Still standing twenty three years after the demise of the Milwaukee Road, the viaduct abutments and supports at Lind, Washington are a stark reminder of the ever-changing face of American railroading. Once a majestic bridge that allowed the Milwaukee to fly over its competitor the Burlington Northern, the ruins are now just one of many relics that dot the landscape and tell the story of the famed Milwaukee Road.
I hope you all enjoy the photo,
Ryan Dadgari
Sacramento, Ca.
Nice photo, I guess there is really no reason to take them down.
Ryan,
I couldnt get the page to open…Its expired aready…
I just was able to get the page to open, and the shot is a bit on the haunting side.
Great picture. I followed that line for many miles (though not to Washington) and found a great many sites like the one you got. It’s really kind of haunting if you think about it. Nice mood on the picture, by the way - it reminds me of something that Blaire Kooistra would have done.
Thank you all for the comments on the photo. I’m glad you all enjoy it.
Sorry if the link didn’t work for some people, the other site that the image is linked to seemed to be having some technical problems earlier today.
The Milwaukee Road was one of the railroads I wish I had the chance to shoot when they were around, but I guess this is the best it is going to get from here on out!
Thanks again.
Ryan Dadgari
Sacramento, Ca.
Being in a business for many years that required much traveling via highways and some very out of the way places I think I have seen just about all that is left behind of the Milwaukee’s westward extension and was fortunate enough to have grown up in the Northwest and travelled the line on the Olympian Hiawatha before it disappeared from the timetables. At one time I lived less than a mile from the Milwaukee near Cedar Falls. I witnessed the electricts and later diesels and always marveled at the construction of the bridges like those at Lind and other places this was a RR that was built to be there forever and now all we have is these ghostly reminders of the once great Milwaukee Road.
Al - in - Stockton
I remember the Milwaukee Road and it’s still very much in existence in Wisconsin. If you get a chance when your in the Milwaukee area…drive out and take a look at the Palacial Oconomowoc Depot in Oconomowoc, WI. All stone and built like a fortress.
It’s pretty easy to find orange and black MP15’s in CP’s St.Paul yard near Pig’s Eye Lake SE of downtown St.Paul MN.
…It seems such a loss such as the route of the Milwaukee extension out to the west coast. I’ve seemingly read at various places this ROW route was well engineered to put it’s location in place for minimal grades and as stated by several here, solid infrastructure.
But, If there was no traffic strength enough to support it…we understand it could not have continued. It just seems a shame to have lost the route that was in place.
What was it the old Civil War general said about battlefield strategy…“get there first with the most and take the high ground”?? Unfortunately the Milwaukee was the last of the northwest transcontinentals, after NP, GN and UP already had gotten into the Pacific Northwest. The trade-off of having a well-engineered route was that it bypassed most all cities and businesses, so basically they were just running trains from the Pacific coast to the Rockies without few if any online sources of revenue.
BTW saw an MP-15 on my way to work this a.m., the black paint the SOO had done in the eighties is virtually all gone so you could clearly read “MILWAUKEE” on the orange sides of the engine. [:)]
And as a restaurant it serves a darn good Friday night fish fry. With luck the CP will go thundering by during dinner. Especially fun in the summer when they have outdoor seating.
Dave Nelson
nice photo. Shows how sturdy the bridge structure was to still be standing after all this time.
Very nice picture Ryan. Now if it was completely concrete, like the viaduct at Rosalia, it might still be standing…
Solzrules,
Haven’t seen you in a while. Glad you’re back, my friend.
George
Anyone else have photos of areas of abandoned ROW ex. Milwaukee system…Not just structures, but ROW thru difficult areas, etc…Perhaps some fans on here would be interested. I sure would.
I go by the one in Rosalia on my way to Spokane. It has the Milwaukee Road cast into it and a active rail line under it.
Yes sir,
A member on another board; Hemi added2d has spent alot of time in Montana documenting Lines West.
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/forumdisplay.php?f=208
2 threads;
Ghosts of the North Montana Division covers Harlow to Great Falls MT
also, Mr, Lonnnie King drove the line and documented on his website here.
Mr. Micheal Sol has been uploaded his documents in order to preserve history. There is weeks and weeks of reading here.
The Milwaukee Road Lives.
…And I say, much appreciated…Thank you. I’ve looked at just some of it so far, but will certainly explore all that’s available here.