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cars behind it) forward. The steam locomotive played a key role
in powering the industrial revolution in the late 19th century but
fell out of favor by the mid-20th century, replaced by internal
combustion diesel engines that were (relatively) cleaner to op-
erate and easier to maintain. While most of Montana's railroads
stopped using steam locomotives in the 1950s, a few restored
engines have appeared on the state's rail lines since then. In
September 1971, perhaps the world's most famous steam loco-
motive, the London & North Eastern Railway 4472 "The Flying
Scotsman," traveled across the Hi Line as part of a nationwide
tour. In the 2000s, two big steam locomotives owned by the City
of Portland, Oregon, visited on special excursions—one built
for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway in 1938 and another
for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1941. Most recently, a 2-8-
2 type engine built in 1914 was brought to Butte in November
2024 as part of a shoot for the "Yellowstone" spin-off "1923."
Aside from those visits, and a narrow gauge locomotive that
operated near Virginia City until the 2010s, seeing a living and
COURTESY OF LARRY INGOLD
