Great photos as usual. I am familiar with a lot of the locations that you have pictures of. Nice work. I live less than a mile from some Milwaukee Road history , but not from the Northern Montana Division. The Gallatin Gateway Inn, built by the Milwaukee Road.
Looks like the Milwaukee mainline in Washington. More weeds than ballast and the ties were rotted. There were derailments on standing trains the track was so bad.
On the main line, the problem was not rotted ties. It was neglected drainage and the need to have clean ballast, lining and tamping. Not much can be done about that, when there is no budget for several years, thus no people to do the work, no equipment nor supplies.
Red Coulee 2016 A different angle of the trestle after the concrete approach was removed due to shifting ground and damaged the west approach.
When I see these bridges, my mind always goes to thinking about what a passenger train would be like, to ride such expanses of landscape. And this year, so far, it is such a nice green view.
I want to. Believe me. I just have not had the opportunity to go there, health issues or lack-o-bucks keep getting in the way....
I found these on the net, it seems the poster is long gone as I never received a PM from him concerning if he had more of the NMD. As you may know, pictures of the line between Lewistown and Great Falls are few and far between, so I am always searching. These photos are credited to Long Bell Bob from Missoula Montana. I wish I could get in touch with him to see if more exist. He took these pictures while riding on a speeder. Somewhere between Great Falls towards Red Coulee. The line at this time was abandoned I believe. Belt Creek Trestle The first close picture I have seen of the intact small Red Coulee bridge as it begins to loop around to the big Red Coulee Trestle. The Trestle Bents still remain, and a pond has formed in the small coulee to the left. Notice how the roadbed/soil has shifted. There is a road around this trestle so you could drive up to the large trestle, 4 wheel drive is recommended as it's rutted and always wet.
This is the jetty across Big Lake, he said the Road was constantly adding to this as it kept sinking over the years. Google map location Geraldine Montana, at this time Burlington Northern was using the line to serve the farmers for a short time before selling it to the state. (this may or may not be true, didn't fact check this) Lastly, Square Butte
Heading across the Missouri River, Great Falls station to the left behind the photographer. Location on the NMD unknown.
According to this eBay listing, the location is Murdo, SD. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Milwaukee-R...Rapid-City-Line-Murdo-SD-Scene-/390979809257?
Jimmy, That series on Falls Yard is pure gold! Never saw any photos of it before it was removed, even though I lived in GTF for 4 years.
Ken, the "Big Lake " photo: it has a mp 143, where is that on the NMD? I don't recall seeing that on Google Earth.
HemiAdda2d Sorry about the screwed up link, its between Shonkin and Geraldine. https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...af2ba9be54948!8m2!3d47.6307145!4d-110.4017461 I'm pleased you folks appreciate these as I have. I will always continue the search.
