Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF)
Photographs by Tom Trencansky, Dryden, New York

March, 1997. 

Winter is not the normal railfan period to visit the BNSF over Marias Pass and northern Montana.  A westbound train led by a BN GE  is coming through Summit in a snow squall.

BN 3141 leads an eastbound on a morning run through Marias Pass.  The train is east of Summit.

Another eastbound making track speed through the location known as Bison, MT.

Weather can vary greatly in the mountains and following an eastbound out over the eastern flats.  This trestle is located on the west end of Cutbank, MT.  The actual location is from a Pizza Hut parking lot.  Not bad scenery?

Summit may have one weather pattern while the rest of the area may have others.  This westbound is meeting an eastbound near Summit before heading west down the slope towards Essex and Whitefish.  Snow falling on the mountains, sun is shining brightly back towards West Glacier.

The same train is exiting one of the tunnels near West Glacier, and viewed directly off the highway.

Highway 2 follows the BNSF mainline for a "hundred" miles.  Most of the views on this page were taken directly from the side of the road!  A trio of BN green EMD's is heading eastbound through Summit, elevation 5213.  Look at that snow on the peaks!

Two medicine bridge.  Even the name sounds spiritual.  This view of a westbound train is taken from a railroad access road originating near the East Glacier passenger station.

Mountains in the background at the summit and a westbound in the valley.

Flathead Tunnel is well west of Whitefish but you never know where a sunny day chase might take you.  A word of caution that roads such as the one into this remote area may be only marginally passable during cold weather.  As the sun drops and the melted snow freezes, get back onto solid ground.  Were those wolves we heard howling?

Bison and another westbound in the snow.

Following eastbounds beyond Browning, MT will allow some high-speed chasing and photography along Highway 2.  This GE is panned at 55 miles per hour as it heads for that huge trestle near Cutbank.

A westbound grain train snakes along the river at Conkelley, again as viewed from Highway 2.  Many trains run with power on the rear and in this case, the locomotives give the impression that you are viewing an eastbound.

Another eastbound in the snow.  The train has just passed through the summit and will be heading towards East Glacier and points east.

This website was created by Tom Trencansky to illustrate one of his favorite photo
locations, near Essex, MT.   To find other similar websites as well as a links page to
Tom's favorite sites, go to: www.newyorkrailroads.com.