Montana Southern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Montana Southern Railway, now defunct, was an American
narrow-gauge railroad constructed between Divide, Montana
and the mining district of Coolidge, Montana. The short-lived line is noteworthy as the last common-carrier narrow-gauge railroad to be constructed in the United States.
and entrepreneur
who had served as Montana's Lieutenant Governor
between 1909 and 1913. Allen was the president of the Boston-Montana Mining Company, which was developing a large silver
-mining operation in the remote Pioneer Mountains
of far southwestern Montana; because of the site's remoteness and poor access, a railroad was considered a necessary component of the mining district's development.
The railway was first incorporated in 1914 as the "Southern Montana Railway." Construction of the line began in earnest in 1917 after the company was reincorporated as the Montana Southern Railway. Completed on November 1, 1919, the railroad ran westward from a connection with the Oregon Short Line Railroad
at Divide, following the Big Hole River
upstream to the town of Wise River
, also known as Allentown. From there, the railroad headed south into the Pioneer Mountains, terminating at the booming mining camp of Coolidge, where the Boston-Montana had constructed a large stamp mill
and other developments. In all, the line was about 38 miles long.
The headquarters and repair shops of the Montana Southern were located in Wise River. The steam locomotives and rolling stock
used on the line were acquired second hand from the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad in Colorado
, which had recently been abandoned.
The vast majority of the Montana Southern's freight and passenger traffic came from the Coolidge mining region, and as the mines there declined in the 1920s the railroad followed suit. The railroad entered receivership in 1923 and was reorganized twice, first as the "Montana Southern Railroad" and later as the "Montana Southwestern Railway." The line was heavily damaged by a flood in 1927, and apparently not reopened until 1930. The railroad sat mostly idle after about 1933, and the tracks were finally removed in 1940. Formal abandonment was completed in 1941.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
narrow-gauge railroad constructed between Divide, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and the mining district of Coolidge, Montana. The short-lived line is noteworthy as the last common-carrier narrow-gauge railroad to be constructed in the United States.
History
The Montana Southern Railway was largely the brainchild of William R. Allen, a politicianPolitician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
who had served as Montana's Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
between 1909 and 1913. Allen was the president of the Boston-Montana Mining Company, which was developing a large silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
-mining operation in the remote Pioneer Mountains
Pioneer Mountains (Montana)
The Pioneer Mountains cover in Beaverhead County in southwestern Montana, USA.The highest peaks in this range include:# Tweedy Mountain # Torrey Mountain # Baldy Mountain # Mount Fleecer # Odell Mountain...
of far southwestern Montana; because of the site's remoteness and poor access, a railroad was considered a necessary component of the mining district's development.
The railway was first incorporated in 1914 as the "Southern Montana Railway." Construction of the line began in earnest in 1917 after the company was reincorporated as the Montana Southern Railway. Completed on November 1, 1919, the railroad ran westward from a connection with the Oregon Short Line Railroad
Oregon Short Line Railroad
The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon. The line was as organized the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railway. Union Pacific intended the line to be the shortest route from Wyoming to Oregon...
at Divide, following the Big Hole River
Big Hole River
The Big Hole River is a tributary of the Jefferson River, approximately 153 miles long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in Skinner lake in the Beaverhead National Forest in the Beaverhead Mountains of the Bitterroot Range at the continental divide along the...
upstream to the town of Wise River
Wise River, Montana
Wise River is an unincorporated community in northern Beaverhead County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state.-Community information:...
, also known as Allentown. From there, the railroad headed south into the Pioneer Mountains, terminating at the booming mining camp of Coolidge, where the Boston-Montana had constructed a large stamp mill
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
and other developments. In all, the line was about 38 miles long.
The headquarters and repair shops of the Montana Southern were located in Wise River. The steam locomotives and rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
used on the line were acquired second hand from the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, which had recently been abandoned.
The vast majority of the Montana Southern's freight and passenger traffic came from the Coolidge mining region, and as the mines there declined in the 1920s the railroad followed suit. The railroad entered receivership in 1923 and was reorganized twice, first as the "Montana Southern Railroad" and later as the "Montana Southwestern Railway." The line was heavily damaged by a flood in 1927, and apparently not reopened until 1930. The railroad sat mostly idle after about 1933, and the tracks were finally removed in 1940. Formal abandonment was completed in 1941.