A westbound BNSF vehicle train thunders through Mullan Tunnel at Blossburg, Montana, on September 6, 2003. The train is led by a point helper of Montana Rail Link EMD SD45-2 No. 311 and former Southern Pacific (obviously) SD45 No. 7555. MRL calls these point helpers “unmanned” helper sets as they utilize the road crew that was once in the cab of BNSF 8207 upon arriving at Helena. These locomotives are normally set out on the west side of the pass at Elliston, for another train or helper set to pick up and take back to Helena. They smoke it up pretty good coming through the confining bore at the summit of Mullan Pass.
