For nearly 150 years, railroads have been transforming the Montana landscape, from Continental Divide peaks to windswept prairies. Steel rails arrived on May 9, 1880, when the narrow-gauge Utah & Northern reached Monida Pass south of Butte. At the zenith of rail line construction during the 1890s and early 20th century, all major transcontinental railroads crisscrossed Montana: the Union Pacific; Northern Pacific; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q); Great Northern; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (Milwaukee Road); and Soo Line. Through the years, many original railroads evolved into the Burlington Northern Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), and Montana Rail Link with unique short lines along the way. Though routes and operations have changed, the scenery of Big Sky Country remains the same. Take a journey across Montana rails, from the mountains to the prairies.

Ties, Rails, and Telegraph Wires combines literary memories, historic research, and knowledge of railroad operations with historic photographs to celebrate railroads in Montana and the West. It describes the lives and tasks of railroad workers and the services provided by the railroad to communities and the region.

Railroad tracks take quite a beating, with countless tons of cold steel and freight rumbling over them day and night, wearing down rails and vibrating ties loose from their ballasts. This book reveals the special machinery railroads use to maintain and mend tracks and other property, as well as how the machines were developed and how they work. Each chapter tackles a different piece of maintenance equipment like tie pullers, spike drivers and rail grinders. Photos illustrate the machines in action, while detail shots depict the "business end" of each. This one-of-a-kind title is perfect for railfans and modelers.