There are certain things that are in abundance in Montana. Cows, wheat, wildlife, and mountains chief among them. You could probably add railroads and trains to that list, too.
Montana once had no less than three main lines that crossed the state. Montana also once laid claim to the longest operated stretch of electrified railroad in the country, too.
The first railroad in Montana was completed in 1881 when the Utah & Northern Railway built a spur to Butte. The following year that rail line was extended to Deere Lodge. Shortly thereafter the Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway were built across the state, which would eventually connect Minneapolis, Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois with Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. Later the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (the Milwaukee Road) would become the last railroad to be built across the state.
While there aren't as many miles of rail in Montana as there once was...and the railroads are not as important to Montana's economy as they once were, they are still very much woven into the state's culture and way of life.
So when you are a photographer in the great state of Montana it is kind of hard to ignore the many miles of railway that crisscross the state and the locomotives and long trains they guide through the state.
I recently pulled together all of my railroad and train photos to create a new gallery on my website so a client could consider them to adorn a new hotel. Below are man of those photos in what is my latest 20+ photos feature. If you have not seen many of them already take a moment to see how I have made photos of trains and railroad over the years.
You can see more galleries of Montana photos if you CLICK HERE.
