Nostalgia & History > BB4: MLW boxcabs crossing Columbia River

MILW E39B,C,D,A and a couple GP's crossing the Columbia River @ Beverly WA on July 21, 1963.

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Very nice shot!

John.

Awesome photo of the MILW.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

That could be a PR SHOT! Kudos to Bruce, and good job with the editing, Vince!

Lance

264 on the move.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Very nice and great scan.

Bob

Wonderful picture.  It looks like there cars on the track in the background.  Another train?

Update on the project to reopen the bridge for trail use: https://palousetocascadestrail.org/files/SH-Update-4.pdf 

MILW16 Wrote:
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> Wonderful picture.  It looks like there cars on
> the track in the background.  Another train?

Same train, 90-degree turn at the bottom of the 2.2% grade.

Regards,

Rob L.

Spectacular view, great image, wonderful colors.  Everything I've read is that the MILW route was superior between Seattle and the Twin Cities, so it will always baffle me was to why other RR's didn't grab it and run when they had the chance (after MILW went bankrupt).  If not all of the line, then the parts that offered the most savings.

BN decided to keep the NP vs. the SP&S, didn't grab Snoqualimie pass (with it's direct entrance into Seattle), and hasn't taken parts of the MILW that would seemingly improve today's BNSF operations.

It all adds to the mystique of the line.........

coach Wrote:
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>  Everything I've read is that the MILW route was
> superior between Seattle and the Twin Cities,

Not really.

> it will always baffle me was to why other RR's
> didn't grab it and run when they had the chance
> (after MILW went bankrupt).  

BN bought Snoqualmie Pass. Potlatch bought Plummer - Avery. 

Montana would have bought Miles City - Marengo but the Potlatch deal thwarted them.

Twin Cities - Terry got bought (different buyers at different times), now it is mostly BNSF.

> If not all of the
> line, then the parts that offered the most
> savings.

See above.

> BN decided to keep the NP vs. the SP&S, didn't
> grab Snoqualimie pass (with it's direct entrance
> into Seattle)

Actually BN did grab Snoqualmie Pass. The subsequent down-sizing-oriented BN management (MRL spin-off, ex-SP&S abandonment, tear out second track Big Lake - St. Cloud, etc.) dumped it.

> and hasn't taken parts of the MILW
> that would seemingly improve today's BNSF
> operations.

At the time of the decision to revive Stampede Pass, BNSF management did not even know a revival of Snoqualmie Pass was possible. It was not considered. (Amazing institutional memory, not.)

> It all adds to the mystique of the line.........

It also adds to the urban legend of it.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Perfect! === === = === JLH

Now THAT is nice!

This would make a beautiful center spread in a magazine.
Bob