BNSF Forsyth Sub in Montana

The BNSF Forsyth Sub spans a distance of 210 miles between Glendive and Jones Junction outside Billings in eastern Montana. The terrain is relatively flat, as evidenced by the speed of the fast-moving trains. The land is reminiscent of high-desert country, albeit with more scenery and less wind. This piece of railroad is a vital link for BNSF, hosting a parade of heavy-tonnage coal trains travelling between western mines and points east. Coal is indeed the predominant traffic here, but we also witness heavy unit-grain trains and manifests as well, along with the occasional intermodal traffic mixed in. Join us as we take an in-depth look at this busy, often unexplored ex-Northern Pacific mainline. At one point in time, we capture a westbound manifest coming underneath the Hettinger Sub just east of Terry, where the line merges into the Forsyth Sub, with all traffic funneling south. The Hettinger Sub is not nearly as busy as the Forsyth Sub, only seeing a handful of trains each day. However, the line has that "mystic" feeling about it. After filming the manifest at Terry, we get tipped off to a westbound Q-CHCLAU with a nice locomotive consist coming our way off the Hettinger Sub. We head off in pursuit of this train and find it running 40 miles-per-hour over jointed rail through the "ghost town" of Ismay. Next, we take the Highway 12 back West to Miles City, where we follow the Forsyth Sub back north and film the train again going at a much faster speed! Many other locations are also featured, including a westbound manifest train crossing the Powder River near Blatchford.

Perhaps the best attraction the BNSF Forsyth Sub has to offer is the locomotive power. For those who think the BNSF has become a "sea" of GE Heritage-2 Dash-9s, a visit to this part of the railroad will be a pleasant change. Power is nearly all-EMD, and nearly all of the trains depicted on this video have either Superfleet SD75s, BN painted SD60Ms, or former-Oakway SD60s in the lead position, all in very handsome appearance. Of course, don't expect this to last forever, so plan your trip to the Forsyth Sub soon! Videography by Mike Dixon. Edited and Produced by Mike Dixon.