Camping,
Hiking and Traveling in Montana
MontanaHikes.com
MontanaHikes.com
Hike
Index
H=Hike
C=Camp
V=Visit S=SkiLivingston Area
Elephanthead Mtn. H
Paradise Valley
S. Fk. Deep Creek H
Pine Creek H,C
George Lake H
Passage Creek Falls H
Crow Mountain H
Big Timber Area
Boulder River H,C,V
Natural Bridge Falls H,C,V
Big Timber Creek Falls H,C,V
West Boulder Meadows H,C
Twin Lakes H,C
Bozeman Area
Chestnut Mountain H
Goose Creek H,S
Mystic Lake H
Lava Lake H
Central Montana
Little Belt Mountains H,C,V,S
Castle Mountains H,C
Central MT Railroading V
Cooney Reservoir C,V
Crystal Lake H,C,V
Judith Mountains V
Judith Gap Wind Farm V
Moccasin Mountains V
Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness
Anvil Lake H,C
Western Montana
Painted Rocks Rec Area V,C
Salmon Lake State Park V,C
Warm Spring Ponds V
Central Montana's Railroads
Three companies operated rail lines crossing Montana from east to west. These lines connected the Pacific coast with cities in the Midwest. The line crossing southern Montana, the Great Northern Railroad was completed in 1883. While the Great Northern Railroad crossed northern Montana and was completed to Seattle in 1893.
The third line, the Milwaukee Road, crossed through central Montana. It was the last of the lines across Montana and was completed in 1908. The Milwaukee Road was the only train line that was constructed without any land grants to reduce their development costs. However, the Milwaukee Road was developed in a fiscally sound fashion. It began as a regional rail line in the upper mid-west and only expanded as its profits justified.
This very impressive abandoned wooden trestle crosses Big
Spring Creek
northwest of Lewistown, MT. The terrain of central Montana is such that
the railroads had to build many trestles and tunnels. This trestle is
mostly built of wood but there are several "fire brakes", sections
built entirely of steel, designed to keep a potential fire from burning
the entire structure.
One of the most interesting stretches of the Milwaukee Road was the "Jawbone" which is a 157 mile stretch between the cities of Lombard and Lewistown MT. This stretch began life as the Montana Railroad and was a private line built to serve the mining and agriculture communities in central Montana. The primary visionary that was responsible for the development of the line was Richard Harlow, an attorney from Helena MT. Harlow believed that rail service was vital to the future of central Montana and worked hard to achieve his vision. His first attempt to construct a line began and ended in 1893. However, in 1894 he once again began to work on a new rail line and this time he succeeded.
This very large, long trestle crosses the Judith River. It is
mostly all steel but there are concrete and wooden sections at each
end. Although this is a particularly large trestle there are many
others scattered across central Montana.
In 1908, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad was in the process of building their route to the west coast and they purchased the Montana Railroad in its entirety. Thus, the Montana Railroad became a part of what became the Milwaukee Road. The Milwaukee Road brought additional resources to the area and, although the main route only used the section of the line from Harlowton to Lombard, the tracks were extended from Lewistown to Great Falls as a secondary line serving that part of the state. Subsequently several spur lines were built that provided access to much of the country north of Harlowton.
Abandoned buildings such as this stand in many places as testament to
days gone by. At one time there were quite a few small towns and
railroad stations in central Montana. Both the raised railroad bed and
an abandoned grain elevator can be seen in the background.
Abandoned rail lines and modern ghost towns provide a lot of opportunities for people looking for an interesting glimpse into the Montana of years gone by. Some of the rail lines are easily followed by paved roads while others mostly cross private property and can only be accessed in remote places. Careful study of the widely available maps will show you lots of major trestles, tunnels and town sites that can be visited. Half the fun of exploring these areas is the discovery. Follow the tracks and look for grain elevators. In many places the abandoned elevators are easily visible from miles away. Very often there will be interesting sights to see around these sites.
Once an
anchor of a vibrant community, this abandoned church sits just across
the street from the abandoned schoolhouse.
In Harlowton you can also visit the original train station at the south end of the town. Although it has been painted an unusual color, it is in good physical condition. Just to the south and east of the station is the round house that was in use for many years. This is a massive building complex that is not accessible to the public. Although it is not posted, it is used for storage and should only be explored from the outside. Before you leave the site be sure to check out the snow plow blade that has been placed near the station. This blade was originally left in Ringling but was moved to Harlowton. However, the massive concrete weights that were used to weight down the plow are still located alongside the abandoned rail line just on the edge of Ringling.
Central Montana is filled with interesting railroad history. The rails had a very significant influence on the people and development of Montana. Exploring the towns and rail lines is a great way to explore and enjoy the Big Sky State.
More Info: http://www.oldmilwaukeeroad.com/content/brief/doc.htm
http://www.montanarailroadhistory.info/
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