After finishing up switching at the cement plant at Townsend, Montana Rail Link’s Helena switch heads for home on the morning of October 17, 2018. At this late date, it is pretty rare to see a local running on a main line anywhere with a vintage set of power like this featuring an EMD SD45/GP9 combination. MRL Nos. 346 and 109 look and sound great as they thunder up the eastern grade of Winston Hill approaching Winston, Montana.
The EMD SD (special duty) series are a strong and reliable kind of locomotive which still serve America's rails today. They have proved themselves reliable by clocking in several million miles of freight service over several decades.