Interested in learning more about the history of the Milwaukee Road in Washington? Here are some resources.
Virtual Tours
Interested in learning more about the history of the Milwaukee Road routes in Washington that have been turned into trails? Follow our virtual tours:
| Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail |
| This tour extends from the westernmost trailhead at Cedar Falls, WA (near North Bend) to the end of the trail at the Washington/Idaho border and beyond to Plummer, ID. |
Timeline of significant dates
- 1906 – Milwaukee Road “Pacific Coast Extension” plans made public
- October 1908 – rail service complete from Columbia River to St. Paul Pass Tunnel (Idaho-Montana)
- May 19, 1909 – Golden Spike driven at Garrison, Montana
- July 4, 1909 – through freight service inaugurated
- July 10, 1910 – through passenger service inaugurated
- May 23, 1911 – “Olympian” and “Columbian” passenger trains enter service between Chicago and Tacoma
- August 5, 1914 – Breakthrough in the middle of boring the Snoqualmie Tunnel
- January 24, 1915 – First train through the Snoqualmie Tunnel, Olympian
- March 5, 1920. Milwaukee Road officials and press party inspection train from Seattle to Cle Elum commemorating the opening of the 207-mile Coast Division electrification
- March 6, 1920 – Face-off between electric bi-polar and steam locomotive Kent, WA. The electric locomotive succeeds dramatically in this publicity event.
- 1925 – Bankruptcy and receivership (first)
- 1926 – Milwaukee Road sold and reorganized
- 1927 – Railroad renamed the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad following bankruptcy sale in Butte, Montana
- July 5, 1927 – Last part of the electrification completed from Black River Junction (near Renton) to Seattle Union Station, 10 miles.
- 1927 – Mileposts changed to originate in Chicago
- 1935 – Second bankruptcy
- 1941 – Milwaukee Road purchases first diesel locomotive
- 1945 – Reorganization following second bankruptcy
- June 29, 1947 – Inauguration of “Olympian Hiawatha” streamliner (replacing the Olympian)
- December 2, 1949 – the lodge at Milwaukee Ski Bowl burns to the ground
- 1950 – Milwaukee Road’s “Centennial Year”
- 1952 – Superdome cars added to the “Olympian Hiawatha”
- 1955 – “Columbian” passenger train dropped from service
- 1958 – Truck trailer on flatcar “piggyback” freight service inaugurated
- 1958 – bipolar electric locomotives transferred from Coast Division to Rocky Mountain Division (Idaho & Montana)
- May 23, 1961 – End of passenger service in Washington as Olympian Hiawatha discontinued west of Deer Lodge, MT
- 1963 – “XL Special” (westbound) and “Thunderhawk” (eastbound) expedited scheduled freight trains inaugurated
- March 2, 1970 – Burlington Northern merger (Milwaukee’s major competitors join together)
- November 13, 1972 – Coast Division electrification ends
- October 31, 1974 – Cle Elum is eliminated as a crew change point, ending lunchroom, bunkhouse and continuous station operation at Cle Elum. Tacoma crews run through to Othello.
- November 1977 – Milwaukee Road’s third bankruptcy since 1925
- March 15, 1980 – Last train departs Tacoma
- February 19, 1985 – Milwaukee Road sold to the SOO Line
- January 1, 1986 – Milwaukee Road absorbed into the SOO Line
