Today while hanging out the back loading door at the feed mill having a smoke (ya! I know I should quit) The local CP tie train went through with 28 Milwaukee Road ballast cars in tow and a few Soo. They where all still marked MR. Kind of beat up but beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats the same thought I had!! I don't have a digital one, but a regular camera is better than nothing. The feed mill I run used to have a siding up to it, but it was taken out when CP tore up the double track main. The main line is about 30' from my back loading doors on the back side of the mill. The mill is built into a hillside, so the main level where I work is at engine level, I can look out the door and stare the engineer right in the face!! I see all kinds of things go by that door.
Bummer. No rail shipments.... When was the last switching done? By the Milw? Soo? Was rail dropped due to costs? Or poor service? Boxcab E50
Boxcab, The siding was tore up in 1989, the last shipment in was by Milwaukee probably in the late sixties or early seventies. The mill belongs to a farmers co-op so they used to get soybean meal, lime, barbed wire, all kinds of farm stuff. At one time they even sold coal and that was brought in also. Cost probably was a factor but I think it was just easier to get it by truck. When a boxcar of soy came in they would have to unload it with a shovel and it took about 4 days. With a truck they could dump it right in and it took about 2 hours!! I should also add that the feed mill was built in 1897 and was originaly used to store and load sugar beets and potatoes. The old chutes are still in the walls where the train would pull in with hoppers and they would shovel the product onto the chutes and into the cars. This practice ended after WW1 and the building was turned into a feed mill!
Interesting! There's a lot of history in that building. I wonder if the local historical society has any photos of it during RR use days? I've seen the videos of men unloading grain box cars. Quite a lengthy operation. Labor intensive. Covered hoppers were quite a leap forward in saving time. Boxcab E50
Hi Andy here is something to consider when you are taking pictures hope this helps you out. http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=2/3/9/1026/1046&pq-locale=en_US
Ken, The building does have alot of history and I have researched it as much as I could, seeing I have worked there for 20 years now. Also it will be included on my new layout. Another interesting fact, about 300yards to the south off the building is where the Chicago & Northwestern Omaha line crossed the Milwaukee, the diamond is gone and a siding switch was put in. The Omaha became a bike trail. Camp Douglas also had a station that served both lines. Somtime in the 1950's a east bound Milwaukee freight met a south bound Chicago freight on the diamond.Four boxcars of grain took out the station and it was never rebuilt, it took nearly a month to clean up the mess. Just a bit of history! Lady Sunshine, Thanks for the camera tip, I am going to check up on that one. Plus there is a lot more Milw. cars still left than what you would think!!
Andy- I have seen an older photo, showing the Milw and C&NW crossing at Camp Douglas. There was an interlocking tower visible. Do you know anything about it? Who owned it- Milw or C&NW? When was it removed? After WWII? Boxcab E50
Ken, As far as I know there never was a tower in Camp. I have talked to most of the old folks still left in town about a tower and no one recalls one. There used to be a tower on the bank close by, maybe thats what you saw. I do know they had a passenger and freight station, ice house and a few assorted buildings. The ice house later became a small resturant and was wiped out by a coal train derailment. I will check more into the tower!
Andy- I've been trying to recall. Somewhere, years ago, there was a movie. Possibly a sci-fi flick. In it one of the characters was seen shouting "They're everywhere! They're everywhere!" Guess you'll just have to get out, and recruit some more Milw folks from your area! Actually, there was another fellow or two from Wisconsin and vicinity. But haven't heard from them in a while. Maybe you can team up with Barb! Boxcab E50
Bob- Be interested in what you'd turn up. You still over in the Billings area? What's new? Welcome aboard! Boxcab E50
Ken, I don't mind that much. You Montana guy's seem alright. (You like the Milw. Rd. you can't be that bad!!) And Barb is only about a 1 1/2 hour drive from me.
Well I am almost in Billings. We moved out to the farm outside Broadview. Is this who I think it is? Last name start with "S"? If it is , it has been a long time. This last time we talked I think you were in the area of the U of M . Finally have some room to play, now I need to find more time. LOL Feast or Fammine. Will look forward to hearing back. Bob
Andy How long you lived in the Camp area? I use to live in Tomah. Use to go down there to eat at I think it was called Target Bluff Supper Club. Been a lot of changes over there in the last 20 years. I was looking at some pics I took of Tomah Shops around 1981, 82. What a change, a sad change. Guess when I have this all figured out I will have to scan and post them. I use to have coffee with Joe , who was the tower operator in Wyeville, then when they shut the tower down he went to St Croix tower. Have not seen him in years. Bob
Bob, I moved up to Camp Douglas in 1985 from Chicago suburbs. I live on a small farm 6 miles north of Camp. Target Bluff is still there. Tomah is all different since they built up the north side and Wally Mart moved in, downtown is just about all shut down except for a few junk shops. You ever get back this way let me know, we could meet somewhere for coffee!
Bob- Nope. Never been resident of the U of M area. Think we last touched base when I was still living in Coast Division country. Boxcab E50
