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Montana Rockies Rail Tours Brings Steam back to Big Sky Country

SANDPOINT, Idaho – The soulful sound of the steam locomotive’s "whippoorwill" whistle will echo through Montana’s Big Sky Country for the first time in nearly a century when Montana Rockies Rail Tours presents its "Montana by Steam" train tour Oct. 11 to 20. Individual segments of the tour range from four days, three nights to 10 days, nine nights and include nearly 600 miles of track one direction.

Star of the show will be the giant 65-year old Spokane, Portland and Seattle No. 700, the third-largest operating steam locomotive in North America. At 880,000 pounds, the locomotive weighs more than then the original Boeing 747 with driving wheels 6 feet, 5 inches tall. The engine is owned by the city of Portland, OR and maintained and operated by the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.

Nicknamed "the Lady," the coal-black steam engine will pull the restored 1959’s-era rail cars of the Montana Daylight, America’s longest multiple-day daylight-only tour train, with dome cars, coach cars, club car, traditional diner, plus two private luxury cars – a seven-bedroom sleeper and a domed lounge car with open-air "presidential" platform. The 20-car train will be among the longest passenger consists to journey over the original Northern Pacific Railroad route from Sandpoint, ID to Billings, MT. The train travels during the daytime, with passengers staying in hotels along the route including Missoula.

"It has been half a century since steam power ruled on the nation’s railroads," says Montana Rail Link President Dan Watts, "so we are looking forward to hosting Montana Rockies Rail Tours and SP&S 700 for their special excursion this fall."

Montana Rockies Rail Tours operates the "Montana Daylight" June through September on seven tours that combine rail, motorcoach or rental car. MRRT has also announced plans to cut prices for their first three rail-only tours operating between Sandpoint, ID and Livingston, MT.

Brochures are available be calling 800-519-7245 or by visiting http://www.montanarailtours.com.

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