Montana Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Founder | Richard A. Harlow |
| Defunct | 1908 |
| Fate | Purchased by Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Central Montana |
| Products | Rail transport |
The Montana Railroad was a United States rail line that operated between Lombard and Lewistown, Montana, spanning approximately 157 miles. It linked up with the national rail system through the Northern Pacific Railway at Lombard. Built over the period from 1895 to 1903, it remained an independent entity until its 1908 purchase by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (commonly called "the Milwaukee Road"). Nicknamed "the Jawbone" because of its promoters' hopeful assertions despite financial difficulties, this railroad primarily served the mining and farming communities in central Montana.
History
The railroad was conceived by Helena businessman Richard A. Harlow as a means to connect Helena eastward. Following the collapse of his earlier Montana Midland venture during the Panic of 1893 in 1893, Harlow established the Montana Railroad in 1894. Construction commenced in 1895 at Lombard on the Northern Pacific line and advanced eastward through Sixteen Mile Canyon toward mining areas in southeastern Meagher County. By November 1896, the track had reached Leadborough; however, mining operations there were already waning.
To diversify beyond declining mineral freight, Harlow extended the railroad east along the Musselshell River valley. The line arrived at Harlowton—named after Harlow himself—in 1900 and pushed northward to Lewistown by 1903.
In 1908, during its expansion across Montana, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad acquired the Montana Railroad. The Milwaukee Road then incorporated and significantly upgraded the Lombard to Harlowton section to improve track alignment and reduce flooding issues within Sixteen Mile Canyon. Electrification of this portion began in 1914. The segment from Harlowton to Lewistown functioned as a secondary main line and was later extended to Great Falls with additional branch lines added.
Following the Milwaukee Road’s bankruptcy in 1980, most tracks in this area were abandoned; only a small stretch near Moore remains in use today. The Milwaukee Road was taken over by the Soo Line Railroad in 1986 and later merged into the Canadian Pacific Railway by 1990. Much of the original railway grade is still visible throughout the region.
The railroad’s engineering feats—particularly its bridges and tunnels carved through Sixteen Mile Canyon—were showcased in the 1930 motion picture Danger Lights, with filming reportedly conducted along this route.