Classic BNSF: Along the Route of the Milwaukee Road Vol. 2 - The Gateway to “Lines West”
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- In this video, we'll cover BNSF's former Milwaukee Road mainline between Aberdeen, South Dakota and Terry, Montana, with extended coverage to Miles City, Montana. This trackage was part of the Milwaukee Road’s Pacific Extension, and is currently the last significant mainline segment of this route still in operation. Our show begins in Aberdeen, where we’ll begin the westward trek across the Mobridge Subdivision and Hettinger Subdivision, through the states of South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. Along the way, we’ll see a great variety of BNSF trains, powered by locomotives both old and new. BNSF’s SD40-2 fleet could still be found on the high iron in the railroad’s early days, and we’ll see plenty of these units powering general merchandise trains across the territory. SD70MAC and SD70ACe locomotives handled most coal trains seen in this video, with BNSF’s GE fleet commonly found on the route’s shuttle grain trains. Locomotive models SD60, SD60M, B40-8, SD70M, GP60, GP38-2, GP39V, and SD45 also appear in this video, either leading trains, or trailing in the consist. Scenic highlights include the Missouri River crossing in Mobridge, the Little Missouri Badlands at Marmarth, and the Yellowstone River Valley between Bluffport and Miles City. This video captured a transitional era on BNSF, with older locomotives and infrastructure gradually being phased out in favor of modern alternatives. Come along with C. Vision Productions, as we explore this historic route during a colorful period in American railroading.
Territory seen in this video:
BNSF Mobridge Subdivision, Aberdeen to Hettinger
BNSF Hettinger Subdivision, Hettinger to Terry
BNSF Forsyth Subdivision, Terry to Miles City
We would like to thank you for joining us. If you enjoy this video, be sure to check out more from our RUclips channel. Many hours of railroad entertainment await you!
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Any former milwaukee road line that you see you can feel the history of the line same way with all the legendary fallen flags
You’re absolutely right. That’s one of the main reasons we chose to document this line. The Milwaukee Road really left their mark along this incredible piece of railroad. Thank you for the comment.
I really like this stretch of the Milwaukee Road, which connected the Missouri River to the eastern end of the electrified Rocky Mountain Division. This route hosted the Olympian.
It is a very unique piece of railroad. We’re grateful it was saved from abandonment by South Dakota and Burlington Northern in 1982. Thank you for watching, MJ!
This line is probably one of the most scenic prairie related gems in America where you are in some true outposts that are frozen and forgotten from modern time.
We couldn’t agree more. This area has a different feel to it. There’s just something about the subtle beauty and remoteness of the route that draws you in. The Milwaukee Road’s Pacific Extension, and the history that goes along with it, is truly captivating. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@CVisionProductions1 That was really cool seeing the original old movie theater and bank building in that one little Montana town before Terry along the O'Fallon river. That place was like a true walking museum I'm glad you guys documented because there are not many places which haven't had some kind of sabotage or looting done to them making that little town a remarkable piece of Upper Plains old west history untouched since the day it was left to mother nature.
Andrew - Yes, Marmarth was (and still is) a fascinating little town. It’s a great place to explore. So much history, much of it tied to the railroad.
Classic! It captures a place in time. A less than adequate road bed and rails leading to slow orders. Photography, seamless editing, and excellent narration let the viewer see and hear the beauty of the prairie.
The line is a cut off saving time and money. As the shipments from west surely have increased. The line could surely be double tracked
You are very kind to post such a thoughtful comment. We try our best to bring these often-overlooked areas to life for our viewers. As we’ve said before, there is something about the Milwaukee Road mainline that really draws us in. Thank you for viewing the video.
not enough trains for double track you need over 50 trains a day for double track
First of all, thank you very much. Your words brighten our day. This line has many stories to tell. It’s a route that is very special to us, but not to the railroad. It is incredibly well-engineered, having been built (and rebuilt) to the highest mainline standards. With the exception of Summit Hill westbound, and the heavy pull into Rhame eastbound, the entire 500 miles from Appleton, MN to Terry, MT has very gentle grades, with many cuts and fills used to level out the right-of-way. This former Milwaukee Road mainline does serve its purpose as an outlet for South Dakota grain, as well as coal, ethanol, and some general freight traffic. This line, as well as the former Northern Pacific mainline to the north, are very quiet these days. One positive note is that BNSF has done quite a bit of track rehabilitation since this program was first produced. The entire mainline is now welded rail, with very few slow orders. We miss the jointed rail, but not the seemingly endless slow orders. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
@@CVisionProductions1 that line is also good for handling over flow traffic
@dknowles60 Yes, BNSF did use the Milwaukee main to relieve pressure on the former NP. Those days are over now, as the latter has been upgraded with CTC signaling, and has lost most of its traffic. As you saw in the video, BNSF would route as many trains as they could through South Dakota, beginning in 2005. The extra tonnage began to take its toll on the track structure, and slow orders soon became a significant problem. Long crew districts on slow track with extra trains, and limited options for meets created some real headaches. But, that’s what recrews are for.
"The unmistakable sound of EMD locomotives" Maybe it's me over-romanticizing trains of yesteryear, but that phrase says everything.
We appreciate you noticing that line in the narration. There’s nothing wrong with romanticizing trains from that era. They bring about a certain sense of nostalgia that reminds us of why we love this hobby as much as we do. Thank you for watching and for the nice comment.
If the first part had left me speechless, this second part can only confirm it; spectacular from 26:23 to 27:00 with the sunset against the light reflecting on the train and at one point it seems that the wagons catch fire: this is a true professional shot (perhaps even a little luck in catching that precise moment that passing train) in transforming a backlight in one's favour. Excellent video!
Thank you very much! We followed the train until sunset just to capture that scene. We had clear skies that evening, so the sun was still very bright on the horizon. Later in the year, haze from dust and smoke is often a problem as the region begins to dry out. We appreciate hearing your thoughts on the video!
The town of Marmarth was a great spot to stop and I photography the old Milwaukee yard area. Really neat, the turntable pit. Their was so much to explore.. Did that in 1984. I also photographed the last Milwaukee eastbound train on that line.
Hello, Dale. Are we talking about the train led by MILW 589 on March 31, 1982? We have a nice Rick Mills book featuring that final eastbound with photos by Wayne Kling. Were you with him that day?
Nice video of the trains 🚂 😊
The former Milwaukee Road mainline is full of hidden treasures. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Amazing to see little change to what's left of the Milwaukee Road in Miles City. Even the uneven rails appear to be unchanged. However, it looks like someone removed the old Woodworth switch stands the Milwaukee so commonly used on their routes with the red and white chevron targets. Looks like the new stands came from Northern Pacific rails.
Miles City is amazing! Even since this video was produced, it’s basically all the same there. Completely frozen in time. Thank you for the comment.
Thank you for uploading! Such a pretty part of the country.
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching. And yes, it is one of our favorite areas. Very peaceful and wide open.
Beautiful view of the sky and the trains 🚂 😊
Thank you, Freddy! That open landscape provides some beautiful settings in which to view passing trains.
21:27 Mile Post 808. 808 miles from Union Station in Chicago on the Milwaukee Road. Only 1386 miles to go to get to Tide Flats Yard in Tacoma. Never make it now. 😢😢😢
Those highly-numbered mileposts along the Milwaukee main were an ever-present reminder of where the railroad had been, and would often lead thoughtful observers to contemplate where it was headed. The spirit of the Milwaukee Road was strong out there. It still is. Thank you, Matt.
Yesterday I seen a CN NS and CSX locomotives all hooked together pulling ethanol tanks on a branch line of the former Milwaukee Road in Minnesota. I think they were SD70s.
Neat stuff! We’re grateful that so much of the Milwaukee Road’s track in Minnesota is still in service.
Excellent video. You obviously put a lot of time and effort into capturing this.
Thank you for appreciating what it took to complete this project. Trains were few and far between on this line. The mystique of the Pacific Extension kept us motivated.
Awesome Job Chris!, You’re full movies looks great to film trains around the country, and yes, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana are beautiful out there.
Thank you so much!!! We appreciate you watching. And yes, we absolutely agree. That region is on the top of our list for several reasons.
Beautiful sights and wonderful narrative.
Thank you, Ken!
YES! I've been waiting for this!
I actually railfan bnsf I heard that this line. Is busy with a lot of traffic
Thank you, Andrew! As promised, it is here.
Great work!
Thank you very much!
Always love your videos, amazing camera work, great narration, and really good editing! I really do miss the classic days of the BNSF, if only I could've been around for it.
Thank you for the kind words, sir! It means quite a lot to us. The early days of BNSF were filled with variety and lots of surprises.
1:19:15 Ismay attempted to change its name to ‘Joe’ in the 1990’s but no one took note. The town was originally named for the owner of the White Star shipping line of Titanic fame. ‘Joe’ would have given it more connection with a certain football player. 😂😂😂
Ismay has an interesting history, including its name. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on the subject. As for “Joe”, we noticed the sign at the turnoff for Ismay along US Highway 12. Clever, perhaps. But we always preferred the town’s true name. The area around Ismay and Mildred along O’Fallon Creek is exceptionally pretty. If you ever wanted to escape civilization for a while, that would be a great place to do it. Anyway, we appreciate both of your comments. Thank you for watching the video.
Wow! This is cool I like bnsf too.
Thank you, Paul! Glad that you enjoy our BNSF videos.
Love it all Chris! Glad to see those older Dash 8s and all, although I’m disappointed BNSF got rid of all the standard cab ones.(including the six axle units) At least they still have most of the wide cab ones.
And when was this all filmed? I’m guessing mid-late 2000s.
Exactly right, Alik! 2005-2009. Thank you for the kind words.
the bridge at 1 hour and 30 minutes, that the former Milwaukee Road bridge there?
Yes, that would be the Milwaukee Road Calypso bridge. It’s great to see some bridges and the right-of-way preserved and open to the public. Thanks for watching!
I miss the old BNSF B40-8s
So do we! They were neat units. Thanks for watching.
Is that jointed rail still there or have they done replaced it with welded rail?
Thanks for the question. It’s all gone. By the time we ended production on this video, it was in pretty bad shape. That was over a decade ago. A lot of it was replaced with used welded rail from other lines.
How long did it take the BN to start running on our Railroad after the abandonment ?
Hello, Brad. Less than a month, if you can believe it. The Milwaukee Road’s operations on their mainline between Ortonville, Minnesota (State Line) and Miles City, Montana ceased at the end of March, 1982. The Burlington Northern began operations on April 20, 1982.
@@CVisionProductions1 I'm sure the BN already had all the legal documents drawn up and ready to sign in every state where they wanted control of the Milwaukee . They sure did get their way on everything . Too Bad The C.P. couldn't have stepped in back then and kept the pacific extension open .
Can you imagine how different things would be today if the Ortonville to Miles City mainline would have stayed with the Milwaukee long enough to become part of the SOO? The Milwaukee’s trustee was insistent on eliminating all trackage west of the Minnesota/South Dakota border. This included the mainline, the Sisseton Branch, and the McLaughlin to New England line. These lines had survived the massive cuts of 1980, making it somewhat surprising to lose them two years later. According to the documents we’ve seen, the mainline between Ortonville, Minnesota and Terry, Montana was purchased by the state of South Dakota for $30,400,000. Burlington Northern commenced operations over the line before the sale was finalized.
@@bradhardy2629 the Milwaukee did it to then Self's
@@dknowles60There he is--- RR expert D. KNOWS. LESS-- ONCE AGAIN WITH THE ANTI MILW TALK. GO GET A LIFE!!!!!!