Heres a few photo I snaped on the way to Walmart here in Butte, MT yesterday. The BNSF local is switching the industrial park branch which runs from the BNSF yard in Uptown Butte to the industrial park a few miles south. The line is all thats left of the old MIlW line that ran thuorgh town. In the pic the fuel dealer sits on what used to be the old MILW yard here. Sorry for the poor quailty of the photos the sun was in the way. enjoy.
Yeah the yard office is still here its boarded up and just recently a sign went that says "for lease". The Milw station and depot are still here. The station is now KXLF TV station, its still has its platform covers in the back.
Do ya have photos of the depots? What about the former GN depot? Is it still around? I know they tore out the Butte-Helena line in the 70's, but I'm curious what GN remnants there are in the Butte area...
Yes the GN depot and the freight house are still here. This past year someone had started to renovate them both. Also the BAP depot is still here too. It's now a bar and casino, but it also hosts almost of the music concerts that come here to Butte. It's call the "Butte Depot". Even the old BAP roundhouse is still here.
I'll be darned...I didn't know the BAP had any steam. mg: I thought all they ever ran were GE electrics until the fifties when they bought a bunch of Geeps..... :embarassed:
That's something which continues to surprise me. I keep thinking they will be removed one day. But they remain. Boxcab E50
Yup. Originally all steam. There were actually two generations of electrics, before diesels. Boxcab E50
Funny one should mention the BAP........ Butte, Anaconda and Pacific electric #59. At rest, Butte, MT. Aug 1952 Another photo from the Neal R Miller collection!
I don't know if ya'll know this but the Rarus Railway (formerly BAP) just started a senic train between Anadaconda and Butte this summer. I still have gotten to ride it yeah because they were sold out. Here's their website www.copperkingexpress.com they have pics and videos.
Thanks for the link, the Rarus operation looks very interesting and lots of fun. It's a pity they aren't running the old GE boxcabs under wire, but I'm sure the maintenance expense would eat them alive.
These are somewhat dated (2009 photos), but this is the Butte Yard office: Google Earth street view shows it still here in 2015: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.978...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s3dP69pgrD5QXVwON9Uqd0A!2e0 Butte Yard, looking south to Newcomb, Janney and points east; some of the only remaining MILW track in the state: Butte Yard, looking north to Butte, Silverbow Canyon and points west: Butte depot:
Butte Yard still looks about the same today. Just more rust, dust, trash, and disuse. A couple of years ago, there was some fresh landscaping work being done at the old passenger station.
Nice pictures. I am very familiar with this area. In fact I was in Butte yesterday, 3/11. I am pretty familiar with this area. As a kid I was fortunate enough to have had relatives working on both the Milwaukee Road and the Northern Pacific and had the opportunity to have ridden in locomotives. One of my Favorite trips was going over Pipestone Pass in one of the Milwaukee Road electrics. Drove past KXLF yestarday and the Butte Civic Center where this old girl is on display. Also had to go right past the old Northern Pacific depot on the way to uptown Butte. I live on the east side of the divide, but do travel all over the state. We do a lot of bowling tournaments across the state also. One of the places we go for tournaments is Anaconda, where the BAP is headquartered. I have been to their roundhouse there. We also see BAP trains alongsid I-90 between Butte and Garrison Junction quite often. I'm always snooping around for railroad history here. Here is one of the old BAP electric locomotives.
Chet- Have you ever caught the BNSF train between Butte and Garrison? Every time I go there, I try to get times for when they've been making their trip. Then set my travel to coordinate and I hit a day when they're not on schedule, so never see them. Grrrrr.
It's hit and miss. I haven't purposely tried to meet one, but have seen one on occasion. I think it's a matter of luck. Unfortunately it's hard to get a picture when you're on the interstate at 75+.
