The pictures that Freed and Bothwell took on this trip were just amazing! But at the same time, it surely must have been a harrowing experience because of having to traverse large swaths of isolated territory in a junkyard speeder. If they broke down in the middle of the Bitterroot mountains it could have easily gone from a story of exploration to one of survival.
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Now that's an interesting story. On the one hand you would think "how did they get away with it", but on the other, who would ever know?
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So many moods and emotions in this photo, of what once was, and is, as of the date of the photograph ! Montana can be a lonely and desolate place, this captures that
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By the way, Patrick, have you seen site about this trip story? I mean, www.theweedroute.com (taken from comments on photo 495407). It's more than wonderful! Thanks to Alan and Chuck for saving pictures from those times and sharing them. Someone said long time ago: "if you want to understand the country, never take a regular tourist excursion that runs from one well-known point of interest to another. Just take a train and ride along the road". This story with all photos takes back in those days and it is hard to describe what one feel while looking on those shots. Greetings to railroad history enthusiasts - you save real, non-remastered history of the time!
Thanks to author of this shot once again. This is real masterpiece.
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| Posted by on July 22, 2017 | |
I found this website a couple years ago documenting the MILW Pacific Extension. It's a treasure trove of photos about Lines West: http://newwww.weedroute.com/?p=8
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This image is both interesting and eerie in a way, when you think of the glory years of the Hiawatha
and the Rocky Mountain Division. Now it looks like a ghost town. Nice Shot Alan Freed!
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What operating authority was required for this epic journey, as I note the presence of MW vehicles on your delightful weedroute page? Was the abandoned line essentially dead track and good luck, as it appears? This surely was an adventurous trip on a fascinating stretch of railroad.
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Just think of the signage and other Milwaukee Road items that one could obtain by traveling the entirety of the Weedroute. All for history sake and of course the memorabilia.
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