Of all the abandonments and tracks ripped out during the Burlington Northern's purge of the 1980's, one of the most short sighted and foolish had to be the removal the Park Branch. Laid in 1883 from Livingston to Cinnabar, and finally to Yellowstone National Park in 1902, this line had to be pound for pound one of the most beautiful in the country. Going some 51 miles, the Park Branch traveled alongside mountains, rivers and hot springs as it wound its way to YNP. The section along the cliffs while traveling through Yankee Jim Canyon were/are especially breathtaking. At Gardiner, directly across from the iconic Roosevelt Arch was a beautiful depot with a curved platform. The line became the impetus for the Northern Pacific's famous nickname, "Yellowstone Park Line", which was heavily used in advertising. With the emergence of vehicle travel, the line saw its last regular passenger trip in 1955. After that, the line didn't see much use besides occasional moves to a ballast pit. In 1981, the BN finally ripped the line out. I think of what it would be like to have this line today. Besides the amazing natural beauty, Yellowstone National Park (among others), suffers from extreme overcrowding. In 2016, the park was visited by over four MILLION people! The route through Gardiner is one of the primary ways into the park. Imagine how many people would be clamoring to take a train to Gardiner today... alas ETTS. Today, only about a mile or so of the Yellowstone Park Branch remains, to serve a lumber mill. Once a week, the Bozeman Local makes a trip to swap cars here. The route has become crowded with businesses, cars and signs, but a little history remains. Above the engines, Kenyon Noble was originally located near Pray, MT (think Chico Hot Springs) about 10 miles down the Park Branch and actually beat them there by a year, opening in 1882. Look upon the hillside and you will see a gigantic trout, installed by residents as an homage to the National Trout Derby held each year and Livingston's iconic status among fly fisherman. Who knows how much longer this branch will remain in service even this far? Just imagine being able to take a train to a popular fishing hole, fishing the day away and catching a ride back in the evening... what a thought.
