Nostalgia & History > BB: MILW Joe #E21 + 4 diesels

MILW Joe E21, SD45 4005 and GP40's 2050, 2056, 2059  3 mi SE of Warm Springs, MT, on July 6, 1973 ... by Bruce Black. I previously posted a going away shot of this train and back then 'BCHellman' posted "I'm assuming BB shot a coming-at-you frame?"

So here it is ... better late than never ....

---

That's a great shot, thanks. The Joe is trailled by an SD45 and what looks like three GP40s.

Was that a yard at one time? Seen the wide spot without poles had me look closer how the wires were supported.

Posted from iPhone

SD45X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was that a yard at one time? Seen the wide spot
> without poles had me look closer how the wires
> were supported.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Well spotted, 1973... so almost the end of electric trains on the MILW, could have been a yard of some kind previously.

> Was that a yard at one time? Seen the wide spot without poles had me look closer how the wires
> were supported.

Is this an eastbound or  westbound? To someone who haunted that country for years, it 'feels' more like an eastbound, and the lighting seems to support a mid-morning photo.

Most certainly a yard, given the spread of the catenary poles in the distance. The line to the right is also a clue. But I can't make the location fit anyplace in particular. Remember, the Milwaukee didn't go through Warm Springs, being on the hillside to the east. And the Milwaukee was the northernmost line until the BA&P crossed over in Durant canyon.

I'd be more comfortable if Bruce had written Hot Springs. This looks more like east of Durant Canyon. The higher grade to the right also suggests to me that's the BA&P line. There was a small yard just south of Rocker that was on the south side of the Milwaukee main, but the angles aren't quite right. I have to say this really feels more like just east of Nissler Junction, where the Rocker yard starts to open up, but the yard would be on the wrong side for a BA&P yard. But the horizon looks right for that area.

Dano

valmont Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MILW Joe E21, SD45 4005 and GP40's 2050, 2056,
> 2059  3 mi SE of Warm Springs, MT, on July 6,
> 1973 ... by Bruce Black. I previously posted a
> going away shot of this train and back then
> 'BCHellman' posted "I'm assuming BB shot a
> coming-at-you frame?"
>
> So here it is ... better late than never ....

Thank you.

I also happen to be a patient man. The wait was worth it.

Not Warm Springs. Over by Rocker, BAP on the right.

Best regards,

Rob L.

The train has the look of a #264 with locotrol failure. This moved the slave SD45 and possibly one of the GP40s from mid train to the head end where a Joe was added for more power.

The location might be Finlen though that is more than 3 miles east of Warm Springs. The MILW had a siding there and a stub end Pioneer spur. It was between mp 1535 and mp 1537. There was also a town called Ramsay in the area which had a small yard which had leads to serve the powder magazines to the north.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/19 22:22 by fbe.

I have done a search for BCHellman posts going back a year and cannot get a link to the going away photo posts. Can anyone help? Thanks.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The location might be Finlen though that is more
> than 3 miles east of Warm Springs.

Not with the BAP track on the right.

Best regards,

Rob L.

So lets talk about the MILW siding at Dawson between mp 1529 and mp 1530. The BA&P is straight track on the north side. The NP main is straight on the south side. West switch of Silver Bow is about mp 1528.4. The MILW had a main, siding and long back track.

If we set Warm Springs across the river and highway from the Morel substation that will set the mp at 1544. Dawson at mp 1529 is a little bit farther than 3 miles, more like 13. I wonder if 3 miles is a BB notebook typo going down or being harvested.