Noticed on an email list that Milwaukee Road Hiawatha coaches #539 and #540 are being scrapped in Yreka, CA. The person who posted the report also did a good job taking documentary photos of the cars, here:

#539: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33672589@N08/sets/72157626957690394/with/5831048357/

#540: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33672589@N08/sets/72157626957899040/

Seems to me a truck from one of these cars would be a worthwhile display piece for a Milwaukee museum. If I'm not mistaken, these cars have the so-called "Nystrom trucks" that were unique to the Milwaukee. Hopefully someone can correct me if I'm wrong about that.

That is a really good photo essay by J. L. Nelson, who I believe is a known fan of MILW passenger cars.

It looks like the "Friends of the Milwaukee Road Coach" has tagged - with blue tape - quite a few parts in the 540 to be saved. That's good news. Any one know where those parts might end up?

I detest "taggers". Vandalism is not an art form, even in a condemned car.

Those look like rotating end cap roller bearings. Required to move a passenger car on CSX.
Are they 5 X 10's ? They might have been some type of freight wheel. But seemed to have worked out here. Were the trucks saved?

Does anyone have a contact for the scrappers on these cars ? One of our members is looking for a couple of Y50 draft gear yokes for his car and we wouldn't mind have a spare or two on hand for one of our cars so equipped. From what we understand, most Milwaukee cars had these.

Thanks,

The Yreka Western has a general info number on their website: (800) 973-5277 . No idea if that will be helpful.

Just as info, the report I read on an email list (dated 8/31) said the following: "Hiawatha coach 539 was cut up today by the Yreka Western Railroad, Yreka, California. Its sister 540 is to be cut up in the next day or two."

Thanks. I'll pass that along.

I really hope the trucks were saved!

CD

I guess I don't get it on the Nystrom trucks. Granted they (supposedly) had awsome ride quality, but they are an absolute oddball vs. the rest of the lightweight truck population. There are very few folks still running them, and fewer all the time. Sadly the homebuilt MILW cars were usually rust buckets with pretty interiors. Plus OMR has been trying to peddle two sets for 6+ months now to no avail. I can think of probably 4 more carsets that could be had readily if someone was really hard up for a set.

On the other hand, these are tread brake and provided a good job was done, the conversion to AP bearings is a plus.

Arg...

Milwaukee Road Coach 539. Ordered 5/1947, Delivered 12/1947-3/1948. Sold to the Oregon Pacific and Eastern Railroad in 1971. The sold to the California Western, Fort Bragg, CA. Finally sold to the Yreka Western, Yreka, CA. Scrapped 6/2011.

What was the Oregon Pacific and Eastern, in 1971? Was it a railroad that actually had regular passenger service, or was it a (proposed) tourist line?

It's sad that a car could be SOLD to a line only to end up as scrap.

It's hard to build from scratch, once gone - was there some urgency in scrapping the cars?

/Mitch

Absolutely. URGENT. It seems that the mayor of Pemberton, says that the cars were blocking the view of Pemberton from the Pacific coast and told them that they must be removed immediately or that he would have them scrapped. ;D

The OP&E was, like the YW, another of Willis Kyle's many shortline properties and had operated passenger excursions from 1971 until it was sold in 1987. I'm not sure if these cars were actually used for those excursions, though.

The YW seems to be cutting up a lot of equipment lately. Locomotive 244 was cut up last month (Kinda personal hurt here, as I designed the paint styling (not the colors!) that was on the engine.).
S'
David D.

This was seen this afternoon at Yreka:
Out of view to the right appeared to be a pile of hood or cab sheets.

Only three SP commute cars and some SP "economy" or "ugly" baggage cars were seen besides an SD next to the depot.

Thanks for your kind words on my photo essay. As you noted, I put blue painters tape on many of the parts in those cars. The parts were removed and will be used to help restore the Hiawatha collection of the Charles City Western, Charles City, IA. In that collection resides MILW coaches 623, 639 & 471, Diner 122, Parlor Diner 182 "Union Grove" and Tap-Lounge 165. And yes, I am a certified Milwaukee passenger nut. Just photographed the last surviving 1937 Hiawatha coach along with the remails of 3 "Valley" series parlor cars today.

Regards, J.L. Nelson