Yesterday I got a chance to ride the bike trail on the montana-idaho border that's built on the Milwaukee Road roadbed below Lookout pass. It starts just outside tunnel #20 and goes downgrade thru tunnel #27 passing over 11 trestles along the way. The forest service has placed many many plaques and signs along the route giving history of the locations and history of the Milwaukee Road. The trail is 15 miles of biking (or walking) but it's almost all downhill on the 2% grade. Lights are required as there is no lighting in the tunnels and tunnel 20 is 1.7 miles long. If you want to stop and take pictures and read all the signs, it takes about 3 hours. It's definitely worth a stop if you're traveling on I-90 this summer. Cost is $9 for a trail pass (day use) or $25 for a season pass, with an additional $9 if you want to hop the shuttle bus for a ride back to the top. The trail is off montana exit 5 and bikes can be rented at the lookout pass ski area at exit 0. If you're used to straight-as-an-arrow railroad track , the route this trackage takes is amazing.
And the great part is you dont need to like trains to enjoy it! It is an amazing experience for anyone. I think reading "The Milwaukee Road Revisited" by Stan Johnson is a must before riding the trail. It really makes those locations come alive for many reasons. I sincerely suggest you all read it. Seeing Falcon just would not have been the same without reading the book first.
I'd have to add Steinheimer's "Electric Way Across the Mountains". Some great stuff up in Loop Creek Canyon.
One of the reviews on Amazon for the book you mention also suggests Noel Holley's book. A quick look at Amazon shows 2 versions of Holley's book "Milwaukee Electrics", one printed in 1987 the other in 1999. The 1999 version is from Hundman pub. Does anyone know the difference between the 2 versions?
First Edition was by NJ International, with whom Noel had prevously been involved. Different dust jackets. Second edition has pictures inside covers. It has about six fewer pages. This is due to page layouts. But it actually has a little more content. Can't speak on current prices, but if considering one I'd just get the second edition. Boxcab E50
