WCfan
Runnin' 4 The Quit, 10 MPH or No MPH
About an hour into its westward journey, MHURC gingerly steps across the Bad River for the 5th time since leaving civilization behind at Pierre along the PRC (Pierre-Rapid City). After crossing the Mighty Mo', the railroad turns west up the Bad River, following its turbid waters and Cottonwood lined banks for 80 miles until the south fork eventually peters out west of Phillip. The valley provides a steady climb to the top of the Missouri Plateau that avoids the hilly and deeply eroded landscape west of the Missouri.
Following the Bad River has its drawbacks. Spring and summer rains can quickly swell the river beyond its banks. In fact, according to South Dakota place-names Vol. 3* written in 1940, "Bad" is a direct translation of the Sioux tribes' name for the river. As the story goes, a band of Sioux were camped along the river when a flash flood raced down the valley, taking many lives, and all their horses. Years later, Louis and Clark stopped near the mouth of the river and encountered a band of Teton Sioux. So they noted it as the "Teton River". But that label never stuck. I'll surmise that the Bad River label stuck because the railroad and settlers found the water of poor quality for their uses. Sediment loads in the river are high. For the railroad, hard water quickly fouls boiler tubes, requiring frequent washings. The water isn't particularly good for potable use either. In addition to flash flooding and poor water quality, the valley floor is covered in a deep layer of alluvial clay, with a maximum thickness of 50 feet. Generally, clay has poor drainage and is easily compressed with significant weight. Keeping the rails in gauge has likely been a perpetual headache ever since the construction of the PRC.
At the time of this photo, the rail was in horrible shape. The PRC rail consisted of many different sections rolled anywhere between the early 1900s to the 1940s. It was a 10 mph run from Fort Pierre until this crew's quit at the dusty ranch town of Phillip, roughly the midway point along the PRC. However, change was just starting to take shape here. The sticks of rail protruding from the bridge were installed to temporarily support ribbons of 136RE CWR, the first trainload of which had arrived at the BNSF interchange in Wolsey the day before. It took four years, but the G&W has just finished replacing all the ancient stick rail. Speeds have been raised to 25 mph. Although we will see how long that'll last after the first freeze-thaw cycle and when the spring rains come to saturate the clay sub-roadbed.
*One must question the veracity of the stories in this book. For example, the book claims that the PRC town of Capa got its name from boxcars staged near town, where the "Capacity" label was separated by the boxcar doors, thus spelling out "Capa City"...I find this far too whimsical of a story to be believable. An alternative explanation offered in the same book is that "Capa" is the Sioux word for beaver.
Runnin' 4 The Quit, 10 MPH or No MPH
About an hour into its westward journey, MHURC gingerly steps across the Bad River for the 5th time since leaving civilization behind at Pierre along the PRC (Pierre-Rapid City). After crossing the Mighty Mo', the railroad turns west up the Bad River, following its turbid waters and Cottonwood lined banks for 80 miles until the south fork eventually peters out west of Phillip. The valley provides a steady climb to the top of the Missouri Plateau that avoids the hilly and deeply eroded landscape west of the Missouri.
Following the Bad River has its drawbacks. Spring and summer rains can quickly swell the river beyond its banks. In fact, according to South Dakota place-names Vol. 3* written in 1940, "Bad" is a direct translation of the Sioux tribes' name for the river. As the story goes, a band of Sioux were camped along the river when a flash flood raced down the valley, taking many lives, and all their horses. Years later, Louis and Clark stopped near the mouth of the river and encountered a band of Teton Sioux. So they noted it as the "Teton River". But that label never stuck. I'll surmise that the Bad River label stuck because the railroad and settlers found the water of poor quality for their uses. Sediment loads in the river are high. For the railroad, hard water quickly fouls boiler tubes, requiring frequent washings. The water isn't particularly good for potable use either. In addition to flash flooding and poor water quality, the valley floor is covered in a deep layer of alluvial clay, with a maximum thickness of 50 feet. Generally, clay has poor drainage and is easily compressed with significant weight. Keeping the rails in gauge has likely been a perpetual headache ever since the construction of the PRC.
At the time of this photo, the rail was in horrible shape. The PRC rail consisted of many different sections rolled anywhere between the early 1900s to the 1940s. It was a 10 mph run from Fort Pierre until this crew's quit at the dusty ranch town of Phillip, roughly the midway point along the PRC. However, change was just starting to take shape here. The sticks of rail protruding from the bridge were installed to temporarily support ribbons of 136RE CWR, the first trainload of which had arrived at the BNSF interchange in Wolsey the day before. It took four years, but the G&W has just finished replacing all the ancient stick rail. Speeds have been raised to 25 mph. Although we will see how long that'll last after the first freeze-thaw cycle and when the spring rains come to saturate the clay sub-roadbed.
*One must question the veracity of the stories in this book. For example, the book claims that the PRC town of Capa got its name from boxcars staged near town, where the "Capacity" label was separated by the boxcar doors, thus spelling out "Capa City"...I find this far too whimsical of a story to be believable. An alternative explanation offered in the same book is that "Capa" is the Sioux word for beaver.