By Justin Franz  

For the first time in decades, a steam locomotive whistle echoed off the headframes and miners’ halls of Butte, Mont., thanks to a visit by a former McCloud River Railroad 2-8-2 for a television shoot. 

In late October, Virginia & Truckee Railroad 18 was brought north to BNSF Railway’s Copper City Subdivision in Montana to film a scene in an upcoming episode of the Western drama “1923,” a spin-off of Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone.” The series starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren is filming its second season around Montana, particularly around the old mining city of Butte. 

But for railroad enthusiasts, the real star of the show will be V&T 18 masquerading as a Northern Pacific locomotive. The Baldwin 2-8-2 and three cars from the V&T fleet were trucked from Carson City, Nev., to the BNSF yard in Butte, where they were unloaded and used for three days of shooting beginning November 1. Most of the filming occurred in front of the former NP depot in downtown Butte, which wore a “Livingston” station sign for the scene. (While the real Livingston station still exists, Butte has become a popular filming location for the “Yellowstone” franchise. 

While V&T 18 still very much looked like a McCloud locomotive (it was built in 1914 for the Northern California short line), the “1923” art department did an admirable job getting the details right, with proper NP lettering on the tender and appropriate locomotive number (1770) and classification (W-3) under the cab. The real 1770 was built a year earlier than V&T 18, although the NP W-3 locomotives were a bit huskier than the McCloud Mikados.

The locomotive and train mostly stayed within the confines of BNSF’s Butte yard, with fencing and tarps blocking many views during the shoot. However, on November 3, the locomotive briefly left the yard to be turned on a nearby wye in preparation for the trip back to Nevada. 

“Northern Pacific 1770” was the first standard gauge steam locomotive to operate in Montana since 2009, when Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 passed through the state when returning from Train Festival 2009 in Owosso, Mich. Prior to this month, a steam locomotive hadn’t run in Butte since the 1950s. 

Montana’s Republican and Democratic caucuses today elected party leaders for the upcoming legislative session, which will begin in Helena on Jan. 6, 2025. 

Kalispell Republican Matt Regier, who currently serves as speaker of the state House, will serve as the next president of the Senate. 

“It’s an honor to serve as the next President of the Senate,” Regier said in a press release on Tuesday afternoon. “I look forward to working with senators on passing a conservative balanced budget, giving Montanans tax relief, and preserving the Montana way of life for future generations.” 

Republicans will hold 59 of 100 state House seats and 32 of 50 state Senate seats during the 2025 session, leaving them with a smaller, but still powerful, majority when compared to 2023.

Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City, will serve as Senate president pro tempore, similar to “vice president” of the Senate. Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, will serve as Senate majority leader. 

Sens. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings; Daniel Zolnikov, R-Roundup; and Barry Usher, R-Billings; as well as Sen-elect Sue Vinton, R-Lockwood will serve as majority whips. Whips are typically responsible for rounding up lawmakers to cast votes critical to the party’s agenda. 

In the House, Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, will be House speaker. Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, will be House speaker pro tempore. Former Senate Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, will be House majority leader. 

Reps. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell; Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls; Jed Hinkle, R-Belgrade; and Marta Bertoglio, R-Montana City will serve as majority whips. 

For the Democrats, Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, will once again serve as Senate minority leader. 

Sens. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula; Laura Smith, D-Helena; and Susan Webber, D-Browning will be Senate minority whips. 

In the House, Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, will be minority leader. 

“I am honored that my colleagues have chosen me as House Minority Leader,” Sullivan said in a press release. “Montana’s House Democrats will bring a package of legislation to protect freedom, promote fairness, and advance affordability for Montanans, and I am looking forward to leading our Caucus as we work to get Montana back on track.”

Reps. SJ Howell, D-Missoula; Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning; Melissa Romano, D-Helena; and Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula will be minority whips. 

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For those renting here in Montana, the price can be a little steep. While some areas are cheaper than others, for those looking to live in Montana’s more popular areas, you can plan on paying a little or sometimes, a lot more.

As a resident of Bozeman, my wife and I pay double the price we paid for our last place.

The last place had more square footage, a double-car garage, and an extra bathroom. Granted, the prices have come down a little over the last year or so, however, compared to other areas, renting in Montana can be very expensive.

Why is rent so high in Montana?

Most of it is supply and demand.  In more popular areas like Bozeman, Kalispell, and Missoula, folks have been flocking to those areas which means that landlords and property managers have been able to take advantage.

While I’m all for capitalism, I question those organizations that charge an “application fee” when they only have one or two units and allow 50 people to apply. That seems super shady to me.

Another factor is that home prices are so high that those who can’t afford to purchase a home are left with renting, so….you can add a couple hundred dollars a month and people have to pay it.

Will rent prices go down in Montana?

We shall see. While places like Bozeman continue to build lots of apartments and townhomes, one would think that would bring down the prices of rent, and it has to some extent. Now that renters have more options, they can be a little more picky on what they want to pay.