The southern 19.6 miles (31.5 km) of line, from Moccasin to Kingston Junction, was originally constructed by the Great Northern Railway as part of its Lewistown, Montana branch.
Central Montana Rail, a locally governed nonprofit corporation, began operating the route in 1985.
The company's motive power consists of six EMD GP9 diesel-electric locomotives, originally built for the Great Northern Railway.
Though primarily a freight railroad, the Central Montana also operates a seasonal dinner train, the "Charlie Russell Chew Choo," between Kingston Junction (10 miles north west of Lewistown) and Denton.
The dinner train equipment consists of unpowered Budd Rail Diesel Cars originally built for the Boston and Maine Railroad.