Forsyth Sub Dec 13-14, 2007
On Thursday December 13, 2007 I flew into Billings, MT for a long weekend of photographing trains on the MRL. After my arrival in the early afternoon and picking up the rental car I first drove east of town towards Huntley and to Jones Jct where the Forsyth Sub begins. I have always liked the Forsyth Sub as with locations such as Pompeys Pillar, Custer and Big Horn you just get a feel of "The Old West" when in the area. This is also a part of the ex-Northern Pacific transcontinental main line between Northtown and the west coast with much of the traffic being coal trains. I also like the fact TWC is used between Jones Jct and Hysham just west of Forsyth so it is easy to keep track of what is running. Spending a little time here would be a good way to start out the trip.
As I was coming into Huntley I heard a westbound BNSF train approaching Jones Jct and arrived just as it was curving off the main line towards Sheridan. So I continued east as I heard the FURX 8126 East stopped at a red signal west of Custer with a train ahead. It was also meeting a westbound there. I arrived at Custer just as the FURX 8126 was coming up to the east switch. Here the general merchandise train with the FURX 8126/EMD 9063 is on the move headed towards Forsyth with the DPU of the empty coal train showing in the siding at 3:37pm.
BNSF #8126 East at Custer, MT on 13 December 2007.
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With the 8126 out of the way the BNSF 6162 West got a warrant from Custer to Pompeys Pillar and started out of the siding. Just west of Waco a bright sunbreak came up and lit up the front of the 6162 nicely.
BNSF #6162 West at West Waco, MT on 13 December 2007.
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Power for this westbound coal train was the 6162/TFM 1603. The DPU was the BNSF 6188. At Pompeys Pillar it met the BNSF 6913 East (but the sun had set by then) and continued to Jones Jct and then south toward Sheridan. I then went back to Billings for the night. My plans for the next morning were to come back and spend a little more time on the Forsyth Sub before heading to the MRL for the remainder of the trip.
Friday morning 12-13-07 was bright and sunny but very cold! After leaving the motel in Billings I headed east towards Huntley and Jones Jct for a few hours of photographing the BNSF before heading west back to the MRL. As I neared Huntley I heard a BNSF eastbound getting a warrant as far as Pompeys Pillar with instructions to go into the siding. I caught up to the head end just after Worden and made it easily to the overpass at the west switch. As I parked the car I heard the detector give a report and "23 degrees" as the temperature. I walked up to the bridge waiting for the train to arrive. It seemed like a very long wait and the wind was howling. I was cold!
The train approached slowly and I photographed the head end with BNSF 6175/BN 9555 coming to a stop to throw the switch at 9:01am.
BNSF #6175 East at Pompeys Pillar on 14 December 2007.
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I could really feel the cold wind as I went back to the car! It felt great to get inside and warm up. I moved a bit further east to photograph the train entering the siding when I noticed something I never had before in my trips to Pompeys Pillar. There was an angle where you could get a train and the monument in the same shot! I was quite pleased to get a photo showing the historical location where Capt Clark wrote his signature on the sandstone. It bears the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It was also noted in 1873 General Custer and his men camped opposite the Pillar and were fired upon by Sioux Indians. It can be seen just to the right of the lead locomotive.
BNSF #6175 East at Pompeys Pillar on 14 December 2007.
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The eastbound was going to meet two westbounds. The first with BNSF 6233 leading passed by at 9:21am. The light was pretty bad for a westbound so I continued east knowing there was a second westbound coming and might find a better sun angle. A few miles east of Pompeys Pillar I found a better sun angle and waited. Soon the BNSF 5096 came into view and I noticed it was a grain train. Here the BNSF 5096/BNSF 908/FXE 4686 are headed west towards Pompeys Pillar and eventually the west coast for unloading.
BNSF #5096 West at East Pompeys Pillar on 14 December 2007.
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I followed this train back towards Huntley and on to Billings. Then I continued west to photograph MRL trains over Bozeman Pass. It may have been a short visit to the Forsyth Sub but I did enjoy it!
