Nostalgia & History > Milwaukee Road in Montana

Milwaukee Road ended operations in Montana in March 1980. In his book "Guide to The Milwaukee Road in Montana" Steve McCarter writes that the last train left Tarkio on March 18, 1980. But Tarkio is west of Missoula. Can I safely assume the last Milwaukee train in Montana was on that same date, or maybe a day later.

Milwaukee's largest yard and engine facility in eastern Montana was at Miles City. Current maps show an existing rail line between the Montana-North Dakota line and Miles City. What railroad currently runs over the former Milwaukee Road tracks in eastern Montana?

I am updating this article about the Montana Union Railway, which UP still owns:

http://www.utahrails.net/articles/montana-union.php

Don Strack

donstrack Wrote:
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> Milwaukee's largest yard and engine facility in
> eastern Montana was at Miles City. Current maps
> show an existing rail line between the
> Montana-North Dakota line and Miles City. What
> railroad currently runs over the former Milwaukee
> Road tracks in eastern Montana?

The BNSF owns the ex-Milwaukee Road mainline from Terry (east of Miles City) into North Dakota on the way to Mobridge, SD. The line is BNSF's Hettinger Sub from Terry to Mobridge and the Mobridge Sub east of there.

The ex-MILW still crosses over the BNSF's ex-NP line at Terry as the Milwaukee did and then west of there in the connection. The remaining section between Terry and Miles City has been abondoned but I think I remember someone saying it was no a dirt access road.

BNSF6400 Wrote:
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> donstrack Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Milwaukee's largest yard and engine facility in
> > eastern Montana was at Miles City. Current maps
> > show an existing rail line between the
> > Montana-North Dakota line and Miles City. What
> > railroad currently runs over the former
> Milwaukee
> > Road tracks in eastern Montana?
>
> The BNSF owns the ex-Milwaukee Road mainline from
> Terry (east of Miles City) into North Dakota on
> the way to Mobridge, SD. The line is BNSF's
> Hettinger Sub from Terry to Mobridge and the
> Mobridge Sub east of there.
>
> The ex-MILW still crosses over the BNSF's ex-NP
> line at Terry as the Milwaukee did and then west
> of there in the connection. The remaining section
> between Terry and Miles City has been abondoned
> but I think I remember someone saying it was no a
> dirt access road.

Actual crossing is around a mile east of Terry with a
nice pony truss bridge. I just missed getting a train
on it in 2009.

I think some of the "industrial" trackage in Miles City
still exists and is switched by BNSF, although I'm not certain.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

There is a contract car repair facility near the Miles City roundhouse remains. It has changed names so many times I don't know what it is called now. They specialize in tank car services.

Here is a somber video I found a while back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAQVh2mtSdw

Al Seever
Minneapolis, MN

fbe Wrote:
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> There is a contract car repair facility near the
> Miles City roundhouse remains. It has changed
> names so many times I don't know what it is called
> now. They specialize in tank car services.


Most of the engine facilities, including the roundhouse, was torn down. The Milwaukee buildings that remain were the steam locomotive backshops and transfer table. Nearby, the beautiful Milwaukee depot still stands.

The repair facility now in the engine backshops specializes in tank cars.

There are still a few industrial tracks but I don't think they get much use, and a wye. Miles City had both a wye and a turntable.

-Larry Doyle

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