MILW Ghosts of the North Montana Division

Hemi,

Love all the photos! They have helped me with ideas for my version of Northern Montana line. Do you have any photos of the concrete abutments used on the bridges. I'm thinking of modeling the Belt Creek trestle or something simular on the line.

Rick

 

Have enjoyed reading this thread. I live in Ohio and have followed the old abandoned Erie Main Line across Ohio and taking pictures. One thing that is really neat is to go on Google Maps and get a satellite view of railroad tracks. If you know what to look for and I'm sure anyone that understands how railroad grades are built, you can easily follow the abandoned right a ways on the google map..

 

Thanks Hemi,
Looks like the Belt Creek trestle does not have the usual arched concrete abutments. That's OK, my design won't have the tunnel right next to the trestle. It would be more like the Red Coulee trestle.

Thanks again,
Rick

 

This is where I grew up! And later lived in the trailer park on the north side of the ROW. The spur into the CGI (now) Columbia Grain (then) was extened by the BNSF after the MILW ceased operations. You can see where the track jogs to the right, that is the original alignment (about half way down). It was a single track spur to just past the elevator where the MILW had a second storage track.

The line east of 25th street was severed after BNSF realigned the "Mill Line" and the former Fort Benton Sub line down by the river, which now runs over the realigned "Mill Line".

Back on your roundhouse photo I remember the round house before it was demolished. I don't recall it being used. Also the large "machine shed or shop foundation" was actually the engine maintenance facility that was in use during mid-late 70s.

Some days, I sure miss living in Great Falls!

 

Going off subject for a second, this is one of my favorite threads on Trainboard, shouldn't this thread be a "sticky" along with my other favorite thread? (by Hemi as well) . :tb-wink:

I'm don't know the criteria but it documents (very well I might add) the NMD as does the Rocky Mountain Division thread?

Props to Hemi and Ken for the pictures and the history lessons, I have learned a ton from these discussions.

My Humble Opinion.

 

Hey Hemi,
I'm planning on building a diorama and your photos of the Belt Creek trestle and tunnel have inspired me! I'm wondering if you have any more detailed photos of the approach abutments. I'm on the lookout for detentions of this fine looking trestle as well.

Thanks for your contribution to preserving memories of the Milwaukee Road NMD!

 

Here's an interesting aerial view of the Red Coulee area. If you pan out, the other features are called out on the map as well, including the tunnels and Belt Creek trestle.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=47.5476247&lon=-110.9373665&z=14&l=0&m=s&v=9

 

Detentions! Ha... Well, to the rest of the world, I guess the word would be dimensions. All thumbs here...

 

I was looking at Hilger MT today on Google Maps, with it's lonely red grain elevator, on the Roy Branch of the NMD. Roy had a wye as well, but its not nearly as defined as Hilger.

The wye is to the left of the picture. At the time I took this picture I was unaware the wye was over there, otherwise I would have stopped.

 

Ken
The ROW looks unmolested with the exception of a mobile home that has moved in. I don't think it would jump out at you by just driving by. You would have to know it was out there. The culverts are the ROW.
You can move around the area by clicking here.

 

Agreed, one would think a straight line to Roy would do it. But if you follow the ROW on Google maps it twisted and turned like a snake, following a small drainage most of the way. But we all know the east side of Montana is anything but flat.