MILWAUKEE RAILROAD'S PATH TO EXTINCTION

[@charlessmileyvideos]

A wonderful chapter on a super railroad from our full length DVD "Milwaukee Road West" www.cspmovies.com

[@GreatNW]

I have a great book about the western extension and specifically the electrified division. The only reason it lasted as long as it did came down to Charles Wiley. He fought tooth and nail, to keep these marvels rolling. Class one railroads are just like all major corporations, they focus on current losses not future growth.

[@markdanielczyk944]

Man, to own all those new IH trucks! Looks like the Milwaukee Road had the same type of management as The Rock.

[@anb7408]

After reading Thomas Ploss's "The Nation Pays Again," (and others) it became evident that the Milwaukee was the most mismanaged railroad in US history, topping even that of the ill fated Penn Central. Simply walking away from over 2,800 miles of transcon mainline (that would be highly profitable today) was the beginning of its demise. Makes me more and more sick every time I watch a video of this mainline that's now gone with time, and knowing the sheer stupidity behind its eventual abandonment.

[@SIGINT007]

They cooked the books in Chicago to make it look unprofitable. Disgusting.

[@gregginter5867]

​@SIGINT007...I missed your reference pt...who cooked their books in Chicago? For what purpose?

[@tudwortyjmcguern5689]

the engineered demise of the cmstp&p began in ernest in 1933 when pusguts from np and gn whined to the dc circus monkeys about "unfair" competition , the dc circus monkeys passed a rule making the cmstp&p yard their east bound trains in chicago till the np and gn got there. sometimes 3 days. then in 1939 2 pusguts from the gn and np took over, thus the beginning of the sickening end

[@gregginter5867]

Is there any partial blame to the Fedl RR Board (correct name) that nixed so many merger proposals by TMR?

[@SIGINT007]

@@gregginter5867 it’s been several years since I went down this rabbit hole, but the high points are that MILW owned their rolling stock but leased them back to themselves via different “companies” and then double billed everything therefore making it look like they were losing money. Lines West was able to make money but the books showed otherwise.

[@gregginter5867]

Wow! Those RRL SD9's were working their butts off heading up grade!😂

[@gregoryhainsworth2663]

I miss the Milwaukee Road.

[@charlessmileyvideos]

We all do! Everyone we talk to has such fond memories of the Milwaukee!

[@leslie-up7qs]

I remember the Millwakee in Montana seems a life time ago

[@Joe-d7m6k]

44 years back-- almost a lifetime.

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

I remember seeing the Milwaukee as it was crossing the OHIO River, into Louisville.

[@rottenroads1982]

If only we could have the Milwaukee Road today. If only Railroad Corporations didn't tear down their Catenary Wires. If only we could have Big Boxcabs and Heavy Electrics rolling on our Rails today. If only the Milwaukee Road didn't have poor management. If only current day railroads could be inspired to electrify. If only electrification wasn't so expensive. If only individuals like me could have experienced watching these cool machines in person. If only... If only... I F O N L Y . . .

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Unlike Europe and Asia there has been a lack of embracing electric freight operations in the USA? In my home state of New South Wales (Australia) we once had a proud fleet of electric locomotives, namely the 46, 85 & 86 class all are long gone, when they privatised the freight operations the new owners did not want electric locomotives and preferred high-powered GE and EMD diesels. The government is currently building the "Inland Railway" between Melbourne VIC and Brisbane QLD for high speed double stacked intermodal trains, but it will be hauled by diesels and the line not electrified, if this was Europe or Asia embarking on the project it would have been electrified all the way. Enjoyed seeing your old electric loco's!

[@garygudmunson6766]

When I was a kid the Milwaukee ran up the st.joe though Avery Idaho into Montana

[@charlessmileyvideos]

The town of Avery is the stuff of legend on the old Milwaukee Road!

[@johanneskrakin6355]

Excelent

[@charlessmileyvideos]

Excellent Railroading indeed!

[@jamesrichardson559]

A weak link of corporate structure is the quality of board members.

[@ENIGMAXII2112]

Did not know the Milwaukee went all the way to the west..

[@charlessmileyvideos]

Many people didn't realize that the Milwaukee made it all the way to Washington State! The Western Extension really helped the railroad expand, but there were very few online customers!

[@darrenhersey9794]

Another corporate profit this quarter, forget viability. Sad

[@seththomas9105]

With better managment, some luck, and some interest in actually running a railroad the Milwaukee and even the Rock could have probably made it at least into the late 80's and would have changed the look of railroading west of the Mississippi.

[@brianhanley1903]

Green rail road.

[@charlessmileyvideos]

Yep, way before there time for sure!