Basin. Here the train crosses the Clark Fork River in the town that shares the same name.

BNSF 6936 leads a westbound grain train under the dual searchlights at the west end of Plains Siding on a cool February day in 2025.

After a very slow day on the former MRL, I shot one last train. An eastbound unit train of white 4-bay hoppers leans around the famous Weeksville curve as darkness grows more prominent in the western Montana sky. Purple and pink still dot the clouds but darkness will soon fall and the night life will begin.

BNSF 5409 leads a westbound unit grain under the cantilever searchlights at East Plains as the sun throws hues of pink into the northwestern sky.

With a sky filled with shades of pink and orange and the Clark Fork reflecting similar hues, a BNSF manifest led by a Dash 9-44CW leans around a curve on the east end of Toole siding on BNSF’s MRL 4th Subdivision.

BNSF 5287 West passes by a high green signal at the east end of Superior siding as the sunset casts golden light on the mountain sides in the distance.

BNSF’s Day Gas Local led by an interesting duo heads eastward through Schilling at track speed. What a day catching trains on the former MRL, one of the best I have had so far. This also marks 250 pictures here on Flickr, and I want to give a special shout out to the community here. I can't believe I have already uploaded 250 photos, and while none compare to any of my followers I hope that someday they can. I have always had a love of trains since the time I could talk, they're big, loud, and powerful and everything a young boy could ever want to spend his time watching. As I grew older I picked up railfanning as a hobby and found myself wanting to take photos with my moms phone camera. Without the amazing person I have as a mom none of this would have ever happened as she always supported me in doing it. On April 1st, 2020 my life would change forever when I learned that my local shortline which I had fallen in love with, shuttered its operations in Columbia Falls, MT. Mission Mountain Railroad’s Kalispell Branch was no longer, and BNSF took over operations. It had made an impact on me that I could have never imagined possible and soon learned that preserving railroad history through the lens of a camera was something I wanted to pursue as a full time hobby. So when I got my first job in my sophomore year of high school, I put aside a few thousand dollars to purchase a Canon EOS 80D and started to teach myself the ins and outs of photography. As I got more comfortable with the quality of my pictures I decided to start uploading to Flickr, and wow, you guys really seem to like this stuff and I want to thank all of you for viewing these photos. I want to give a special shoutout to Logan Kinloch (first follower), Justin Franz, and Tom Danneman. You guys have been especially inspiring to me, and all of my followers have been inspiring to me in one way or another. The railfan community here on Flickr is fantastic and you're all so helpful, and always have a kind word to say, thank you all. 250 Photos and I look forward to 250 more!

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

BNSF’s Day Gas Local leans into a sharp curve at Cyr on BNSF’s MRL 4th Subdivision. This is a pretty photogenic location to catch trains but it's not everyday you can get a shot of the Gas Local here as it normally takes the 10th Subdivision back to Missoula. Today was an exception due to the local being tasked with dragging a string of M-O-W hoppers from Woodlin to Westfall.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

BNSF’s Day Gas Local is eastbound through Spring Gulch on the MRL 4th Subdivision on its return trip from Thompson Falls. Today's Gas also has a few M-O-W hoppers tied onto the front that were picked up at Woodlin shortly after the train left Pipeline.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

BNSF’s Day Gas Local rolls along the north bank of the Clark Fork River just west of Plains.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

As if the day isn't interesting enough BNSF’s Day Gas Local makes for yet another surprise. I paced the train between Plains and Paradise as I had many times before, however unlike most days when coming up to the old NP Station at Paradise the crew made no effort to slow the train instead they flew through town at 40 MPH and around the curve down the 4th Subdivision. “Looks like we won't get back to Missoula on time today” I said to myself. It allowed me to get some very interesting pictures that you normally can't get of the Gas Local on its way back to Missoula. While not unheard of it is much more rare for the Gas to use this line on its eastbound return.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

BNSF’s Day Gas Local heads east through Eddy at track speed. Today's train is guided through the Rockies by BNSF 5304, a Dash 9-44CW built in 2001. Its partner in crime is BNSF 290, a SD75I built in 1997. Today's train also looks a little different than it normally does, that being due to 8 M-O-W hoppers that the local is tasked with dragging back east.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

BNSF’s Day Gas Local came to a stop at Woodlin and the power was cut away from the train and ran down the siding on the south side of the main. Today’s local was tasked with picking up 8 M-O-W hopper cars and dragging them back east. While the Gas Local’s main responsibility is getting petroleum products from Missoula to Pipeline it is also in charge of any oddball work that must be done between Missoula and Thompson Falls, picking up bad order cars, setting out M-O-W equipment, switching Thompson River Lumbers sawmill at Woodlin, it's all up to the Gas Local to get it done.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

With the 8 M-O-W hoppers now tied on and tested for air, BNSF 5304 and 290 are now ready to tie back onto the empty tank cars. In this scene it’s almost unclear that this is the Gas Local at all. After getting back on the rest of their train the Gas Local will be ready to head east for Missoula.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

After finding success shooting the Gas Local with a pair of SD75I’s just a few days earlier I decided to test my luck once again. However I would not be greeted with a pair of EMD’s but a SD75I and a Dash 9 in the lead. While I was somewhat disappointed I soon found that today would be even better than the previous outing. Just as the Gas Local finished up at Pipeline and got underway it just as quickly stopped again. My scanner had a low battery so I missed any transmission over the radio. Turns out today’s local was tasked with taking a few M-O-W hoppers back east with them.

Subdivision: MRL 4th Subdivision
Train Name: Day Gas Local
Train Symbol: R-MON809

BNSF 4126 West fly's across the Clark Fork River just outside Thompson Falls on a chilly January morning.

BNSF 4126 West makes track speed through Eddy as the sun rises above the Cabinet Mountains on a very cold January morning.

BNSF 4126 West rolls at track speed under the soon to be replaced searchlight signals at Plains. After standing the test of time these old NP signals will finally fall as part of BNSF’s plan to modernize and standardize the former MRL mainline.