Falcon

Work is ongoing at Falcon ID, up the hill from Avery ID. Falcon would have a water tank and other facilities when construction was completed.

Construction Camp

Work is going on at one of the many tunnels and bridges in the Loop Creek area above Avery ID. Most of the fills were created by first building a wooden trestle and then burying it with fill material.

Construction Camp 2

Another view of the same work area.

Sluicing

One method of burying the trestles was hydraulic "sluicing." It was a method by which high pressure water cannons would literally wash the dirt off the hill above and the fluid material would run into cribs built below the trestle. The cribs were constructed in tiers to shape the form of the resulting fill. A smiliar method had been previously employed with gold mining in California and other places. This is DD206 above Adair ID on July 9, 1911.

Adair

A westward view from Adair ID after the 1910 fire. Adair is where the track loops 180 degrees in changing from the north to the south side of Loop Creek canyon. Loop Creek was named after the fact of the track loop.

Kelly Creek

A view of Kelly Creek viaduct with Turkey Creek viaduct in the background, after the 1910 fire. These viaducts are now part of the "Route of the Hiawatha" trail.

Steam Shovel

A steam shovel is at work in the foreground. This is above Adair ID. Across the canyon one can see the construction below Adiar, just a little above Falcon ID.

Roland

Roland ID was a busy place in 1911. It had a covered turntable, water tank, and living quarters among the structures. Notice the water column between the tracks. The west portal of St. Paul Pass tunnel #20 is where the steam is rising. The covered turntable was for the helper engines needed to assist trains up the climb from Avery ID to the summit. All of this became uneeded after the electrification was completed.

Roland 2

This looks south (train west) of Roland ID. This is an example of a trestle being buried using side-dump cars rather than sluicing. This is DD208 on August 1, 1911.

East Portal

A 1910 view at East Portal MT looking towards the east portal of tuneel #20. This appears to be before the 1910 fire that devastated much of the area. This spot would later get the largest substation on the Rocky Mountain electrification and today is a trailhead for the "Route of the Hiawatha" trail.

East Portal 2

A 1911 view at East Portal MT shows there were families here even before the electrification was built. Each substation had three operator "bungalows" to accomodate the three operator shifts. Many of the operators had families that lived with them, even in an area as remote as this was in 1911. They were,of course, connected to the "outside" world by the railroad.

East Portal 3

Peolpe like pets but a cub bear is somewhat odd and dangerous to have. The family dog is curious. This is June 20, 1911.

East Portal 4

We are looking north (train east) at East portal ID on March 20, 1911. Notice the train order signal and the telegraph wire.

St Regis River

This is between Dominion Creek and Haugen MT as the RR follows the St. Regis River. On the opposite side is the N.P. Wallace branch that ran between St. Regis MT and Wallace ID over Lookout Pass. It was used extensively in the Milwaukee construction to ship in material for the construction over St. Paul Pass. The construction crews had a large material yard at Taft MT from which they moved material to St. Paul Pass.

Piedmont

A 1908 view at Piedmont MT, a few miles west of Missoula MT, shows "train #6 out of Butte." Notice the cars seem to be refrigerator cars. Piedmont would get a substation with the electrification, which still stands today.

Pipestone Shoefly

While the tunnel was being constructed over the Continental Divide at Pipstone Pass MT, a shoefly track was used to move material. This is on the west side of the hill looking west. The west portal of the tunnel would be off the bottom right of the photo.

Pipestone Shoefly 2

Another view of the shoefly on the Continental Divide. This view is on top the pass. It seems they are blasting material loose.

Jefferson Canyon

This 1908 view is labeled "ballast pit spur." There is a steam shovel to the left of the train. Across the river is the N.P. Ry.'s alternate main between Logan MT and Garrison Junction. It was built primarily to serve Butte MT and went over Homestake Pass. Their main line went through Helena MT and over Mullan Pass. The two lines joined at Logan and Garrison Junction. Most of the former N.P. west of Laurel MT is now part of Montana Rail Link. The Jefferson River is one of three that join at Three Forks MT to form the Missouri River.

Three Forks

Three Forks MT in 1908. Notice the camp cars in the foreground for the construciton crews.

Camp Cars

A vital part of construction was facities for the crews. Bunk cars and kitchen cars served those needs. These appear to be kitchen cars and we assume the ladies are the cooks. This is 1908 but the location is unidentifed. Looking at the background we speculate it to be eastern Montana or North Dakota. Notice the ties dropped directly on the dirt, no sub-roadbed or ballast.

Marmarth

Marmarth ND is noticibly quiet in winter 1908 but there is a newly framed wall rising about center of the photo.

Marmarth 2

Some railroad equipment seems to be stored at Marmarth ND in 1908. It looks like work and camp equipment so is likely part of the construction crews.

Track Laying

There appears to be some tie laying going on but there are also a number of "suits" looking around. Seems the "suits" always felt the need to observe. We believe this is in North Dakota, or perhaps eastern Montana.

Mobridge

The bridge across the Missouri River is under construction in 1907. This is at Pontis, about a mile west of Mobridge SD. Mobridge was the demarcation between "Lines East" and "Lines West" on the Milwaukee. The Pacific Extension was begun a few miles east of Mobridge at a small town that was end-of track. The name Mobridge came from the telegraph identifier. It was "Mo bridge" which represented Missouri River Bridge.