A westbound BNSF grain train works up the 2.2 percent grade of Mullan Pass as the train wraps through two huge horseshoe curves in the climb out of Austin, Montana, on October 16, 2018. The head end of the train is at a location called “Weed,” while the middle part of the train is seen between the two horseshoes. The track in the foreground past the East Austin signal box saw passage of the lead locomotives about fifteen minute earlier. Not visible is a lone DPU on the rear of the train, and in the upper horseshoe to the right, a four-unit set of MRL EMD SD70ACe helpers entrained toward the middle of the heavy grain cars. These units will be cut out on the other side of the pass at Elliston and then return to Helena to help another “heavy” train.
