History |
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The Milwaukee Road was founded in 1847 as the Milwaukee and Waukesha Railroad in Wisconsin. For the next 27 years, the railroad expanded, switched names, and changed hands multiple times - eventually becoming the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul in 1874. The railroad was a granger railroad - in other words, it was mostly used for shipping farming products, usually in the upper midwest. Financially, the Milwaukee was actually quite well off for much of its early life, and could afford luxuries such as large locomotive and car shops and extra tracks along its route.
The railroad constructed large facilities for locomotives and rollingstock in Milwaukee in the late 1800s, though the company headquarters was moved into Chicago in 1887. 1890 is when the railroad changed its image entirely, separating into Lines East and Lines West (the latter of which is covered below). Lines East was financially more secure as far as things went on the railroad, though the ordeals with Lines West in the early 20th century nearly killed the railroad. |
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Milwaukee Road Class A #2, built by ALCO in May 1935.
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In 1925, the company reorganized to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, a name which would last until the bitter end, though they were informally known as The Milwaukee Road after the 1940s. 1927 saw the relaunch of 1911's Olympian Hiawatha, and 1929 saw the beginning of the Great Depression.
The Depression caused the railroad to go back into bankruptcy, a problem it had just gotten itself out of the year before (though it was still nearly half a billion in debt). Still, despite the economic disaster the United States was faced with, Milwaukee built the famous Class A 4-4-2s, the first fully streamlined locomotives built for regular 100mph operations - they were ordered and lived their entire careers streamlined. 1937 saw the introduction of the Class F7 4-6-4s, the streamlined Baltics that attained speeds greater than the Class A - it's rumored that one of the Milwaukee streamliners attained over 130mph in service between Chicago and Milwaukee. |
The Pacific Extension & Electrification
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In the 1890s, the Milwaukee decided to look towards constructing a transcontinental line in order to stay competitive in the industry. Surveyed in 1901, construction on the new line began in 1906 and ended in 1909. It was slightly shorter than competing lines, shaving about 100 miles off from competing routes, as well as being one of fastest and most efficient construction projects at the time. Originally planned to cost $60 million, the total construction actually cost over $250 million in the end (though the final number is sometimes credited as being inflated by $100 million). The new route crossed the Rocky Mountains and the Cascades on steep grades, costing the company large amounts of money in purchasing the land. The company only acquired the money for the land by, essentially, lying to their investors and claiming better numbers than they truly had.
The result was the Pacific Extension. It was one of the best constructed transcontinental lines, as well as the fastest, taking only 3 years to lay 2,300 miles of track. The line was not without problems, however. |
MILW 10200A & 10200B at the GE Erie plant shortly after construction.
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High in the mountains and far from most civilized lines, the Pacific Extension was a logistical and economical disaster. Steam locomotives required fuel of coal and water initially, creating a supply problem - while water was local in the rivers the line followed, coal had to be shipped in from the east, a costly business. The extremely low temperatures of the mountains often caused engine problems as well, practically freezing the steam engines completely. There were times no steam engine could operate thanks to the freezing cold. The expected traffic for the line never developed, either, and so few trains even operated across the expensive and vast rail network.
The solution came from the Butte, Anaconda, & Pacific Railway - a local shortline in Montana that was the first freight railroad in the area to electrify in 1913, hauling primarily copper. The Milwaukee took inspiration from the BA&P, and in 1914, began to electrify. The Milwaukee used approximately $23 million to electrify a large section of the new main between 1914 and 1920, built in two sections. It was a very risky endeavor to build an electrified rail line on this scale, but the Milwaukee had seldom other choice. The Milwaukee, striking a partnership with GE, constructed a 3000 Volt DC electrical network that covered 656 miles in two sections - 440 miles between Harlowton, MT to Avery, ID, and 216 miles between Othello, WA, to Tacoma, WA with a non-electrified gap between Avery and Othello.
Electrification proved to be a great success with the arrival of the first GE EF-1 Boxcab locomotives in 1915. The electrics, 42 sets of two semi-permanently coupled cabs at $200,000 each, proved to be able to handle the -40 degree C° / F° temperatures of the Rocky Mountain winters. Previously, steam engines were frozen shut, but the electrics suffered no issues. In fact, their tendency to run at high temperatures - negating the cold entirely - proved to be somewhat of a small issue in the summer months, in which overheating was possible. Milwaukee was quite satisfied with their investment, which operated at 54% of the running costs of previous steam operations. In 1919, they ordered more locomotives for passenger use from GE, but the US Government only allowed GE to build five units, while Westinghouse received an order for 10 engines.
The solution came from the Butte, Anaconda, & Pacific Railway - a local shortline in Montana that was the first freight railroad in the area to electrify in 1913, hauling primarily copper. The Milwaukee took inspiration from the BA&P, and in 1914, began to electrify. The Milwaukee used approximately $23 million to electrify a large section of the new main between 1914 and 1920, built in two sections. It was a very risky endeavor to build an electrified rail line on this scale, but the Milwaukee had seldom other choice. The Milwaukee, striking a partnership with GE, constructed a 3000 Volt DC electrical network that covered 656 miles in two sections - 440 miles between Harlowton, MT to Avery, ID, and 216 miles between Othello, WA, to Tacoma, WA with a non-electrified gap between Avery and Othello.
Electrification proved to be a great success with the arrival of the first GE EF-1 Boxcab locomotives in 1915. The electrics, 42 sets of two semi-permanently coupled cabs at $200,000 each, proved to be able to handle the -40 degree C° / F° temperatures of the Rocky Mountain winters. Previously, steam engines were frozen shut, but the electrics suffered no issues. In fact, their tendency to run at high temperatures - negating the cold entirely - proved to be somewhat of a small issue in the summer months, in which overheating was possible. Milwaukee was quite satisfied with their investment, which operated at 54% of the running costs of previous steam operations. In 1919, they ordered more locomotives for passenger use from GE, but the US Government only allowed GE to build five units, while Westinghouse received an order for 10 engines.
Milwaukee EP-2 'Bipolar' #E-2. Bipolars were regarded as one of the most successful electrics on the Milwaukee.
MILW EP-3 'Quill'. The locomotives were operationally successful but ultimately mechanical failures.
The new motors, classified as the EF-4, was perhaps the most famous of its electrics, possibly surpassed only by the Bipolar three decades prior. The Little Joes, named by the engineers who called them Little Joe Stalin's locomotive which was shortened to just Little Joe, were immensely powerful, handling everything the Milwaukee threw at them and then some. Initial doubts were disregarded after more weight was given to the engines and the Rocky Mountain division substations upgraded from 3000 volts to 3400 volts. All twelve reported to freight service on the Rocky Mountain Division by 1952, in which the two EP-4s were replaced by the migrated Bipolars. The Bipolars previously worked the Coast Division - a line the Joes could not operate on because it didn't have enough power for them - and were shifted to the Rocky Mountain Division after they were rebuilt in 1950. The immeasurable success of the Joes was high enough that the head of the electrification department at the time, Laurence Wylie, requested GE to build additional units at the Milwaukee specifications, but priced at $650,000 each, the company never purchased any more.
"The Little Joes could really put out some power...One time I was riding over the Butte Hill on a train with two Little Joes and some diesels. The diesels broke down while we were on the grade so the engineer stopped the train. We didn’t want to double the hill, so I gave the engineer approval to see if the Joes could make it by themselves. It was a good day with dry rail and no wind to blow the sand off the track. Also we were right beside the Janney substation when we started, so I knew we could get full voltage. Running at 475 amps per traction motor, the Joes pulled the train over the hill with no problem at all. After the trip, I did some calculations and they showed that the Joes had to produce 6,700 to 7,000 horsepower each at 30% adhesion to pull that train." - Barry Kirk, head of the Milwaukee Road Electrical Division from 1963 to 1971. Electrification proved to have been well worth the investment, saving millions of dollars in operating costs over the years and handling any train that came over the Rocky Mountain and Coast Divisions with ease. |
GE's five EP-2 "Bipolars" were a massive success, proving to operate more efficiently and faster than its EP-1 companions, as well as taking on a more familiar design, being rounded instead of squared. To many, they resembled steam locomotives. They were not the first bipolar style of electric locomotive - that honour going to the New York Central's S-motors - but they were the largest by far, capable of running at 90mph according to GE (though MILW ran them at 70mph typically). They served with the railroad until the late 1950s.
Westinghouse's EP-3 "Quills" were a failure, however. They lasted until the 1950s before being torched - multiple issues including a light frame, heavy locomotive weight, frequent wheel wear and frame damage, and other mechanical issues became the downfall of the engines. They were liked by engineers and had good power, but they were mechanical failures which resulted in five failed attempts to rebuild the ten locomotives. The first was scrapped in 1942, and the rest were scrapped between 1952 and 1957. The Milwaukee found themselves in need of more electrical units after WWII. They turned to GE, who offered them 20 units originally meant for export to the Soviet Union (not sold because of a US embargo), which Milwaukee offered to buy for little more than scrap value - $1 million for all 20 units and the spare parts supply. GE accepted, but the Milwaukee board of directors failed to release the money and the offer didn't go through. The 1950 US entrance to the Korean War meant the railroad needed the units. and they returned to GE to find eight of them had been sold, as well as the spare parts. Three went to the Chicago South Shore, five went to a railroad in Brazil. Still offering $1 million, the remaining 12 GE-750 type locomotives were purchased by the Milwaukee. 
MILW EF-4 'Little Joe' #E73. The Joes were the most powerful, efficient, and successful electrics the Milwaukee owned, period.
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The Final Bankruptcy & Collapse
MILW #102, an F7 Hiawatha streamliner, sits almost abandoned in Bensenville, IL in 1951, awaiting the scrappers torch. Photo credit: Danial on Flickr
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While the Milwaukee had enjoyed savings from electrification and other operations, it was a failure of a railroad. The granger line expanding to a transcontinental railroad utterly crippled it, inflating its debt to insane levels and going bankrupt more often than not. The 1950s/1960s post-war railroad decline hit the Milwaukee especially hard, effectively killing its passenger services entirely. The Midwestern US was inflated with too many competing lines, and the transcontinental competition was one that the Milwaukee Road was losing, even with its electrification. The famous streamlined steamers were all scrapped by 1951 because of declining passenger rates, most passenger trains coming to a halt. Between 1958 and 1960, the Bipolars were retired as well, the Quills scrapped in the years before. It was clear to the majority of people: the Milwaukee Road was dying.
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The railroad attempted to merge with the Chicago & Northwestern in the 60s, failing, and even attempted to be included in the Union Pacific purchase of the dying Rock Island, but also failed that. The ICC refused it and other attempted mergers in the 60s. Despite this, when the C&NW offered to sell itself to Milwaukee in 1970, the president of the collapsing railroad denied it, claiming only a merger with a larger system could save them. By denying C&NW, the railroad had sealed its fate.
In 1972, Milwaukee announced it was to begin phasing out the electrics permanently, and ultimately scrapping the line. At that point, the Coast Division's electrification was effectively unused anymore - merely two sets of Boxcabs (on very rare occasions, there were three) that were occasionally assigned to helper service when possible between 1969 and 71, the rest removed from service thanks to advancements in locotrol and growing numbers of diesels. The Rocky Mountain division retained its 12 Little Joes, two ES2 switchers, and a mere handful of Boxcabs - no more than a dozen cabs at that point, the other 68 cabs having been scrapped or deactivated. Electrification was only servicing approximately 3% of the railroad's traffic anymore, and the Milwaukee officials simply did not believe it was worth keeping the system. The money gained from selling off the assets would help alleviate running costs, they believed.
Milwaukee officials were indeed the only ones who wished to de-electrify. Engineers preferred the quiet electrics, and GE still saw opportunities to improve the system and make money from it - not to mention the generations of countless railfans and workers alike who did not wish to see such a unique operation fall. GE did attempt to sway Milwaukee, a very lengthy study in 1972 showed officials that bridging the 212 mile Avery-Othello gap and acquiring new units, paired with the old EF4s, would be an excellent long-term savings program, but Milwaukee still planned on de-electrification because the money required to complete these objectives would be equivalent to re-electrifying the lines from scratch, too costly for the railroad.
On June 15th, 1974, two Little Joes pulled the final electrified freight train into Deer Lodge, Montana. The wires were de-electrified for the last time then. The Pacific Extension was permanently abandoned in 1980, with all operations west of Miles City, MT being suspended on May 29th the same year.
Total track miles dropped from its peak of 10,074 in 1977 to just a third of that: 3,023 miles of operating track in 1984, losing approximately a thousand miles of track a year. The Milwaukee filed for its final bankruptcy in 1977 after having lost $100 million the previous three years. Despite even the US Congress attempting to fix the railroad with the Milwaukee Road Restructuring Act of 1979, the railroad was well and truly a lost cause. The company continued to reorganize, cutting losses wherever possible, and was put up for sale. The Chicago and Northwestern, Soo Line, and Grand Trunk all made bids to buy the line, and the ICC approved the C&NW and SOO offers.
On February 19th, 1985, The Milwaukee Road, Inc. was sold to the Soo Line Railroad.
In 1972, Milwaukee announced it was to begin phasing out the electrics permanently, and ultimately scrapping the line. At that point, the Coast Division's electrification was effectively unused anymore - merely two sets of Boxcabs (on very rare occasions, there were three) that were occasionally assigned to helper service when possible between 1969 and 71, the rest removed from service thanks to advancements in locotrol and growing numbers of diesels. The Rocky Mountain division retained its 12 Little Joes, two ES2 switchers, and a mere handful of Boxcabs - no more than a dozen cabs at that point, the other 68 cabs having been scrapped or deactivated. Electrification was only servicing approximately 3% of the railroad's traffic anymore, and the Milwaukee officials simply did not believe it was worth keeping the system. The money gained from selling off the assets would help alleviate running costs, they believed.
Milwaukee officials were indeed the only ones who wished to de-electrify. Engineers preferred the quiet electrics, and GE still saw opportunities to improve the system and make money from it - not to mention the generations of countless railfans and workers alike who did not wish to see such a unique operation fall. GE did attempt to sway Milwaukee, a very lengthy study in 1972 showed officials that bridging the 212 mile Avery-Othello gap and acquiring new units, paired with the old EF4s, would be an excellent long-term savings program, but Milwaukee still planned on de-electrification because the money required to complete these objectives would be equivalent to re-electrifying the lines from scratch, too costly for the railroad.
On June 15th, 1974, two Little Joes pulled the final electrified freight train into Deer Lodge, Montana. The wires were de-electrified for the last time then. The Pacific Extension was permanently abandoned in 1980, with all operations west of Miles City, MT being suspended on May 29th the same year.
Total track miles dropped from its peak of 10,074 in 1977 to just a third of that: 3,023 miles of operating track in 1984, losing approximately a thousand miles of track a year. The Milwaukee filed for its final bankruptcy in 1977 after having lost $100 million the previous three years. Despite even the US Congress attempting to fix the railroad with the Milwaukee Road Restructuring Act of 1979, the railroad was well and truly a lost cause. The company continued to reorganize, cutting losses wherever possible, and was put up for sale. The Chicago and Northwestern, Soo Line, and Grand Trunk all made bids to buy the line, and the ICC approved the C&NW and SOO offers.
On February 19th, 1985, The Milwaukee Road, Inc. was sold to the Soo Line Railroad.
Legacy & Modern Day
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The Milwaukee Road was doomed to fail as soon the Pacific Extension began, and even then, it would've likely been swallowed up by competing companies in the Northern Midwest - the very reason they wished to expand, ironically. Regardless, it operated some of the most unique trains in North America - from its streamliners to its electrics. The Hiawatha is still a named train on Amtrak in the modern day, and one of its largest steamers, S3 4-8-4 #261 is still operated as a heritage train, along with its unique Super Dome and Skytop companions. Super Dome #53 and Skytop Lounge Cedar Rapids are both in service along with a host of other former Milwaukee coaches with the Friends of the 261 today. A handful of other Domes and Skytops survive in preservation or active service today, as well, though no more run in the original orange and maroon colours. Other Milwaukee road diesels and steamers have survived, preserved in museums around the country. E70, an EF4 survives in Deer Lodge, MT, as well as EF1 #10020 (original numbering) in Duluth, MN, with the surplus switcher E57B residing in Harlowton, MT. Bipolar E2 has its home in the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO - very far from home, it is the last of the few surviving Milwaukee electrics.
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Milwaukee Road 261 on its way back to its home to Minneapolis, MN on October 1st, 2017.
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After the SOO acquisition, most of the classic orange and black diesel locomotives were painted into bandits - black paint covering up all Milwaukee Road markings with white SOO lettering and numbering atop it. In the 33 years since its death, all but one Milwaukee engine has been repainted, scrapped, or sold. Now, only GP40 #2010 remains with its fading bandit look - Canadian Pacific acquired the SOO in 1990 and has had most units repainted into their bright red, scrapped, or sold, but #2010 still has its orange peaking through. It seems to have a near-permanent home in St. Paul, MN.
With the Milwaukee Road operating some of the first non-steam engines in mainline use, it had a major impact on the modern locomotive. No thoughts about how non-steam cabs should be made originally, and along with other electrifying railroads, their cabs served as excellent inspiration for what would be used in the modern diesel engine, even up to today. The electrification also proved that such a project was feasible on such a massive scale - at its time, it was the single largest railway electrification project ever undertaken. They proved it could be done, inspiring the broad scale of PRR's Northeast Corridor, and its effects even stretched out to Europe and Asia, giving way to the modern electric trains around the world. With approximately one third of all railroad tracks around the world under electrification, the Milwaukee was essential to modern railroading as we know it.
Without The Milwaukee Road, who knows what the world of transportation - and as a result, the world itself - could look like today?
With the Milwaukee Road operating some of the first non-steam engines in mainline use, it had a major impact on the modern locomotive. No thoughts about how non-steam cabs should be made originally, and along with other electrifying railroads, their cabs served as excellent inspiration for what would be used in the modern diesel engine, even up to today. The electrification also proved that such a project was feasible on such a massive scale - at its time, it was the single largest railway electrification project ever undertaken. They proved it could be done, inspiring the broad scale of PRR's Northeast Corridor, and its effects even stretched out to Europe and Asia, giving way to the modern electric trains around the world. With approximately one third of all railroad tracks around the world under electrification, the Milwaukee was essential to modern railroading as we know it.
Without The Milwaukee Road, who knows what the world of transportation - and as a result, the world itself - could look like today?