The Milwaukee Road in the Midwest Volume 2

Producer: C. Vision

Locations: MN, ND, SD,WI

Timeframe: 1978 – 1981

Length: 87 minutes

Source: Fred Crissey

Fred Crissey continues to film the Milwaukee Road in 8mm. The time is later. All color footage.

Chapter Menu. Narration. Maps are included. Musical background. No train sounds. On screen graphics, with locations.

Locations are well defined within the show. Parts of routes and map illustrations. South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin by State.

Fred chases this Canadian National leased power across, part of Minnesota.  He follows into South Dakota. 2 Milwaukee Road SDL39 units trail.

Missouri River Bridge at Mobridge, SD is an impressive sight.

Fred gets lucky! Milwaukee Bicentennial SD40 appears and a brief chase happens.

Work train gets chased, Across rural North Dakota. The 588 leads a long chase. Finally, leaves it at Mott, ND.

New subject and timeframe. Eastern Minnesota. Late 70s to early 80s.

Pig’s Eye Yard provides plenty of action. First generation EMD locomotives are common at this location.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder at Tunnel City, Wisconsin. There are some discontinued Amtrak rarities seen in this program.

Milwaukee freight activates the semaphore signal, at Beroun, Minnesota.

SD10 local freight, is followed from the Mitchell yard. Performs some pickups and setouts in South Dakota.

Mitchell to Rapid City line. In this release, there are many distance views. More than a few could have been edited. Shorter chases would work fine. Less is more.

Stone trains had custom built hopper cars for the Milwaukee Road.

Milwaukee Road had some custom built cabooses, for exclusive Stone Train Service.

The Milwaukee Road in the Midwest Volume 2

This second Volume features long train chases. They are across rural farmlands. Middle of nowhere places. These could have ran shorter. Held more interest in less time.

A busy Chapter at Pig’s Eye Yard. This being a Highlight of this program. First generation Electromotive power parades before the camera here, at slow speed.

All in all, an average Fred Crissey show. It lacks the variety of the first Volume. Meanders along, in the middle of nowhere. Historical value. Overall, a good show.

Rating: 3 Stars