The Montana Rockies Daylight climbs out of Helena headed for Mullan Pass on a hot and dry August afternoon. This train was a two day trip operated by Montana Rockies Rail Tours and the MRL for a time, leaving Livingston around 9:00, overnighting in Missoula, and carrying on to Sandpoint before returning east the next day. Being somewhat akin to today's Rocky Mountaineer, it would unfortunately be discontinued not long after this photo was taken in 2004. Today it's led by its standard power, veterans 652 (SD19-1 built for the SP in 1956) and 651 (SD-9 built for the EJE in 1957) which would soon be out of service as well, neither making it past 2008. The rest of the train was comprised of a power car, crew car, dorm car, four coaches, three dome cars, a lounge car and a diner.
