| MILW X106 at Bensenville, Illinois on an unknown day in September 1979, photo by Chuck Zeiler. This was once one of the Milwaukee Road's homemade branch line combines, reduced to MOW service. Spray painted on the side is: X106 DISPO HOLD. It would appear that this car was originally in the 2708-2717 number series. The following is from the March 1998 issue of Mainline Modeler (page 70): The Milwaukee Road provided extensive passenger service to the farming communities of the "granger states" in 1934. To reduce costs, the road constructed all-steel lightweight combines for mixed train service. These distinctive arch-window cars were built at the same time as the new lightweight passenger cars, which would later become the 1935 Hiawatha. After experimental cars 4000 and 4400 were constructed in early 1934, combines 2700 and 2701 were built using the same lightweight all-steel modular construction techniques. Late in 1934, six more were constructed, 2702-2707. These first eight cars were smooth-sided and contained a 23' 9-1/2" passenger compartment and a 25' 7" express compartment. The first two cars rode on Bettendorf caboose trucks, and the last six rode on the new all-welded outside-equalized caboose trucks. The spartan interiors were lighted with kerosene lamps and heated with a coal stove in the passenger and express ends. The cars were not air-conditioned and had movable windows. Later, in 1938, ten cars (2708-2717) were constructed following the latest structural side design, which included seven longitudinal ribs and rectangular windows. These cars were slightly longer with 16-1/4" being added to the express compartment between the express door and the end of the body. Another ten rib side cars (2750-3759) were constructed in June-July 1938 and were extended another 15' in length to contain a mail compartment. These cars rode on slightly heavier all-welded inside-equalized trucks. All 24 combines lasted into the 1960's in revenue service, with the majority then in SOO ownership as MOW cars. |