Abandoned Ore Car

This abandoned ore car is one of several pieces of mining equipment that were left in Belt Creek Canyon after the mining days were over. This old cart was most likely used to haul limestone from the nearby limestone quarry. Note that the wheels were built for running on rails. This portion of Belt Creek flows through Sluice Boxes State Park in central Montana. The hiking trail through Belt Creek Canyon follows the old, abandoned rail bed of the Central Montana Railroad. The ambitious rail project required sixteen crossings of Belt Creek. Numerous trestles were also built to cross side canyons along the way. The railroad bridges across the creek are long gone and fording of the creek is required to hike the trail.