I had a chance to make a quick visit to the Union Depot Railroad Museum in Mendota, Illinois yesterday. As usual, I was very impressed with their museum. They have restored Milwuakee Road combine #2713 and it looks beautiful; inside and out. My question is, how many of these home-built Milwaukee Road open platform combines still exist and what kind of condition are THEY in?

Thanks.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

midlandblb@cs.com

> I had a chance to make a quick visit to the
> Union Depot Railroad Museum in Mendota,
> Illinois yesterday. As usual, I was very
> impressed with their museum. They have
> restored Milwuakee Road combine #2713 and it
> looks beautiful; inside and out. My question
> is, how many of these home-built Milwaukee
> Road open platform combines still exist and
> what kind of condition are THEY in?

> Thanks.

> Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad
> Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

Les,
Reader had one that I rode in two or three times. I suspect that it is still around, but where? I was in the same car in Mendota a couple of months ago and they have done a real nice job on it. Now if they could only get 4978 fired-up.
Don C.

milw261@sbcglobal.net

There is one on a farm just east of Marion, IA. I've never had a chance to stop and ask if I could see the interior, but the exterior looks to be in good shape. Not sure what it's used for. It's displayed on a short piece of track along with a small "critter". The owner appears to deal in motorcars, as there are many on the property.
Also, in Rockford, IL, there is the car pictured below, that is supposed to be going to the Colfax RR Museum in Colfax, WI. It's in pretty rough shape.

Boyd



bowens@rypn.org

Sort of a change of subject, but when I was in Florida in 1961 FEC was using Combine cabooses that I thought were rather unique ...were any of these preserved ??


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> There is one on a farm just east of Marion,
> IA. I've never had a chance to stop and ask
> if I could see the interior, but the
> exterior looks to be in good shape. Not sure
> what it's used for. It's displayed on a
> short piece of track along with a small
> "critter". The owner appears to
> deal in motorcars, as there are many on the
> property.
> Also, in Rockford, IL, there is the car
> pictured below, that is supposed to be going
> to the Colfax RR Museum in Colfax, WI. It's
> in pretty rough shape.

> Boyd

Boyd: I am 99.99% certain that the car in Mendota is the combine from Rockford (the one you have pictured.) The equipment moving to the museum in Colfax does not include this car. Incidentally, the "welded up" windows shown in that photo have now all been open with new frames and glass in place as part of the restoration.

The gentleman who gave us a tour of the Mendota equipment stated that he thought there were two other of these Milwaukee Road branch line open platform combines still in existance but was not sure where they were located.

Les

midlandblb@cs.com

> The gentleman who gave us a tour of the
> Mendota equipment stated that he thought
> there were two other of these Milwaukee Road
> branch line open platform combines still in
> existance but was not sure where they were
> located.

There is one of these at the Minnesota Transportation Museum in Minneapolis. I believe the one pictured below in French Lick, Indiana is still there (I'm not certain), and last I heard there was one on private property in downstate Illinois.

Frank Hicks

Preserved North American Electric Cars

fullparallel@wideopenwest.com

I recall being told that the French Lick car (Indiana Railway Museum) is the former Reader combine.

Alan Maples

AMaples@aol.com

The museum group at Milbank, SD has a MILW combine which is used in excursion service for the annual Trainfest. It was previously part of the MILW wreck train at Montevideo, MN.

Two other MILW combines that come to mind, one at the moribund traction museum at Clear Lake, Iowa on the west end of the Iowa Traction and the second at Limon, Colorado. This is part of a volunteer? museum displaying some of the ex-C&LC excursion equipment.

As I recall, these cars are considered to be the only lightweight streamlined cars built with open platforms in the US.

dsrc512@sd.value.net

> The museum group at Milbank, SD has a MILW
> combine which is used in excursion service
> for the annual Trainfest. It was previously
> part of the MILW wreck train at Montevideo,
> MN.

> Two other MILW combines that come to mind,
> one at the moribund traction museum at Clear
> Lake, Iowa on the west end of the Iowa
> Traction and the second at Limon, Colorado.
> This is part of a volunteer? museum
> displaying some of the ex-C&LC excursion
> equipment.

> As I recall, these cars are considered to be
> the only lightweight streamlined cars built
> with open platforms in the US.

I appreciate the info on the other surviving open platform branch line combines that the Milwaukee Road built in their shops. Which brings up another question; how many DID they originally build and what numbers did they originally carrier on the CMStP&P?

Thanks once again.

Les Beckman (HVRM)

midlandblb@cs.com

> I appreciate the info on the other surviving
> open platform branch line combines that the
> Milwaukee Road built in their shops. Which
> brings up another question; how many DID
> they originally build and what numbers did
> they originally carrier on the CMStP&P?

> Thanks once again.

> Les Beckman (HVRM)

Les,
W. David Randall's "Streamliner Cars - Volume 3" which is comprised of ACF and other builders lists the following information on page 134:

Milwaukee Road Shops

8 Combine, 2700-2707, built 1934
10 Combine, 2708-2717, built 1938
10 Mail Combine, 2750-2759, built 1938

Here is another question......do any of the mail combines exist?

Don C.


milw261@sbcglobal.net

> Les,
> W. David Randall's "Streamliner Cars -
> Volume 3" which is comprised of ACF and
> other builders lists the following
> information on page 134:

> Milwaukee Road Shops

> 8 Combine, 2700-2707, built 1934
> 10 Combine, 2708-2717, built 1938
> 10 Mail Combine, 2750-2759, built 1938

> Here is another question......do any of the
> mail combines exist?

> Don C.

Don: Thanks for the info. I never realized another variaton (the Mail Combines) even existed! Sure would like to see a photo of one to see how they differed.

Les


midlandblb@cs.com

> Don: Thanks for the info. I never realized
> another variaton (the Mail Combines) even
> existed! Sure would like to see a photo of
> one to see how they differed.

> Les

I'm going to guess that they might have had a small RPO section for maintaining branchline mail contracts. Sort of a simplified version of the NP "triple" combine that MTM operates on their trains out of Osceola, WI. Anyone????

Don C.

milw261@sbcglobal.net

> I'm going to guess that they might have had
> a small RPO section for maintaining
> branchline mail contracts. Sort of a
> simplified version of the NP
> "triple" combine that MTM operates
> on their trains out of Osceola, WI.
> Anyone????

> Don C.

Les,
If you can secure a copy of "The Milwaukee Road in Color - Volume 4" - "Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and The Dakotas", check out the photo on the top of page 109. The photo depicts one of the cars being loaded with mail and express at Mobridge, SD, in 1948. And just as I suspected, it has the mail section forward, the baggage section in the middle and the passenger compartment to the rear.

Don C.

milw261@sbcglobal.net

> Les,
> If you can secure a copy of "The
> Milwaukee Road in Color - Volume 4" -
> "Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and The
> Dakotas", check out the photo on the
> top of page 109. The photo depicts one of
> the cars being loaded with mail and express
> at Mobridge, SD, in 1948. And just as I
> suspected, it has the mail section forward,
> the baggage section in the middle and the
> passenger compartment to the rear.

> Don C.

Don: Thanks for the description. I don't have that particular book but will keep my eyes out for a copy. I too would be interested to know if any of those particular variations still survive.

Les


midlandblb@cs.com