Does anyone have any information on what the crew change points were for the Olympian Hiawatha from 1947-1961?
Not being an expert, I'll leave the other parts of the system to folks like BoxcabE50. I would hazard a guess as Harlowton & Alberton, MT and Avery, ID as RMD crew changes. The first and last ones, because it was a division point, and an electrification point as well. Alberton seems to be a good midpoint, and was a crew change for other trains as well.
I can name the freight crew change points. But some passenger service people may have been somewhat different. I don't know about the mail clerks, baggagemen, etc. Of course there would have been Spokane instead of Malden. Freight would have been Cle Elum, Othello, Malden, Avery, Alberton, Deer Lodge, Three Forks, Harlowton, Miles City... Boxcab E50
Thank you for the info, this is helpful. From a source outside of this forum, I've found Chicago, Milwaukee, La Crosse, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Aberdeen, Mobridge, Marmarth, Miles City, Harlowton, Three Forks, Deer Lodge, Missoula, Avery, Spokane, Othello, Cle Elum, Tacoma. Wondering if we are perhaps missing something?
Missoula? That would be a very short hop between Alberton and Missoula, Missoula and Deer Lodge. I'm not sure about that one. If you look at the distances between the others, you'll see what I mean. Boxcab E50
Between Miles City and Harlowton, possibly at Melstone. In the early days, there was a yard, engine facilities, etc, etc. In late years, the yard tracks would still see some use for car storage, etc. Boxcab E50
Yes, in the steam days Melstone was a crew change location. The "railroad" hotel still stands in Melstone. Montananext
Yes, I was aware of Melstone, MT, as a steam-era engine terminal. In fact, I have found Google Earth to be a fun resource for attempting to track down important spots on the old Milwaukee line. Marmarth, ND, still has the imprint of the roundhouse pits, along with the turntable pit. A faint roundhouse outline can still be found in Mobridge, SD, along with the turntable pit at Alberton, MT. There are many other locations along the line which still have evidence of the road's existence way back when. Check it out!
A lot changed with the coming of electrics. Cle Elum started dying quickly as a maintenance facility. As did Alberton and Three Forks. During the summer of 2009, my wife and I were on a summer day outing and stopped in Alberton for a few minutes. We met some tourists there who wondered about the water tower and big block of concrete. I had to explain that before WWI, there was a major railroad yard there. The concrete was where the turntable had been and that was an oil tank platform for steam engine fuel. With things so much changed these days, they had a hard time picturing it all. Honestly, for me I almost felt the same. It was so much different, I was not sure I'd ever been there. But I have been, many times... Weird sensation- Like touching a ghost? Boxcab E50
As a ghost chaser, some places are harder than others to visualize in their heyday. Alberton was a tough one. With all the town growth, it's difficult to imagine where the yard and things were. The locals are filling in the TT pit with junk. Sheds falling down, etc. In a few years, some of those items may be gone forever. On the mainline, it can be difficult as well. With all physical plant removed in some places, trestles, ties, signal masts, and other things are gone from the landscape. High on Pipestone Pass, Janney SS#6 is nothing more than anoutline of a foundation, and a couple of sheds. Nothing else. You could drive right by, on the old ROW, and not know it. In fact, Mikel and I did when we drove up there. A local pointed us in the right direction. Same for most of the removed substations; they are difficult to find. Morel SS#7 was a tough one as well.
