Nostalgia & History > MLW Joe in old paint w/Olympian Hiawatha 1955

MILW E20 w/Tr15, the Olympian Hiawatha, @ 'Bearmouth, MT MP 160' 6/21/55
Lettering on border of negative is Bruce Black's printing ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/19 09:58 by valmont.

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Another great image. Thanks for sharing so many historic treasures.
Bob

Am I guessing correct that the tracks on the left are the NP main?  Didn't realize they were so close together at that location.

NP tracks were on the north side of the MILW ROW through this area, so the train must be westbound in (perfect) afternoon light.

Great capture.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

E25 Wrote: > ...  westbound in (perfect) afternoon light ...

... and with a peek at Google Maps it looks like Bruce got this shot at or near the Bear Gulch Rd crossing. I remember riding MRL trains through Bearmouth and with that track angle (NNE ~ SSW) more than once thinking the westbound shot would be really good here in the late afternoon. I think I even made it over to Bearmouth once or twice while I was living in Missoula...

Lance/199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/19 18:18 by santafe199.

Looks like a very healthy consist (13 cars?) for this train....which ived much of it's too short life on a sarvation diet.....with a tiny consist to reflect that fact.

This train must be high on any passenger train enthusiast's, certainly mine, of trains they most regret missing a ride on.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

The photo was used by Jim Scribbins in his early 1970s book The Hiawatha Story.  I don't have the book with me, but it is in the Olympian Hiawatha section.  Always liked this picture.

Beautiful train - Milwaukee passenger service on their whole system was sure riding high then - The same year, 1955, Milwaukee became the route for UP Streamliners east of Omaha to Chicago and was scrambling to improve track, facilities and install CTC there. Because of that, this stem-to-stern two-tone orange and red would not last much longer, to be painted Armour Yellow to match UP consists.=== === = === JLH 
 

What is the story of Bruce's negative? Given there was no motor drive on his 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 sheet film camera there was no way to take an action sequence. Did Bruce do a contact copy negative or was this once part of the Kalmbach/Scribbins archives which got loosed to the public?

At one time Bearmouth was quite a shipping point for mining equipment and stores moving by wagon to hardrock districts north and south. There was quite a hotel for people laying over for stage coach connections. The building was built and faced with square wooden nails and still stands west of Bearmouth.