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Re: MRL 109 - Helena Switch - To Montana City-Real choo-choo's
Author: ex-BN
Date: 09-09-2016 - 20:08
Jocko Wrote:
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> Was there a branch that extended beyond this
> site.?
The Helena to Montana City is a remnant of the Montana Central which was part of Great Northern's Twin Cities to Butte, MT mainline. The GN needed revenue and Butte was the place to go so they put off building to Seattle while they went to Butte. Later, just west of Havre, MT, they "branched off" the Butte line and built to Seattle at what is still known as Pacific Junction. The Montana City line was severed after the BN merger in favor of the NP route from Helena to Butte via Garrsion. At this point the line went as far as Basin out of Helena but the 1981 washouts doomed the track beyond Montana City. The Basin line was on short time anyway as the (talc?) mine was soon to shut and the line would be obliterated by the construction of I-15.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was there a branch that extended beyond this
> site.?
The Helena to Montana City is a remnant of the Montana Central which was part of Great Northern's Twin Cities to Butte, MT mainline. The GN needed revenue and Butte was the place to go so they put off building to Seattle while they went to Butte. Later, just west of Havre, MT, they "branched off" the Butte line and built to Seattle at what is still known as Pacific Junction. The Montana City line was severed after the BN merger in favor of the NP route from Helena to Butte via Garrsion. At this point the line went as far as Basin out of Helena but the 1981 washouts doomed the track beyond Montana City. The Basin line was on short time anyway as the (talc?) mine was soon to shut and the line would be obliterated by the construction of I-15.
