There were only two log flats saved out of the 500+ old Milwaukee Road cars. The rest were scrapped when the STMA stopped hauling logs out of Clarkia on the Elk River Branch. After several phone calls with Potlatch Corp. in Spokane I was able to get one of them set aside for the WI&M Historic group that has done a great job of restoring the Potlatch depot in the town that was created by Potlatch Lumber. The historic group had some good connections and Jack Buell trucked the car and trucks down to Princeton where the Bennett Mill unloaded it, reassembled it and it was taken by rail from Princeton to Potlatch were it now sits.

After this happened, Potlatch apparently agreed to donate one more and I believe Jack Buell himself had a major hand in this. From what I understand it will be hauled to the the museum in town where the caboose resides. I believe this is an NP caboose but is painted to look like a Milwaukee Road crummy??

It was good that Potlatch at least allowed two of the old cars to be saved. I have many fond memories (and lots of years of film) riding these old log trains that will be no more.

Rolland Meyers