Nicknamed the “Empire Builder” after its founder James Hill, the Great Northern dominated the Northwest from the 1930s through the 1940s. Hill built the railroad without any government funds, supporting the endeavor by helping to develop Glacier National Park, which in turn promoted travel by train. The Great Northern was eventually sold and incorporated into other lines to form the Burlington Northern.

In this painting the Great Northern steams through scenic Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, boldly crossing a narrow trestle high above historic Two Medicine River. This is how the Great Northern would have looked on a fine summer day in the late 1930s, the white-capped Rocky Mountains keeping their snow all year round. - Tucker Smith