The Least Time
March 9 is an important date in Milwaukee Road history. In 1908 on this date the first train arrived in Harlowton, MT from the East. Harlowton would become a small town of major importance to the Milwaukee, and Central Montana as well. Here at Harlowton, the Milwaukee would construct a large yard and engine facility. The line to the Golden Triangle would originate from the east-west main here at Harlowton, providing the outlet for wheat crops to reach far away markets. Other shipments from the areas north of Harlowton worked their way south as well including oil from the Lewistown area. Harlowton was also the beginning of the Rocky Mountain Division for trains heading west. Here in the big yards, the famous electric locomotives that defined the Milwaukee's Mountain operation for decades would be swapped in and out. March 1908 marked the beginning. In a bit of irony, March 1980 marked the end of the Milwaukee's operations across the west. The last train headed east t