MILW 267 at Sunset Passes St. Croix Tower on June 24, 1964

Name	Type	Comments	Date

Benjamin Buck	General	I like this seldom-seen view of the CBQ-CMSP&P joint line! There were five towers controlling the joint trackage to St. Paul. Thank you for posting, and if you have more of the Twin City area, please share!	11/29/2006 4:44:24 PM

KEITH GERSHKOW	General	YOUR PICS OF THE TWIN CITY AREA ARE PRICELESS. BRINGS BACK OLD MEMORIES OF THESE GREAT BUILDINGS.	9/17/2008 12:47:24 AM

TJ Gaspers	General	I am with the understanding (as a CP conductor) that the Milwaukee's line (now CP Owned Main Track 1) runs on top of the bluff, and the CB&Q (now BNSF owned main track 2) ran on the shore of the river. Both are dispatched by BNSF, and the property ownership changes at Newport. Great picture though! I never knew there was a diamond there, and I run through it all the time!	3/10/2009 11:34:03 AM

Matthew Dittert	General	Yes, TJ is right about who owned which track between St. Croix and Newport. In fact, Newport had a diamond at one point, too. 267 is coming off the MILW and going on to the Q towards Newport. At Newport, when there was still a diamond there, the Q crossed back over to the east side of the Milwaukee, and Dayton's Bluff Yard was (and is) on the east side of Pig's Eye Yard. The Rock Island intersected the MILW/Q at Newport.	6/8/2010 4:24:22 PM

Robert Anderson	General	Twilight does this shot full justice. TJ and Matthew are correct. From this point at that time,the 2 separate tracks account of the steep grades on the upper track were used as Rule251 (keep left) about 20 mi to St Paul Division ST. X267 West will run on CBQ to Newport.There ownership changed sides because Q Dayton Bluff yd is on the bluff side. The MILW Pigs Eye Yd on the river side. Exception to Rule 251 was short CTC at DUNN on WWD Milw track entrance to St Paul yd. From Newport west CRIP trains used it to from Inver Grove. On I think Thanksgiving night 1974 EB Milw No66 was dragging a car and hit the Q turnout just out of view left. The resulting pile up obliterated everything from that point that you see up to the tower stairs. Yes,the diamond,all the poles wres and lines,the buildings in front of the tower and the switch the first car of 267 was pulled up out of the ground about 10 ft. Where marty is standing ,would have been crushed and yours truly would have been toast. The Sup	3/3/2018 7:06:26 PM

Robert Anderson	General	Supplimental to above comment. The Supt from LaCrosse arr 2 hrs later takes one look at the pile up and looks at me ,says " you must live clean". Was on lower step for train insp,saw disaster looming and couldn't run towards it so back up in tower,get to radio. Don't know what I can tell 66? Although the caboose saw it now and broadcast "OMG we're into the ------ tower. About 5 cars and the crummy were ok. With this key Jct out,Milw and BN are now cut. After this damage was made passable things got moving again,but not for long. The very next Thursday night almost to hour,EB Milw No76 drags another car taking out the BN turnout and the diiamond again. This time hard to believe but the loaded hopper moves into the trailing point sw at the tower and just like a Lionel train rerails itself. But Jct now knocked out again. Newport dispatcher says this is bad luck and maybe I should connsider staying home next Thursday. Either way, me and the Tower should have been toast.	3/4/2018 2:46:55 PM

MILW 267 at Sunset Passes St. Croix Tower on June 24, 1964
Milwaukee Road GP9 267 brings a freight northbound past St. Croix Tower, Minn. on June 24, 1964. It has just crossed the Mississippi (it came up the west side of the River) just north of Hastings, Minn. The track coming in from the right is from the CB&Q's bridge across the St. Croix River just north of where the St. Croix joins the Mississippi just north of Prescott, Wisc. (Note: At this point the Croix River becomes the boarder between Minnesota and Wisconsin.) The CB&Q came up the east side of the River. Both are single track railroads at this point. This freight and all northbound trains of both railroads, except local freights that have work, take the Milwaukee's line, which is along the river shore and presents the least northbound grade. Southbound trains of both railroads use the CB&Q track which is up on the bluff and has steeper northbound grades. The joint track is jointly dispatched and as a pair and have reverse direction running, ala CNW. The Rock Island joins this shared trackage into St. Paul at the next tower north. In 1964 this 18-miles stretch of track from here to St. Paul saw 5 or 6 operating towers.
Date: 6/24/1964	Location: Hastings, MN Map	Views: 1932	Collection Of: Marty Bernard
Locomotives: MILW 267(GP9)			Author: Marty Bernard

Picture Categories:		This picture is part of album: Railfan44's Milwaukee Road Shots

Add a Comment:
Please Log in to leave a Comment.