Milwaukee Road engine 5504 leads the Dead Freight into Cle Elum on April 20, 1973. I got to Washington too late to catch the electrics. With the success the Milwaukee Road experienced from its electrification of lines in Montana, the railroad decided to electrify the section between Othello and Tacoma in 1917. In 1919, the Milwaukee Road completed installation of block signals on 172 miles of single track between Othello, WA to Maple Valley and 28 miles of single track between Black River Jct and Tacoma. It was adding a 29 lever mechanical interlocking at Black River Jct. The electrification project between Othello and Tacoma was completed in March 1920 and extended north to Seattle in 1927. The last electric train on the Coast Division ran in 1972. Cle Elum was eliminated as a crew change point in October 1974. Disk 10

Index

Easton