The Milwaukee Road Abandoned “Pacific Extension” Trip

71 Responses to “The Milwaukee Road Abandoned “Pacific Extension” Trip”


 Erik
 says:
January 7, 2026 at 5:42 pm
Glad to see this site back up, I know late in 2025 I would get “Page not Found” when I would try to access it. Just sad I was born way too late to enjoy the Pacific Extension in all its glory
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 Ose
 says:
September 11, 2024 at 8:42 pm
I really enjoyed the photos on the weed route. Please post more!!
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 James K. Ingram
 says:
December 10, 2023 at 10:51 pm
The Milwaukee Road’s Pacific Coast Extension has got to be one of the most interesting railroad sagas in all of railroad history. First, the story of how Harlowton, MT to Avery, ID was electrified, then Othello, WA to Tacoma, finally Seattle, then the demise of electrification, just before the oil embargo, and then final abandonment in 1980. It was cutting edge engineering, when it was done, the way the Extension was built in 3 years, the route, all with no land grant money. Then the electrification. No one had done it on that kind of scale before. I think the “Little Joes”‘ are some of the coolest locomotives ever. So amazing the photographic journey you guys took to document everything. Many, many thanks!
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 Tom Carroll
 says:
November 30, 2023 at 9:36 pm
You do know that the Milwaukee ran between Avery and Othello also?
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 Jacob
 says:
August 26, 2023 at 11:35 pm
I still wonder if that boxcar wreck near donald montana is still there to this day
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 tudwothyjmcguerren
 says:
July 17, 2023 at 7:08 am
i forgot , on top of the commendation, i say that speeder trip was on par eith the guy, or gang, who in 73 painted some trucks like the milw. trucks , got some radios and stole the overhead copper wire of the tracks east of renton. he never got caught. that was a lot of copper
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 tudwothyjmcguerren
 says:
July 17, 2023 at 6:43 am
i love the history, great job and gutsy move. the milwaukee road was doomed from the fay it his the pacific coast when rockefeller pulled his money( allowed its completion then tried to bankrupt it) then in 33 when the dc circus monkeys passed a “law” making the milw yard its trains in chicago until the gn and np got there (sometimes 3 days) the end was assured in 39 when clowns from the np and gn started running the milw into the ground. also, they took lessens from the penn central. btw, in 1905 the dc circus monkeys passed a “law” , and have done so about every ten yrs, making only 5 railroads in the us, the milw was not one of them. i have missed the milw since its engineered/planned demise. its worse than a travesty
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 Joe Jovanovich
 says:
March 21, 2023 at 3:50 pm
Incredible journey! How many thousands of us rail fans would have given anything to have been able to think of, let alone do, what you two have done. After years of absorbing everything I could about the Milwaukee Road and visiting many locations, this gives a perspective only those train crews and MOW workers might have seen. Thank you for this stunning historical documentation of one of the west’s great glories and tragedies.
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 Brian King
 says:
February 16, 2022 at 5:30 pm
I grew up in Three Forks and remember when the Milwaukee shut down. TF was lucky to survive, it was a big blow for a small town (same for Harlow). I was curious if you had any photos of the buildings in Sixteen? A relative of mine used to be the postmaster and General Store owner there way back in the day. None of those buildings are there anymore, not sure how much was still around in 1980. I have some old pics from the ‘30s but nothing in later years until 2006.
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 Allen Miller
 says:
November 7, 2021 at 10:08 am
The MofW employees that helped repair your speeded at Kittitas, the guy on the left is Jerry Shivley, section foreman and the guy on the right is Dean Hink, signal maintainer. The boy is Dean’s son, Rick Hink. I confirmed this with Dean’s other son, Rich Hink.
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 Allen Miller
 says:
November 7, 2021 at 7:20 am
Two of my children in the photo of the substation bungalow arriving at Cedar Falls. My son Roy up by the house and daughter Gwen waving at the bottom of photo.
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 Stephen Kohler
 says:
October 20, 2021 at 6:23 am
I have been looking for this for years. My Father in Law, Prof of Astron & Physics, avid reader, shared an article (Smithsonian I am thinking?) with me years ago. I lost the article and never heard of it again. I was Train Dispatcher on ELRR in NY state at time, became fascinated by the Erie RR which, like the Milw, had lots going for it and didn’t quite make it. I drove most of the ROW thru Mt, Id, and Wa couple of years ago. Fascinating trip, so glad you gave us something entertaining to remember, best of luck to you!
Steve Kohler, elizabethtown, pa
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 Chuck Morrison
 says:
September 17, 2021 at 3:49 pm
Neat set of photos. Documentation of the end of a unique era and a mode of propulsion that could have endured and blossomed today.
Thanks for keeping this available as a reference.
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 Andrew Styles
 says:
April 4, 2021 at 10:35 pm
The school building in the photo labeled “east of Ingomar” on day two looks like the Vananda School in Vananda, Montana. The vantage point seems to be looking across US 12. 
Amazingly, the scene is not very different from when I passed that place in the summer of 2019 while following US 12 across the country.
Thank you for sharing these pictures! I came across your site while researching the Milwaukee Road. I appreciate you sharing this amazing look at the Pacific Extension!
Andrew
Burlington, Vermont
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 Cletis Hastings
 says:
March 30, 2021 at 9:36 pm
Just wondering, what was the situation where you all skipped Lind and surrounding cities?
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 Cletis
 says:
November 24, 2020 at 11:04 pm
The photos provided are certainly wonderful. I would like to ask, why did they skip going through Lind, WA? I live in Pasco, south of there and was on the mainline (roadbed now) just east of Lind, and saw the base of a station, grain elevator, spur, and siding a week ago (when this comment was posted). It would have been cool to see the area when the building were still standing.
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 Fred Krebs
 says:
May 26, 2020 at 8:26 pm
What happened to Avery to Othello?
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 Fred Krebs
 says:
May 26, 2020 at 8:22 pm
That was great but why did you leave out Avery to Othello?
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 RR Krebs
 says:
May 26, 2020 at 6:25 pm
I’m 3 rd generation Milwaukee railroad employee I worked on the Milwaukee 1970 thru 1980 as a conductor and brakeman. I’m finishing my book of my railroad career on the Milwaukee, Alaska and BNSF railroads. The loss of the Milwaukee is a very sad story that has numerous stories. All the pictures bring me both happy and sad memories wish there were more. Good job to the guys that did all the work to publish them. Thank you.
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 John (Fred) Lang Sr.
 says:
July 9, 2019 at 9:13 am
I lived about a mile from where the speeder ended its journey at the time you made the trip. The Cedar Falls Depot master was a friend of mine. He was born at Cedar Falls . His dad was the signal maintainer for that section of the Milwaukee for decades. My four young sons and I spent much of our time on or near “the second tracks”(that is what we called the mainline because the “first tracks” was the spur line that went down the mountain to the Snoqualmie Weyerhaeuser Mill) .We lived about 120 yards from the spur line. We used the tracks (both) to access the area . Just before they shut down the line there was a work train camped at a siding , for months , between us and Cedar Falls while they repaired the mainline tracks. It surprised us when they shut it down after doing all of that work . We all hated to see it go.
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 Fred M. Cain
 says:
June 27, 2019 at 2:22 pm
It is my own personal assessment that in the American field of transportation, the abandonment and removal of the Pacific Coast Extension (PCE) was one of the worst travesties in transportation history. I clearly believe that this should’ve NEVER been allowed to happen.
I firmly believe that the PCE should have been and should remain a basic, integral part of the Nation’s transportation infrastructure.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, there were TWO ICC decisions mandating that the very presence of the Milwaukee Road was/is necessary to preserve a balance of competition in the Pacific Northwest. Before, that is, they later and rather mysteriously reversed themselves and approved the abandonment.
In consistency with the original ICC decisions, I believe the line should and could be rebuilt. I have tried to crunch some numbers and I think it could be done for between $4 and $4½ BILLION dollars. A princely sum indeed but in today’s world that amount is nonetheless within reach. But who would do it?
The very first step and most difficult nut to crack, is just finding and rounding up the necessary support for it. It is much easier to identify opposition groups than to plainly see potential supporters. I got an e-mail response back from a gentleman at the Port of Seattle stating that he “would welcome any additional rail competition”.
Can this be done? Can we rebuild the PCE? Of course we can! Is this actually going to happen? Sadly and tragically, probably not. It is my best guess that any major railroad today with a spare $4 Billion burning a hole in their pocket, could probably find a lot of other things to spend the money on. Rebuilding the PCE would be very far down their list of priorities. If, that is, their radar would even pick it up at all.
However, at the end of the day, it is my hope and prayer that the very idea of a rebuilding could at least be kept alive. There was, at the beginning, a small flicker of hope. All of the old roadbed in the State of Washington (save for a very short and unfortunate gap at Ellensburg) has been preserved as a bicycle trail. There is a clause in the legislation which created the trail that the right of way is to be “rail banked” and “with provisions that allow for the reversion to railroad usage in the future”.
Maybe some future generation of railroaders would take a look at it. I hope so. I think they at least should. It is my sincere conviction that this abandonment was a bad decision to begin with in the first place.
At any rate, you have the most wonderful and inspiring photographs. I am so thankful that you were at least able to capture such a rare moment in time and document it.
Best Regards,
Fred M. Cain
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 Moe Rademacher
 says:
June 23, 2019 at 7:05 pm
Father and Son dirtbikers out of Roundup are Gerald and Jim Harper. Gerald passed away in October and Jim now runs the Harper Ranch.
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 Zardoz
 says:
May 22, 2019 at 10:56 pm
This site was recently linked to in the Trains Magazine forum pages under a thread titled (surprise), “The Milwaukee Road”.
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/22066.aspx?page=15
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 Alan E. Hale
 says:
January 22, 2019 at 7:19 pm
Would have given a million to make that trip. Now it’s worth a million just to view your pictures. Too bad GoPro cams had not been invented yet. We made that trip many times on my Dad’s pass. What a crime was committed to eliminate the competition. Thomas H Ploss “The Nation Pays Again” has it right! Now have my own M-19 & enjoy NARCOA runs on the good old Milwaukee.
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 Ian
 says:
November 4, 2018 at 10:56 pm
I read the Smithsonian article and was wondering if you have the images of them traveling through SD? I currently live out there and I can’t find a whole lot of photos of the MRC line during the MILW era.
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 Fred M. Cain
 says:
June 27, 2019 at 11:40 am
Lan,
I am glad you cited Thomas Ploss. That is a book that anyone who is interested in the Milwaukee Road or just railroads in general should read. I have an autographed copy that I bought from him before he died. I am in the process of reading it now for the third time. It seems like every time I read it again, I glean something new from it. Also, everytime I read it again I get even angrier over what happened here. This should never have been allowed to happen.
Best Regards,
Fred M. Cain
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 Tomasso Campisi
 says:
October 26, 2018 at 3:55 pm
This is simply, without a doubt, a work of art. Thank you SO much for what could only be described as a trip and experience of a lifetime.
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 Tom Koller
 says:
September 16, 2018 at 2:39 pm
I was an owner operator trucker for 20 years, carried a dirt bike on my rig and did railfanning all over the US especially interested in abandoned ROW’s so CMSP&P of great interest. This group of photos is unmatched anywhere I’ve seen but some important sections where the boys must have traveled are missing, Avery, Id. where electrification ended a key spot on Milwaukee is one, also St. Maries where rails are still in use is another but overall an amazing travelogue.
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 Burger
 says:
March 2, 2018 at 5:11 am
What happened between Butte and St. Regis, and Avery and Othello ??? 
I spent my youth all over the Milwaukee’s Pacific Extension in the 1970’s. Great trip back, seeing all these photos.
What is the backstory on this trip ? Did you arrange permission to ride the rails ? Wish I had had the wherewithall to do the same. Friends and I rode a pushcart from Hyak to Cedar Falls the day Mount St. Helens blew up.
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 Sébastien Schramm
 says:
December 7, 2017 at 12:46 pm
I see there’s some new photos ot this trip.
Thank you so much for sharing.
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 Daniel Spanchis
 says:
August 13, 2017 at 3:34 pm
Thanks so much guys! for sharing these amazing photos for every one to see! 
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 Robert Riley
 says:
August 12, 2017 at 11:49 pm
What did y’all do with the motorcar? I still use mine working signals instead of a hirail. Great photos, I always enjoy seeing them.
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 Roger E
 says:
August 12, 2017 at 12:05 am
What I’m amazed at is there still workers employed by the Milwaukee after they stopped running trains and that they didn’t seem annoyed or call the police when you guys showed up on a speeder. Try that today and see what happens!
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 stonrdude
 says:
August 10, 2017 at 1:50 pm
What a real treat to view this album! I spent the bette part of this morning going over your trip pictures. My one thought was this is what built America. Such cool memories! Thank you!
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 Klaus Kinski
 says:
August 9, 2017 at 4:48 pm
On Google Maps you can still find the Jake’s Garage building in Melstone. It looks like the business has moved across the street to a newer corrugated building.
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 Rickter10
 says:
July 22, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Thank you for making the images from this incredible journey available for the world to see.
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 Charles Persinger
 says:
June 26, 2017 at 11:06 pm
I worked for the Milwaukee from 1970 to 1974 in Tacoma. When you hire top management from a competitor what do you expect.
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 Sébastien SCHRAMM
 says:
March 10, 2017 at 10:29 am
I am French (I apologize for tipping error) and I discover this website looking for some informations about the Milwaukee company.
I discovered the amazing history of this company and the beauty of the Pacific Extension through the Rockies.
The Milwaukee line was the most well built railways line to cross the Rockies and link Chicago to the Pacific coast.
As it was the last transcontinental line built at the beginning of the 20th century, the layout and track was very well studied.
The grade were low (1.7 % in average and 2.2 % maximum), most of the curves were compensated and the altitude of the summits (snoqualmie, St Paul Pass, Loeweth…) low compare to other lines which cross the Rockies North or South of the Milwaulkee line.
This company was at the top of the technology with the electrification which gives power (the Milwaukee was the biggest company with catenaries at the time) and the first long weld rails (experimented near Plummer Creek). Bridges and thresles were all in steel and most of the tunnel in concret (I heard that the tunnels were good to offer a good gauge for car transports on double deck). The line was equiped with an automatic block signals system to offer great capacity.
It was one of the most scenic railway too (Sixteen Miles creek, Pipstone Pass, Vendome loop, Snoqualmie Pass…).
Thank you very much to share all these old photos of the last trip on the Pacific Extension before the track was dismanteled.
I have however a small regret : there’s no photos about the Butte – Missoula and Avery – Othello sections which are interesting too (the authors said that there was a wreckle train on the track north of Butte during their trip, so maybe it’s a explication).
The abandonment of this line was an awful mistake, a great waste of money due to a bad management from some bad leaders (BNSF spent lot of money recently to re open Stampede Pass which is not the best line). The last ten years of exploitation show a desastrous management which looks like a sabotage. It’s one of the huge bankruptcy in the world. Very sad.
hopfully, the milwaukee dream is alway alive, but it’s hard to see this monumental waste.
What service would not have rendered this line if it were still in operation ?
Thanks again for this testimony.
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 Andrew Dawson
 says:
September 16, 2017 at 2:16 pm
Vrai, c’est trop triste 
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 Sébastien Schramm
 says:
December 7, 2017 at 12:48 pm
Je vous invite à voir ce site très détaillé en Anglais sur les causes de la faillite du Milwaukee:
http://www.trainweb.org/milwaukee/article.html
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 Rick Gustafson
 says:
May 24, 2016 at 10:18 pm
Great site, so cool to see these pictures. If the line had been abandoned, why were the employees still there at different places, for maintenance issues?
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 Jeremy Siembida
 says:
May 12, 2016 at 2:32 am
For those of us that were born to late to see and appreciate the MILW at its zenith, thank you for sharing. I too, am curious how you managed angry ranchers, police, curious/nosy neighbors and landowners during the trip. How often did you have to take the speeder off the rails and trailer it to the next point?
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 Brian
 says:
December 11, 2015 at 7:09 pm
I so enjoyed taking the trip with you via this website. Although I’m from Wisconsin, I spent two months in and around Cardwell and Jefferson Island, Montana, in the summer of 1994 when I attended geologic field mapping school at the Indiana University Geologic Field Station (located about eleven miles south of Cardwell). One of my field mapping assignments was in the mountains along the Jefferson River, opposite the former MILW main. As a railfan I was always on the lookout for the remaining signs of the Milwaukee Road, and through your efforts I can finally see what it really used to look like there and all along the line. Wow!
I am currently constructing an HO scale layout of the Milwaukee Road and Rock Island in eastern Iowa–as you can see from the photo taken two days ago, the Milwaukee is up and running again, at least at 1:87.1 scale on our second floor. If you’re ever in the Twin Cities (where I’m located), head over to the former Amtrak Midway depot and you’ll likely find a MILW Super Dome and Skytop Lounge, beautifully restored and often pulled by MILW 4-8-4 #261, which is based here.
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 Lonnie King
 says:
April 4, 2016 at 2:02 am
Aloha:
Thank you for sharing a MOST AMAZING TRIP. As a long time Milwaukee Road Lines West fan I’d like to say I’ve seem most everything there was on that portion of the railroad – UNTIL NOW.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
May I ask a question of the authors (if they still monitor these pages)?
Did you actually travel on the railroad from St. Paul Pass to Othello? Camera failure? Speeder failure? Film development issues? The reason I ask is that just about the only portion of that route I could not get to was that portion when my wife and I followed the old right of way from Mobridge to Cedar Falls several years ago.
Thank you again for an amazing presentation.
Lonnie King
[email protected]
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 Robert Hoover
 says:
August 26, 2015 at 2:07 am
This … is … awesome!!! My jaw hung open the first couple of times I went through your photos! Hats off to you for having the gumption to do the trip. I retraced the line, by car as much as possible, in October 2010 from Avery ID to Marmarth ND, over most of the course of two weeks, but this… WOW! Thank you for taking one last look at the MILW, taking the photos, and then sharing them!!! Do you have any plans to write up an article?
–Bob Hoover,
Richmond, VA
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 Gary Cousin
 says:
August 1, 2015 at 8:51 pm
Could expand on what happened at Avery. Did you leave the line there?
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 Aljoscha Tillmanns
 says:
June 8, 2015 at 7:02 am
Wow, amazing pictures of an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing!
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 Paul Anderson
 says:
June 8, 2015 at 1:40 am
This is PR Anderson we met out at 611 on June 7.
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 Blair Kooistra
 says:
June 6, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Wow! I remember being there! fourth from last photo–the kid in bell bottoms. I forgot about the photos I shot of you guys. . . I hope you have the negatives–I must’ve given you the roll of film! What a great bunch of memories your trip brings back.
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 redtag501
 says:
February 22, 2015 at 4:27 pm
These photos chronicle a part of America’s precious past that would otherwise have been as certainly lost as the tree that fell in the forest that no one heard fall. LOL. I hope you will kindly excuse the awkward and silly metaphor but given the hauntingly forlorn, almost quietly desperate, aspect of the subject matter as portrayed, I couldn’t resist. In a way, I am reminded of Peter Bogdanovich’s and Larry McMurtry’s 1971 movie classic “The Last Picture Show.” It rends the heart to find one’s self wishing things could somehow go back to the way they were before the demise of The Milwaukee Road and the languishing of the places along the way, now collectively part of a faded dream that once was, so foolishly and pitifully squandered away and left to decay. But thanks to this magnificent photo sequence, we at least are saved the last memories before the sunset–memories we can hold onto and cherish forever. The right of way, now with rails and ties pulled up remains as scars upon the landscape, has largely reverted to private ownership, the right of eminent domain apparently erased, will likely preclude any opportunity to reinstate this route and there’s the pity. It would at least be something if one could still tour unimpeded what is left of these wonders of the western wilderness.
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 disqus_XpOx99rVuM
 says:
February 6, 2015 at 8:48 pm
Obviously, they should have kept the railroad police. –CW
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 Lee Bishop
 says:
December 31, 2014 at 4:05 am
Amazing! So great that you had the chance to do this and did it. Think of all the people who were around then who’d give ANYTHING to go back and do what you did. Amazing photos, thanks for showing us what must have been an amazing trip. I’d love to read comments about what happened along the way. There’s a book in this, I’m sure!
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 Tom Demaree
 says:
December 8, 2014 at 5:01 am
Fabulous photos of the route! One question: should pictures 184 – 191 have their reference to “Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel” changed to “St. Paul Pass Tunnel” or “Tunnel 20″–to use the Milwaukee’s designation?
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 weedrouteadmin
 says:
December 16, 2014 at 10:07 pm
Hi Tom, good catch! Got it all mixed up when I was editing these. I have the renamed the photos you mentioned as “St. Paul Pass Tunnel”.
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 Tom Demaree
 says:
December 17, 2014 at 7:40 pm
Glad to help out. You have done us all a world of good history by publishing this photo essay! You were the right man in the right place at the right time.
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 Fred Hyde
 says:
November 26, 2014 at 11:26 pm
I just found this thanks for Facebook, and am perusing the images now. I made several road trips along the route in 1981, 1982, 1884, 2004 and 2009 and each time note the continued decay of the remaining artifacts. Thanks for sharing these images, they are marvelous.
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 ka1axy
 says:
November 11, 2014 at 11:52 pm
What a great trip! Thanks for sharing. What camera did you use?
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 weedrouteadmin
 says:
November 12, 2014 at 8:49 pm
I used an old, used Nikon F1 camera that I had dropped just prior to the trip, so the focus and light meter were not particularly reliable, and as I recall my buddy had an old Pentax SLR, nothing special. I wish we had taken better equipment but that’s all we could afford at the time.
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 CMST&P
 says:
October 14, 2014 at 8:40 pm
Questions: Were you able to travel the entire distance unimpeded? Were any block signals alive other than interlockings? Very interesting to see the Mount St. Helens ash appear around Taft going west. Really like the hotel photos with the vintage cars parked out front. Did you guys end up having to camp along the ROW? Did you trigger crossing signals? Were there any trustee police along the way? Rock slides? Ranchers saying WTF? How long was your trip time wise? What was your average speed/miles per day? Did you know about the Bill Taylor’s trip taken by speeder just before you? Fascinating…could you write a storyline corresponding with each day your journey? Thanks again.
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 bihl
 says:
February 24, 2015 at 12:03 am
yes, I’d love to know the answers to CMST&P’s questions. Such a great adventure, you guys ought to write a book to go with the pics. Great stuff and thanks for posting this!
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 CMST&P
 says:
October 14, 2014 at 7:58 pm
Please let Rob Leachman put photos in geographical order for those of us piecing together the Pacific Extension by photos and memoirs. Thank you for sharing your chronicle. Your expedition is historical.
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 Jack Steen
 says:
August 15, 2014 at 9:27 pm
What a great trip !
Thanks for inviting us all along !
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 redtag501
 says:
August 12, 2014 at 1:34 am
Thank you for sharing this awesome collection. Both the photos and the experience are now priceless. It is indeed heartbreaking to think we have lost forever so colorful and picturesque this once majestic part of rail Americana.
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 Dennis J. Holmes
 says:
August 11, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Guys, thanks so much for taking the time to share these images for every one to see.
I was only about 10-11 years old when the upper midwest RR scene came crashing down on itself. I will only ever really know the Milwaukee Road in pictures, as I did not have any railfan friends who were of driving age that I could pal around with to see some of this stuff. What was allowed to happen to the Milwaukee (and the Rock Island) is nothing short of being the biggest travesties that the railroad industry, and this country for that matter, will ever know.
The improprieties of railroad management, their boards of directors and the politicians of governments on the state and national levels is nothing short of appalling. Their indiscretions and lack of action in protecting the rail systems forever ruined the collective futures of the rank-and-file RR employees, their families, and the towns the railroad operated through.
The shortsightedness in systematically dismantling and destroying the rail network continues to have far-reaching effects today, as railroad companies struggle to move the ever-increasing traffic on an infrastructure that has nowhere near the required capacity. As a train dispatcher, I see first hand every day the effects of limited physical plant capacity.
I truly hope that everyone who was involved in the shameful behavior that led to the collapse of the Milwaukee Road has or will someday stand in judgement before our Creator for the harm they have perpetrated on the people, families and communities whose fortunes were forever quashed by the actions of those responsible. It greatly angers me and I am at the same time, deeply saddened.
D. J. Holmes
Saginaw, TX
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 Andrew Dawson
 says:
September 16, 2017 at 2:12 pm
Government policy is anti-rail, roads are not expected to be profitable to survive :$
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 Rob Leachman
 says:
August 11, 2014 at 2:52 am
An awesome trip. If you guys want some help putting the Gallery in proper sequence, let me know. Rob Leachman, [email protected]
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 J Andrew Severs
 says:
July 4, 2014 at 1:16 am
Great photos that you have shared! I’ve traced the Milwaukee line the last 4 years on my mountain bike & have always pictured in my mind what it may have been like with ties & rail! Thanks for sharing!
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 Tom Dethmers
 says:
June 27, 2014 at 7:27 am
I have been wanting to tell you guys how much I appreciate you sharing this the last few times I came across it, but couldn’t seem to get an email to get through. I was 17 when the last train left on 3/15/80, and I remember wishing I had the money and a good car to go out there when it happened, but I didn’t. I have always thought that this was a travesty and should not have happened, and now being a railroad employee with BNSF for 25 years, I feel more strongly than ever that the Milwaukee should have been saved for competition and for the capacity it would have provided to the rail network! The country has suffered in the northwest because of it. But, at least you preserved the memories for us and I think that is wonderful. We will never replace the Milwaukee Road, but it can be remembered and you are commended for doing it. Thank you!
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 steve
 says:
September 12, 2014 at 4:36 am
I totally agree. Many believe there was sabotage within management. After the trustee ruled to embargo the Western extension, the audit was done on company expenses. It was done twice to make sure there were no mistakes, because what the trustee discovered was that all maintenance and overhead costs had somehow been doubled for only the Pacific extension. Had the figures been entered correctly, a small profit would have resulted, despite the miniscule traffic they were handling by the end. The Milwaukee was a huge threat to the BN monopoly that James Hill had always envisioned since the turn of the century. The Milwaukee prior to 1970 was the only major transcon that had a direct route to Chicago, and after the BN merger, it was potentially the fastest and shortest to Chicago. I totally believe that BN couldn’t have that and some how they were able to destroy the Milwaukee. A truly sad thing to see, and as you stated, it turns out that all of the railroads were really needed in the end.
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 Sébastien Schramm
 says:
December 7, 2017 at 12:40 pm
I agree with that.
There’s a good website (http://www.trainweb.org/milwaukee/article.html) which describes very well in details what happened step by step to the Milwaukee Road during the last years of its existence. The downward spiral began approximately in 1970 and the worse period for the Milwaukee took place in 1977 when the bankrupcy was pronounced and the society fall definitively into the abyss. 
During this sad period, there was one man, the mastermind of this tragedy. William Quinn was twice and the last chairman of the Milwaukee.
In my opinion (even if I am not American and not a judge), I consider this man as the principal responsable of the bankrupcy and the disparition of the Milwaukee.
He died recently at 104 years.
This man (who certainly did some good things in his life) has been the worse manager of the Milwaukee Road during 20 years from the end of the fifties to the end of the seventies.
When he was elected to the presidency in 1957, this old attorney was inexperienced in railroad matters and leaved the Milwaukee only just 8 years later to go to the Burlington & Quicy to the president’s chair in 1966 before coming back again to the Milwaukee in 1970 until the end at the presidency to finish the job and “close” the society.
He decided to stop the electric operations and to dismantle the installations (catenary and the substations) at the worse period.
He never succed to achieve any significant mergers as they were projected (the CNW merger or the one with UP and Rock Island for example which was imagine at one time).
The new Fife yard at Tacoma in order to replace Tide Flat was never achieve and has been stopped during the works.
All the strategies he decided were failures and had bad effects: deferred maintenance, more and more derailments after a few years, the lost of some markets and customers disapointed by the quality of the service.
Like this, how do you want that a such society can survive and remain one of the greatest railways network of class 1 ?
For someone who closed more than 2000 miles of tracks and put thousands of employees in the street, what a beautiful professional experience and curriculum vitae.
It’s clearly a sabotage.
This man (and some of his board) could be considered as a traitor to the nation.
Curiously, this man who earned a very good living, worked in a beautiful and confortable office was never judged and condamned by the justice or other instances (shareholders, banks, ICC…) for its disastrous management of the society.
Hill has succeded where Quinn has failed.
Billions dollars were spent to build this network and the Western extension. All this money and efforts was lost for absolutely nothing in 1980, less than a century later after the beginning.
Where I am surprised is that instead of keeping the track in place like Stampede Pass (which was reopen), Homestake Pass and Donner Pass in order to afford to go back, the western extension of the Milwaukee track was quickly dismantled (a few months after the end of the operations), maybe to erase all the traces and avoid anyone to reopen this line, like a murder who will erase any trace of its crime scene.
Thank you so much Mister Quinn for all and rest in peace.
Reply
 mike mccarthy
 says:
September 17, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Just stumbled on this wonderful photo essay! I remember an article in Smithsonian magazine in the 1980s…..I’m sure it was about the same guys.