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Re: Would container traffic have saved the Milwaukee Road?
Author: Dave Smith
Date: 04-03-2013 - 17:36
Mike Stimpson Wrote:
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> My understanding is that the Milwaukee was killed
> by too much traffic (or, more accurately, for not
> properly handling a surge of traffic).
>
> The Milwaukee got a bunch of traffic from the BN
> merge- more than their line could handle. Their
> service quality and roadbed both went to pot.
> Then, of course, the traffic went elsewhere,
> because the Milwaukee wasn't able to move it in a
> timely manner, and they were left with a trashed
> reputation, a trashed roadbed, and shrinking
> traffic.
I recall that Milwaukee may have made a mistake in allowing the "new" 286k hoppers on it's line before doing the necessary track upgrades. For some reason, the 286k's had a preponderance to rock back and forth and finally derail at the worst locations. The Milwaukee should have stuck with the 264k's for the time being on it's unit grain trains until the line was sufficiently upgraded with welded rail.
There was a feeling during the BN merger mania that the Milwaukee could have written it's own ticket for trackage and haulage rights over the Hill Lines. The Milwaukee should have demanded a direct route to Portland over the SP&S line, the usage of the NP Sandpoint line and Yakima line as a grain train bypasses of St Paul Pass and the Saddle Mountains respectively, access to Vancouver BC, and rights over the Oregon Trunk.
-------------------------------------------------------
> My understanding is that the Milwaukee was killed
> by too much traffic (or, more accurately, for not
> properly handling a surge of traffic).
>
> The Milwaukee got a bunch of traffic from the BN
> merge- more than their line could handle. Their
> service quality and roadbed both went to pot.
> Then, of course, the traffic went elsewhere,
> because the Milwaukee wasn't able to move it in a
> timely manner, and they were left with a trashed
> reputation, a trashed roadbed, and shrinking
> traffic.
I recall that Milwaukee may have made a mistake in allowing the "new" 286k hoppers on it's line before doing the necessary track upgrades. For some reason, the 286k's had a preponderance to rock back and forth and finally derail at the worst locations. The Milwaukee should have stuck with the 264k's for the time being on it's unit grain trains until the line was sufficiently upgraded with welded rail.
There was a feeling during the BN merger mania that the Milwaukee could have written it's own ticket for trackage and haulage rights over the Hill Lines. The Milwaukee should have demanded a direct route to Portland over the SP&S line, the usage of the NP Sandpoint line and Yakima line as a grain train bypasses of St Paul Pass and the Saddle Mountains respectively, access to Vancouver BC, and rights over the Oregon Trunk.
