The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (often referred to as the Milwaukee Road) (reporting mark MILW), was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1980, when its Pacific Extension (Montana, Idaho, and Washington) was abandoned following a bankruptcy. Around this time, the company went through several official names and faced bankruptcy on multiple occasions. The eastern half of the system merged into the Soo Line Railroad thirty-two years ago on January 1, 1986, a subisiary of Canadian Pacific Railway (reporting mark CP). Although the "Milwaukee Road" as such ceased to exist, much of its trackage continues to be used by multiple railroads. It is also commemorated in buildings like the historic Milwaukee Road Depot in Minneapolis and in railroad hardware still maintained by railfans, such as the Milwaukee Road 261 steam locomotive.
Freight Cars
No timeline established.
Paint Schemes
1939-1958: "Hiawatha" scheme.
1959-1967: "Billboard" scheme. Sometimes the herald and name were reversed.
Known in use in 1962 (role specific):
1961: Special edition!
Known in use in 1965:
In service for brewery spent grain and equiped with roof hatches.
Known in use in 1972:
InterMountain refers to this as the "Modern" scheme.
