More Milwaukee Electrics.
- Thread starter montanan
- Start date
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Avery, Idaho
In this Google Earth Image, you can't see anything remaining of the Milwaukee trackage at all in Avery. I use Google Earth on a regular basis, and I have looked at numerous railroad facilities and you can almost always find signs of a rail yard, buildings or turntables and roundhoouses. If you look near the "A" in Avery, just to the left of it is a Milwaukee passenger car, and the depot to the left of the railcar. The trackage out is now a bicycle trail that extends for about 15 miles, using the old Milwaukee right of way, including tunnels and trestles. The old right of way leaves the picture, curving right and up along the river. Other than that, there is no sign that a rail yard and roundhouse ever existed. The power house, a brick building in the black and white photo overlooking Avery would have been where the Avery zip code shows on the sat photo. It is long gone.
In this Google Earth Image, you can't see anything remaining of the Milwaukee trackage at all in Avery. I use Google Earth on a regular basis, and I have looked at numerous railroad facilities and you can almost always find signs of a rail yard, buildings or turntables and roundhoouses. If you look near the "A" in Avery, just to the left of it is a Milwaukee passenger car, and the depot to the left of the railcar. The trackage out is now a bicycle trail that extends for about 15 miles, using the old Milwaukee right of way, including tunnels and trestles. The old right of way leaves the picture, curving right and up along the river. Other than that, there is no sign that a rail yard and roundhouse ever existed. The power house, a brick building in the black and white photo overlooking Avery would have been where the Avery zip code shows on the sat photo. It is long gone.
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bradyracing
60-EF-6
I grew up 44 miles away and missed all of it because of my age. It would be something to see if it would have survived with new equipment beyond 2012.Thanks for posting this. That is some beautiful country and a railroad I knew little about and some really interesting electrics! Seeing your pictures prompted me to look up and read about them! It does make me sad to think how it is all gone now.
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Haugen, MT to Avery, ID
The first shot is at the east portal substation, near Haugen, MT where the route turns south towards Avery. The next is one of the many trestles that the route goes over as it twists and turns from one side of the canyon to the other, sometimes passing itself on the other side of the canon. There are numerous tunnels also along this route. The third shot is where it starts to come out of the canyon as the elevation drops, and the last was taken along the Saint Joe River, just northeast of Avery.
The first shot is at the east portal substation, near Haugen, MT where the route turns south towards Avery. The next is one of the many trestles that the route goes over as it twists and turns from one side of the canyon to the other, sometimes passing itself on the other side of the canon. There are numerous tunnels also along this route. The third shot is where it starts to come out of the canyon as the elevation drops, and the last was taken along the Saint Joe River, just northeast of Avery.
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
More electrics
Here are more pictures. The first is a set of box cabs at east portal. The next is taken as an eastbound train crosses over the Clark Fork River at Saint Regis, MT. The line also crosses over the Former Northern Pacific (now BNSF) trackage. Even today, if you drive along I-90 west out of Missoula, MT, you can still see the BNSF line with the abandoned Milwaukee right of way along with the abandonded tunnels and trestles sometimes running right along side each other. The third is a westbound coming through Deer Lodge, MT, and the last is a set of boxcabs climbing eastbound out of Butte, MT over Pipestone Pass. The track over pipestone is still in use today in case rail traffic has to be rerouted in case of a closure somewhere on the line by the BNSF or Montana Rail Link.
Here are more pictures. The first is a set of box cabs at east portal. The next is taken as an eastbound train crosses over the Clark Fork River at Saint Regis, MT. The line also crosses over the Former Northern Pacific (now BNSF) trackage. Even today, if you drive along I-90 west out of Missoula, MT, you can still see the BNSF line with the abandoned Milwaukee right of way along with the abandonded tunnels and trestles sometimes running right along side each other. The third is a westbound coming through Deer Lodge, MT, and the last is a set of boxcabs climbing eastbound out of Butte, MT over Pipestone Pass. The track over pipestone is still in use today in case rail traffic has to be rerouted in case of a closure somewhere on the line by the BNSF or Montana Rail Link.
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montanan
Whiskey Merchant
It is a shame that the Milwaukee Road is long gone. The management shot themselves in the foot a number of times which helped bring on the demise. When the oil crisis hit in the early 70's, what did the milwaukee do? they ceased electrical operations, which would have saved them millions of dollars. Yes, the electric locomotives were old, but they easily could have hung in there for a few more years. They were in need of cash and by selling the copper in the overhead catenary, they figured they could aise about $10 million. The sale really didn't help them because of the condition of thier track. Much of the western area of the road was under slow orders and transit times increased, which in turn started losing them business.
Also in the 70's, right after the merger that created the Burlington Northern, the Chicago and Northwestern offered to sell out to the Milwaukee, but the board rejected this. It was something that they really needed.
Things kept going down hill and finally, even after restructuring, they were still losing money, and in February of 1985, rail operations were sold to the Soo Line. A lot of the equipment was either sold off or used by the Soo, and all track in whe western regions was either sold off or torn up.
I have been over the old right of way between Toston, MT and Ringling, MT on horseback through Sixteen Mile Canyon, or at least a lot of it. Less than a mile from where I live is the Gallatin Gateway Inn, which the Milwaukee built and started operating in 1927. Passengers would be brought in to the inn on a spur from Three Forks, MT, where they would spend the night at the inn and then travel south to Yellowstone Park by motor coach. A few more miles down the road is one the the brick power substations that is now has been remodeled into a private residence. Even though the milwaukee is gone, a lot of history and physical evidence of the Milwaukee Roads presence in montana still exiats. Some of their depots, freight cars, cabooses and electric locomotives are on display all over the state.
Also in the 70's, right after the merger that created the Burlington Northern, the Chicago and Northwestern offered to sell out to the Milwaukee, but the board rejected this. It was something that they really needed.
Things kept going down hill and finally, even after restructuring, they were still losing money, and in February of 1985, rail operations were sold to the Soo Line. A lot of the equipment was either sold off or used by the Soo, and all track in whe western regions was either sold off or torn up.
I have been over the old right of way between Toston, MT and Ringling, MT on horseback through Sixteen Mile Canyon, or at least a lot of it. Less than a mile from where I live is the Gallatin Gateway Inn, which the Milwaukee built and started operating in 1927. Passengers would be brought in to the inn on a spur from Three Forks, MT, where they would spend the night at the inn and then travel south to Yellowstone Park by motor coach. A few more miles down the road is one the the brick power substations that is now has been remodeled into a private residence. Even though the milwaukee is gone, a lot of history and physical evidence of the Milwaukee Roads presence in montana still exiats. Some of their depots, freight cars, cabooses and electric locomotives are on display all over the state.
