By Justin Franz
While most trains trying to get around Montana Rail Link’s collapsed bridge over the Yellowstone River have taken alternative rail routes, some traffic will be hitting the road — literally. This week, Montana Rail Link is preparing to lift Boeing fuselages onto highway vehicles to travel about six miles down Interstate 90, around what’s left of the bridge at Reed Point, before being lifted back onto rail cars.
“Montana Rail Link continues to work on creative solutions to minimize disruption to our customers,” said spokesperson Andy Garland.
Five Boeing fuselages are seen near Craver, Mont., on Thursday. Photo by Don Larson.
The fuselages are destined for Boeing’s assembly plant in Washington State. MRL’s former Northern Pacific main line across southern Montana is one of the few routes to the Pacific Northwest with clearance for the big green plane bodies. When MRL’s main line has been closed in the past, the Boeing loads have been routed over Union Pacific. The railroad did not say why that option was not being used now.
On Thursday, five fuselages were brought to Craver where they would be lifted off rail cars. The railroad also stationed empty Boeing flatcars west of there to be ready for the fuselages.
“MRL greatly appreciates the coordination and assistance from the Montana Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, BNSF Railway, and Boeing to make this plan a reality,” Garland said. “Construction is ongoing with the goal to move the first subassemblies in the coming days.”
One of the cranes that will lift the fuselages at Craver, Mont., on Thursday night. Photo by Don Larson.
Meanwhile, other rail traffic continues to be detoured over BNSF’s former Great Northern lines. Earlier this week, BNSF and MRL secured a deal with its unions to have Missoula and Laurel-based MRL crews work over BNSF between Laurel and Shelby, Mont., to help move the additional trains on this route.
Nearly two weeks after ten rail cars fell into the Yellowstone River, closing MRL’s main line across the state, railroad officials have yet to publicly give a timeline of when a new bridge would be built. This week, the last rail cars were finally removed from the river.
