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For nearly 150 years, railroads have been transforming the Montana landscape, from Continental Divide peaks to windswept prairies. Steel rails arrived on May 9, 1880, when the narrow-gauge Utah & Northern reached Monida Pass south of Butte. At the zenith of rail line construction during the 1890s and early 20th century, all major transcontinental railroads crisscrossed Montana: the Union Pacific; Northern Pacific; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q); Great Northern; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (Milwaukee Road); and Soo Line. Through the years, many original railroads evolved into the Burlington Northern Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), and Montana Rail Link with unique short lines along the way. Though routes and operations have changed, the scenery of Big Sky Country remains the same. Take a journey across Montana rails, from the mountains to the prairies.

In the late 1890s, the Union Pacific, Northern Pacific, and Great Northern Railways had a firm grip on all West Coast rail traffic. In 1905, Milwaukee Road officials voted to extend the line into Seattle, securing Pacific Coast markets. As the Milwaukee built into Montana, numerous obstacles emerged; frigid winter temperatures and steep mountain grades challenged steam-powered operations. In the early 1910s, electric locomotives became a viable alternative for steam engines in long-haul rail service; at the same time, waterpower for generating electricity was developing in the Northwest. The mines and smelters of Butte and Anaconda supplied the resources needed to electrify 440 miles of track in Montana and Idaho. The longevity of the Milwaukee Road electrification into the 1970s highlights the determination of faithful employees on what was known as America's Resourceful Railroad.