So I'm hearing a lot of rumors, from multiple sources that there is a plan to reopen the line from Logan to Missoula thru Butte. Apparently the Mullan Tunnel has become a bottleneck and is limiting the number of trains on the MRL line thru southern Montana. The fix is pretty simple.........the line from Missoula to Butte is still open and lightly used..........the line from Logan to the bottom of Pipestone pass is still used by a couple of locals and to haul ballast from the plant at the base of the pass (they currently load on the main). So you redo the track from Pipestone to Butte (maybe 20 miles?) and start running more trains. Apparently the plan is to run eastbound empty trains (primarily coal) over Pipestone pass. The hope is to make room for at least 3 more loaded trains per day headed west. That doesn't sound like much, but that's over 1000 revenue trains a year. I don't know the economics of what a 110 car coal train generates, but X 1000 has to be worth reopening 20 miles of track. Anyone else hearing these rumors lately?
Well, this rumor has popped up many times these past couple of years. It is a nuisance but I had not heard the tunnel was that bad as a bottleneck. There shouldn't be so many trains daily as to cause that. I have not seen figures since just before Christmas, but from mid-October to week one of November, BNSF trains via MRL peaked at twenty per day then dropped slightly. (Total both directions.) Add in the MRL trains, and you still only have roughly about one train per hour. Unless BNSF has diverted even more traffic to MRL, I dunno. Not that I wouldn't like to see action up there again.
A quick correction: the MRL/BNSF/NP line east out of Butte crosses Homestake Pass, not Pipestone Pass. Pipestone was the Milwaukee Road crossing of the continental divide into Butte. There is some stunning scenery up atop Homestake Pass. I'd love to see it in action again. Doesn't BNSF still technically own Homestake? I camped atop the pass in Nat'l Forest land in 2009, when Alaska GP49 and I did our barnstorming tour of MT from Shelby-Whitefish-Missoula-Alberton-Butte-Great Falls. Here's a couple Homestake views:
Yes..........I stand corrected Hemi...........got my "bottom of the grade" and the pass mixed together. We are talking the NP line over Homestake. It does seem this rumor pops up periodically, but this time I'm hearing it from more reliable sources, not just "rumor". What I was told is that the tunnel needs to be "aired out" after each train, so you can't just run trains thru one after the other. I know when we toured Livingston, nobody was too happy with the new (at that time) SD70's because the computerized systems would freak out because of exhaust fumes in the tunnels. I also heard rumors of crews using respirators to make it thru (this was right after the ACe's came on line). Anyway .......makes sense they need to allow some venting time between trains. Does the Mullan tunnel have forced venting? Boxcab....was there any word on WHY there was a down trend.........possibly they aren't sending them this way because of the delays they are encountering? Just wondering. BNSF seems to be buying new cars as fast as they can, and I've heard there is a waiting list for shippers to obtain cars of up to several weeks. And there are a lot of "old" locos showing up again. When I went thru Laurel 2 weeks ago there were 3 big SD's in BN green sitting in the service area......I was too far away to tell what model, but unless BNSF has started a "fallen flags" heritage fleet, those had to have been pulled off a storage line somewhere and put back in service. Doesn't sound like traffic in general is in a down trend.
Mullan tunnel does have an old ventilation system, but I don't believe it has operated in years. Cascade Tunnel on BNSF in Washington suffers the ventilation issue too. train capacity is limited due to the ventilation times between trains. If Mullan tunnel is naturally ventilated, it certainly has a capacity limit as well. Homestake has tough grades 2.2%, equalling Mullan Pass, and equally tough curvature if not worse. It would take the same dire capacity need to reopen Tennessee Pass with its extreme grades and operational headaches to warrant reviving Homestake. Not that I don't want to railfan both passes if they operated again, reality says it's too expensive to revive at this time.
There is stunning scenery over Pipestone Pass as well: if the Milwaukee Road was still there, that could be an easy solution to traffic problems, especially if it was still electrified. If not the summit tunnel most likely would need some ventilation, or a directional running setup could be used so that only westbounds would use Pipestone so they would not be fighting a grade through the tunnel and would only be running downgrade through the tunnel.
Good question. The charts showed the week after day one of November, it dropped from averaging 20 to 17 daily. That was the end of the graphic. Contact this morning confirmed that, and it sounds as if it is possibly less than that last number now. BNSF has been known have spells of not routing via MRL. Probably some bean counter decided too much money was going out and wanted things tightened up.
I seem to recall seeing some pictures a few years back. The equipment was badly vandalized and decaying.
Yes. That is partly to blame, as is this usual winter weather. But the trend seems to have begun pre-oil production slump.
MRL remodeled Mullan Tunnel by lowereing the floor ad relining the tunnel as well as daylighting part of it. The old ventilating system is history
Yes. Although it had been disused, when that last tunnel work was done, the remains were finally removed.
