130-car coal train w/ double helpers crosses Greenhorn Trestle, Mullan Pass MT.

[@christianmetal5150]

The sound of those MRL pushers never gets old

[@lynnmcculloch-m4h]

❤❤❤❤❤ emg

[@iusetano]

I love the sound of locomotives screaming their lungs out. Thank you for sharing. Excellent video as always Scott.

[@ScottHiddelston]

Thanks Hans. How are you doing ?

[@RazielKainus]

how many damn tons could it have been? I mean, on one hand wow, on the other, how to fck up your tracks 101 :)))

[@Rev1Kev]

@@RazielKainus roughly 12,000 tons

[@RazielKainus]

@@Rev1Kev nice :) I believe in EU trains can be max 5500tons or so, above that they need special permission - to protect the infrastructure aka rails from wearing too fast I believe the only regular one above that is the IORE iron ore trains in Sweden, pulled by a dual monster loco :)))

[@H3avyHaul3r]

alot of that noise is inverter fans/radiators fans/TM blowers keeping things cool…i was only just thinking they sound alot like electric locomotives that i’ve driven in the coalfield of queensland Australia

[@Jleed989]

Imagine seeing that scenery everyday and getting paid for it

[@H3avyHaul3r]

except when you sign on at 1800hrs for 10 days straight doing 12hr shifts….dog tired and nothing much to see except your headlights

[@ffjsb]

@@H3avyHaul3r I'd do it.

[@H3avyHaul3r]

@@ffjsb yep i’ve seen a lot of people come and go….full of beens, 2yrs latter 👋

[@ffjsb]

@@H3avyHaul3r It's just like being a farmer, in the military, self employed, etc. Lots of jobs are demanding.

[@garylarson6386]

I am retired fron the UP 12 hour days get boring

[@timmiller7524]

Track is newly ballasted and looks extremely smooth. The most impressive thing to me is the stability of the speed and load-sharing between all those 13 behemoths. I could spend the next life watching these go by, with no regrets

[@daniellaubach7544]

Nice smooth railbed helped getting this huge hopper train plus the road power needed to keep its speed! Impressive for what BNSF has done for a smooth operation over Mullens Pass.

[@Maine_Railfan]

Its an amazing sight to see in person, especially when they have multiple helper sets on a train.

[@vernacular1483]

The well-maintained roadway definitely improves efficiency and allows more unit freight 👍

[@yankeesforlife24]

The 4th unit and the rear three I suspect were all isolated. BNSF/MRL Rated power axles rule only allows 3 units online on the head end and 4 on the rear. That’s why they cut into all heavies on mullan in contrast to Bozeman where they can shove with 3 units and a DP on the rear.

[@williamschlenger1518]

Incredible the length of that train & the power of the diesel engines.

[@cwillpiko1994]

... all possible due to the tiny coupler-pin....

[@НиколайКравин-н4т]

А какая длина станции должна быть, что б принять такой состав?

[@lnrailroad3215]

Do you know which mine this train loaded at??

[@nitinshukla3752]

That’s a monster consist! 13 locos….and all straining! Great capture 👏

[@mazharaltaf4899]

How they synchronise the speed of all locomotives, i.e. pushing at same force?

[@nitinshukla3752]

@@mazharaltaf4899 exactly what distributed power does…radio control across all locos and software to manage it

[@mazharaltaf4899]

@@nitinshukla3752 Thank you for kind reply, that’s great.

[@markam306]

Scott, Great capture. 13 locomotives, 10 of them SD70s. Beautiful sight.

[@Wikkus]

That was a little over 9.5 minutes of relaxing bliss. Hope to go back to visit one day and visit some of the other spots. Best wishes, Rik.

[@repro7780]

Wow, 13 locomotives! That must have sounded awesome in person! Plus a rare horn from the lead unit. Nice!

[@ScottHiddelston]

The video just doesn't do the sound justice. It's absolutely deafening

[@ckuehncnwhsyt]

Actually ten locomotives and three appliances.

[@kennethmcglashan3333]

Back in the 80’s can you imagine how many SD40-2’s it would take to move this train.

[@kennethmcglashan3333]

Back in the 80’s can you imagine how many SD40-2s it would take to move this train.

[@jordanalexander615]

Alot of people don't realize the reasoning for dpu. It was obviously way more power than needed but the point is on curvy tracks you don't want the train pulling in the curves so hard . As in pulling against the curves. It lessens chance for derailment and takes a lot of stress off the cars and curves. Much safer than just pulling or pushing in one spot. And less likely to break couplers.

[@ЮрокМатюш]

Привет из России , обожаю Локомотивы Америки , всем Мира и Добра !!!

[@j.m.youngquist419]

It's nice to see some of the original Mac's still out there running.

[@osmiumtank]

Those locomotives are so shiny and spotless like garage queens! Incredible footage and train.

[@espeescotty]

Man, what a show! That is like old time 1980's railroading right there, but with newer equipment. SD70ACe's are my favorite modern power, so this is just right for me.

[@lynnmcculloch-m4h]

❤❤❤❤❤ emd 's howling !!!

[@woody95124]

Big ole heavy long ass train! Probably a gazillion tons of coal!

[@larrydavidson3402]

Watched a few trains cross that trestle, and also come through the tunnel on top of Mullan pass. Spent 25 years in that area. Beautiful country.

[@Trains-With-Shane]

That's a LOT of SD70's! Excellent video!

[@steveallen1340]

Somewhere around 40 megawatts of power! Truely incredible, could power approximately 30,000 American homes.

[@SuperOptimus217]

@@steveallen1340 Damn, froreal? That's amazing!

[@Harrison2253]

Amazing you can see the other end of the train moving in the distance across the valley

[@johnmoore8016]

That must have had a lot of tonnage to have 13 units in the train. Thanks for a very outstanding video. (Missisippi Gulf Coast, USA)

[@ScottHiddelston]

Thanks John, Tonnage is usually around 18,000 tons

[@LupeCoded]

@johnmoore8016 if you're from the Mississippi Coast, I'm sure you're highly familiar with railroads LOL. I used to live down there myself (Pass Christian, MS). Small world.

[@RazielKainus]

holy ssss thats some major tonnage... poor tracks tho :)))

[@drkennethnoisewater7999]

13 units isn't the usual here. These coal trains are 3x4x1 normally. The BN likes to throw extra weight in dead units on these things for us.This train stalled or the head end lost a unit or the middle helpers lost some units, which is why you got the 4 set on the rear. Those helper sets have an overheating problem in the summer. I've been riding these things as the conductor for the last 9 years

[@JosephCee]

Tonnage on tonnage on tonnage, all rolling along on a metal track across this great country. 🇺🇸

[@Posttrip]

What a GLORIOUS concert that was!!!

[@michaelmancusi9054]

THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT TIME IM A TRAIN LOVER Please Send More

[@michaelmancusi9054]

HOW MANY ENGINES TOTally Amazing

[@Bob.W.]

Good to see all those EMDs. Thx.

[@paulbrennan3996]

First class sight and sound 🤝👊💥🔥

[@skywatcher442]

WOW!! we never see that kind of power all running at the same time in KCMO, Too flat! Would love to go to that location some day. Great video man, thanks.

[@PharaohDeathMask]

Wow! That is big-time railroading at its best. Great camera work, too.

[@timothymclaughlin6860]

Wow! The last days and hours of MRL. We had built a trip to go right there and watch them but unfortunately a family member fell IL so we can’t go right now . 😢Appreciate your videos

[@thebops4180]

I couldn't relax being an engineer. Anything could go wrong at any stage!

[@rolpfeiffer4011]

Thanks airing and sharing the outstanding video with magnificent locomotives. Railfanning endeavors are promising. Reminiscent of a similarly published video a few years ago.Bliss

[@alessiorivetti3728]

Stupendo treno e eccellenti riprese video, congratulazioni

[@FrogandFlangeVideo]

Just awesome !! Interesting that Raillink 4318 (tail end pusher group) had 2 sets of horns. James.

[@gragor11]

Those locis are impressive, clean, identical and massive. you do nice videos Scott.

[@ScottHiddelston]

Thank you very much Gragor

[@BadlandNP]

Scott, I am glad you are capturing so much MRL for us! Thanks!

[@jamesconnor4302]

That’s what us brits like to call ‘MEGA THRASH!’ Fantastic catch!

[@pcorf]

EMD's sound amazing. Some locos are dead though. That train would have to be incredibly heavy.

[@olivieraleman]

Spent time on Weirton Steel short line…never had 130 cars! Loved working the rolling stock❤

[@dekalbes335]

My father was an engineer ( mostly freight) on the Erie Lackawanna. He used to call these engines "Bulldogs". the other common type was the "Covered Wagon". As a kid , I got to sit in the engineer seat and drive the train.

[@floodedcar123]

These coal trains excite me. thanks for posting

[@ScottHiddelston]

Glad you like them floodedcar.

[@stephenarata2704]

EXCELLENT camera work! Kept me engaged the entire time.

[@rickyarger1169]

Last time I watched a video with 13 engines it was a power move...this was awsome...hope the hike was easy you couldn't drive to a vantage point t like that...

[@ericmason349]

Beautiful scenery. it sure takes allot of horsepower to get those coal cars up the grade!

[@ScottHiddelston]

Yes it does !! The requirement on this hill is around 2 horsepower per US ton. These trains are around 18,000 tons.

[@DieselTech8]

Looks like DPU is offline. Explains the 2nd helper set.

[@kenneycooper6199]

Got that horn shout out. Cool 😎.

[@anb7408]

When I was last there in 2019, the road to that trestle was gated off and inaccessible. A shame given how awesome that spot its!

[@ScottHiddelston]

I think it had been left open for snowmobilers, and although the snow was gone they hadn't closed it off yet. I just got lucky. Best spot on the pass !!!

[@Eli_J_G]

I saw this same train waiting in the yard. Didn't know that 740 and 9294 were having problems. 9572 wasn't on it, but I had seen that one earlier going east on a manifest. I guess it came back.

[@ScottHiddelston]

Eli, from what I could get off the scanner chatter, it was only when they had attached mid-helpers at Helena Junction that the engineer discovered he was having problems. Again though that's just what I assumed from the scanner.

[@andrewelliott4436]

Nice considered camera work.

[@randallellison6421]

5:39 that MRL SD70ACe had 2 sets of airhorns on it, very unusual!

[@espeescotty]

Good catch on that one Randall.

[@randallellison6421]

@@espeescotty thanks, I actually had to go back and watch it again to make sure I wasn't seeing things, lol!

[@rearspeaker6364]

There must be a horn quiet somewhere on the railroad, LOL.

[@Railfan.Matthew.Productions]

It was a former BHP SD70ACE from Australia. BHP Iron ore uses two horns on their SD70ACES.

[@dfresh748]

Thanks for sharing these, Scott! Your coal train video from 9 years ago (where you had to block out the identity of a person between the locos, haha) inspired me to come out and see the MRL 2 years ago. I live outside of Chicago. I actually mountain biked along the r.o.w. back to this spot. Furthermore, I appreciate the work you put in climbing along the side of that embankment to get the shot. You don't see it in the videos, but, it's a little steep in person. Unfortunately, when I was in that spot, I didn't catch anything. However, it was cool to see the bridge up close, and I had good luck in other spots. I felt like a kid again up on Tennessee Pass with all the locos in notch 8! Thanks again, Doug

[@ScottHiddelston]

Glad you enjoyed it Doug, and happy to hear you were inspired to visit. Excellent !!

[@charliebrooks2570]

Wow, 12 engines for this heavy load!

[@ht24d64]

4+4+5=12????????? Your allowed to take off a shoe and use some toes to count if you need to

[@randallfawc7501]

4x4x5. Incredible horse power not seen in very many places. Most I have seen is 4x3x3 on loaded grainers in the Tehachapi loop area.

[@justinmathis9600]

NS in Dalton GA had 3x2x2x3 all BNSF on a SB coal train a couple of months ago came by my work

[@yankeesforlife24]

Large percentage of those motors are isolated

[@leenettywilson528]

Wow what a gr8 catch brilliant video mate, godbless you

[@rogerb5615]

The mid-consist helper locos are sooo clean - perhaps fresh from a repaint?

[@cleenlivin]

Talk about horsepower? So cool to see and hear those locomotives working to push and pull that load along.

[@mickking5913]

That is so good,surely there's more than 130 wagons.First time I've seen that many loco,s on a train before.👏🏻👍🏻

[@marianradu615]

În România, în instrucțiunile de Remorcare și Frânare, într-un tren pot fi așezate MAXIM 6 locomotive

[@blackout7615]

All that coal so fancy folks can charge their electric cars.

[@rearspeaker6364]

we need those plants, but they keep leveling them every week. And that is the main reason, electric vehicles.

[@MrEdlindsay]

Nice looking RailLink power units

[@balachdr5]

Power of Machines ,Incredible Video.

[@Fernando-j9o]

Wonder how much training the locomotive engineers go through to qualify running those long and heavy trains through the mountains

[@rearspeaker6364]

that is multiyear training.

[@yankeesforlife24]

@@rearspeaker6364it’s 4 to 8 months lol. MRL’s program was 8 months while BNSFs program is anywhere from 4 to 6 months

[@angelmalarkey7946]

All of the Sd70ace’s are helping to push all the cars full of coals in the mountains.

[@franzbrunner499]

so MRL is still operating, they didn't go out of business :):) beautiful locomotives, like the 3rd loco upfront

[@KCTopDawg]

Now that's power

[@Tchristman100]

EMD's are what a locomotive is supposed to sound like

[@daverobinson6110]

Spitshined polished and spotless MRL units. So sharp.

[@stanfullerton8485]

not too many 14 locomotive train units out there---ha ha

[@Nethanel773]

Thank you for putting this up.

[@jimzepf3910]

That's what you call maximum Enjoyment

[@atdaestrada9339]

🤍OBRIGADO PELAS POSTAGENS, SEUS VÍDEOS SÃO ÓTIMOS! 🇧🇷

[@tedhansen3846]

I learned this on You Tube: the first and third engines have deisel engines, the second and fourth engines are "Slugs" meaning they operate off of the front "Mother" electricity. The trailing slugs use their electric wheel Motors to help pull no desiel.

[@rearspeaker6364]

google distributed power, u got it all wrong!

[@yankeesforlife24]

Unfortunately you learned wrong, all 13 locomotives are diesel electric with engines and powered traction motors. Slugs are used in yard service only as their traction motors only produce tractive effort at low speeds. These are all diesel electric “road” locomotives used for taking a train from one place to another. The reason you can’t hear them is because they are “isolated” or not producing tractive effort.

[@jonym45]

MRL SD 70aces are the nicest ones on youtube!

[@triedhi3592]

Excellent video...how steep this line compare to Donner pass

[@JohnNyren65]

Fantastic video and footage!

[@Tom-xe9iq]

The forests don't look too bad. Maybe the pine beetle is done with its devastating assault on the trees. 2015; the drive over McDonald Pass was pretty depressing with all those dead trees.

[@ScottHiddelston]

Agreed Tom. Hopefully over

[@kevinleftridge8241]

That was a ton of 🚂

[@bkriegel95]

Notice that the BNSF 9572 exec unit doesn't have a PTC antenna array. Kinda curious if it still doesn't have one here in December of 2024.

[@RantzBizGroup]

Great video, you don't see a majority of EDM units much, only three GE units.

[@TracksideNW]

Such great stuff man! Thanks for posting it.

[@franzwunschik158]

excellent video!!!!thanks for sharing

[@brunodiaz905]

Very nice video thank you brother 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@jesstill7833]

That’s 50,000 horse power unreal those locos must like to drink wow I hate to pay the fuel bill👍👍

[@rearspeaker6364]

still cheaper then trying to truck that coal to the power plant!

[@doug383]

Outstanding show of brute horsepower

[@JohnnyCarroll-wi6tx]

they have some nice looking locomotives.

[@bronco7035]

I don't know you Scott but I just subscribed to your channel very interesting.Thanks!!!

[@Islander2112]

Nice catch!

[@verlandhenderson247]

U did a nice job on this video!

[@pleiku887]

That is a serious train.

[@JudyJudyJudy44]

Awesome! Thanks so much!

[@oregonwinger64]

Wow, a lot of EMD's ! 3 crews ?

[@ScottHiddelston]

Yes, one in the lead and two helper crews.

[@Dieselfueledwork]

​@@ScottHiddelstonMRL does not believe in DPU's

[@ScottHiddelston]

@@Dieselfueledwork it’s my belief that no MRL locomotives are capable of running DPU. Will this mean all MRL power will be relegated to helper service? We shall see !

[@yankeesforlife24]

@@ScottHiddelstonthis is Mainly true, they don’t have the technology to DP with foreign units. MRL ACe units do have the capability to DP to other MRL ACes

[@johnfarr4658]

Huge responsibility, but I would love to be the engineer of this train!!!!

[@Nicola636128]

That's incredible!

[@kenneycooper6199]

I’m guessing with the locomotives and the 130 coal cars around or close to 26 million pounds for the total train. I could be wrong.

[@DieselTech8]

Average 143 tons per car.

[@kenneycooper6199]

@@DieselTech8 Thank you for that.

[@cascadesub6235]

outstanding catch....love this road

[@ScottHiddelston]

Thanks cascade

[@siglavikingkearns8108]

Now THAT is really, really impressive. I'm not taking sides but I suspect the days of coal trains are coming to an end

[@ScottHiddelston]

Hi sigla, China approved 4 times more coal fired power plants in 2022 than in 2021. Their coal use is skyrocketing. Sad but true.

[@tomrogers9467]

@@ScottHiddelston. Just more weather events to report on. Good days for newscasters. Everyone love a good forest fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, and on and on.

[@ItsInEight5245]

Great catch!

[@lylesommers1249]

At 3:33 it sounded like an airline let go.

[@AllenMacintyre]

This is awesome

[@Inferno-hn3zx]

Amazing 🤩⚡👍🏻👍🏻💯🙋🏻‍♂️✌️

[@driftingintoretirement]

Awesome video Scott , liked and subscribed

[@ScottHiddelston]

Thanks for the sub drifter !

[@kaitoopop]

0:36 機関車４重連での牽引！って見ていたら、4:44 中継ぎで更に４重連！、7:28 トドメは最後尾に５重連で機関車計１３台！凄い迫力！

[@ScottHiddelston]

Glad you enjoyed it kaitoopop !

[@41divad]

I wonder where the point is where one car is pulled and next is pulled. Would vary i reckon

[@roberthughes9856]

Dag nab it! I counted 107 wagons then you zoomed in on the tail end Charlies and now I'll never know if there were 130.

[@ScottHiddelston]

Robert, if you listen very closely at around 26 seconds in you can hear the detector call out 598 axles. Hard to hear I know. 598 minus 13 locos at 6 axles each is 520. Divide by 4 = 130.

[@horaciofucile4580]

Beautiful !!!