Nostalgia & History > WAG Scans Milwaukee Freight Steam Triple Header!

Back scanning after some recent travels:  Milwaukee Road 2-8-2 #368 plus 2 other locomotives ready to move freight.  Looks like we are in the process of getting an air test.  No data at all on the back of the photo.  Milwaukee Road experts can you fill in any of the blanks?  Thanks

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A real live MILW triple-header! Holy moly, our late KS Gang bro would be drooling (or worse) right about now! His MILW pedigree came from growing up in Madison, WI. And I betcha he could supply some choice info tidbits here...

LFG

Very impressive.  Extra points for that jaunty looking bell placement.  Was that typical of the Milwaukee Road?
I have no answers, but do wonder about the reason for a triple header......power movement?  Wintertime (doesn't look it) with a balky consist?

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

JTW -
I showed that to a retired MILW/ Soo Line/ MRL employee and here's what he said... "I have seen photos of triple headers on westbounds climbing the hill from St. Paul SPUD to a mile east of Merriam Park [connection to the Minnesota Transfer, now Minn. Commercial].  Nearly 4 miles of 1.1-1.2% grade".

Dave in MT

monaddave Wrote: " . . . photos of triple headers on westbounds climbing the hill from St. Paul SPUD to a mile east of Merriam Park . . . "

The surroundings seem right for Pigs Eye Yard (if Milwaukee's yard east of Dayton's Bluff was called that back then).   If so, the cars in the background would be in the adjacent Q Dayton's Bluff yard.

Matthew Dittert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/22 17:53 by Roadmaster.

The background is Dayton's Bluff, identifying the pictures location as Milwaukees St. Paul Yard, aka Pigs Eye.

Westbound triple headed mikados were a daily occurance to get trains over the "Short Line" hill to Minneapolis.

The first mile was water level to St Paul Union Depot where a stop was made for the switchtenders.  Once lined up and the highball given, all three engineers pulled the throttle to their lap to take a run for the grade, starting about a thousand feet from where they had stopped.  Spectacular!

The 2.2% grade was about 8 miles long.  As they approached the summit neaing Snelling Ave. the head brakeman climbed over the coal pile and back down the back of the tender.  Still in motion at only a few miles per hour, he turned both angle cocks, signaled his engineer to pull away, and separated his engine from the still moving train.  The cut off helper raced ahead to the industrial siding at MacAlester and stopped.  Brakeman lined the helper into the spur and realigned switch for the main and the the slowly moving frieight chugged over the summit of the grade and proceeded to Minneapolis.

This was for many years a daily event!

-LD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/22 18:08 by LarryDoyle.

Engine 368 was an Alco class L-3 USRA heavy 2-8-2 built in 1919.  The bell was moved off center to the left when the Mars light was applied.  Second engine also has bell offset.  Scrapped 4-29-53.

Looks like there's a following section, she's wearing green flags.  Valve gear still set for reverse, so probably still charging/running air tests

-LD



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/22 18:26 by LarryDoyle.

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The first mile was water level to St Paul Union
> Depot where a stop was made for the
> switchtenders.  Once lined up and the highball
> given, all three engineers pulled the throttle to
> their lap to take a run for the grade, starting
> about a thousand feet from where they had
> stopped.  Spectacular!
>
> The 2.2% grade was about 8 miles long.  As they
> approached the summit neaing Snelling Ave. the
> head brakeman climbed over the coal pile and back
> down the back of the tender.  Still in motion at
> only a few miles per hour, he turned both angle
> cocks, signaled his engineer to pull away, and
> separated his engine from the still moving
> train.  The cut off helper raced ahead to the
> industrial siding at MacAlester and stopped. 
> Brakeman lined the helper into the spur and
> realigned switch for the main and the the slowly
> moving frieight chugged over the summit of the
> grade and proceeded to Minneapolis.
>
> This was for many years a daily event!
>
Thanks for all this, Larry!  Now, I have some questions.  I thought there was a rise from near Divsion Street to Spud.  The freight main started sooner and by the west end of SPUD was even with the passenger tracks.  Then there was a slight downhill run, over a wood pile trestle(!!) before leveling out west of the Wabasha Bridge.  At Chestnut Street, protected by a tower, Minneapolis trains hung a right and started up Short Line Hill.  Please correct my memory here.  

For those not familiar with the Milwaukee in the Twin Cities, helpers on Short Line Hill, I believe the steepest in town, made regular appearances will into the 60's.  Such an occurance got me in a lot of trouble one night.  

Thanks too for the interesting photo.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/22 18:36 by ntharalson.

ntharalson Wrote:
>>
> Thanks for all this, Larry!  Now, I have some
> questions.  I thought there was a rise from near
> Divsion Street to Spud.  The freight main started
> sooner and by the west end of SPUD was even with
> the passenger tracks.  Then there was a slight
> downhill run, over a wood pile trestle(!!) before
> leveling out west of the Wabasha Bridge.  At
> Chestnur Street, protected by a tower, Minneapolis
> trains hung a right and started up Short Line
> Hill.  Please correct my memory here.  
>
Correct.  SPUD tracks are about 20 feet higher, but the net effect on a freight going thru there is negligable since the grades are short and there's just as much train going downgrade as going up.

Here's the foot of the grade at Chestnut St., no longer double track.

-LD

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