We drove the short distance from Shelby to East Glacier, Montana on US Highway 2. I got to photograph many trains today on the busy Burlington Northern-Santa Fe line (formerlly the Great Northern), which paralleled the highway. This railroad continues to be very active and the Great Northern built most of the lodges in Glacier National Park. We stayed at Glacier Lodge, which is right in back of the Amtrak station here (Amtrak's Empire Builder stops here from Seattle and Chicago each day). It's a very active rail station with lots of people coming to Glacier Park via train.
   Also included are some scenes of the Rocky Mountains as seen from the lodge.

The Shelby, Montana Amtrak station. A BNSF freight was heading west out of Shelby toward East Glacier early in the morning.

Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder stops at famous Cut Bank, Montana about noon. Cut Bank is known for being one of the coldest spots in the nation in the winter. Even today, Aug 27, 2002, it was cloudy and sprinkling with temperatures in the chilly upper 50s and a brisk northeast wind. The passengers had just gotten on (yes there were a few here, but not as many as at East Glacier on another train later in the day).

We visited the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning, Montana on our way to East Glacier (right photo taken from the lodge looking toward the Amtrak station)

Views of flower garden at Glacier Lodge as well as views of the Rockies west of the lodge. One view shows how it looks from the restaurant there. One of the waitresses happened to be from Sealy, Texas, only 22 miles from where Ken grew up in Texas. The sunset was taken from the restaurant.

The westbound Empire Builder makes its stop at Glacier Park right on time at 648 p.m. Notice the people getting on, I assume most were heading for Seattle. This is a very active Amtrak station.

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