Six months after BNSF reclaimed Montana Rail Link, the Helena local still looked like the train of a recent blue past. On July 9, 2024, the local is powered with MRL SD40-2XR No. 262 leading venerable GP9 No. 109, and is working through one last curve before reaching the Ash Grove cement plant at Montana City, Montana. This five-mile spur out of East Helena is a remnant of Great Northern’s scenic Helena to Butte route.
