Harlowton in Wheatland County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
E57B The Last Electric Locomotive
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2021
1. E57B The Last Electric Locomotive Marker
The Milwaukee Road 657 mile electrified railroad ended at 11:40 PM June 15, 1974 when Engineer Art Morang stopped the E57B & E34C on the Harlowton roundhouse track. They were the last operating locomotive of the original 84 locomotives built by General Electric in 1915.
The electric locomotive roster had totaled 116 locomotives of 5 different types operating from Harlowton, MT 44o miles to Avery, Idaho and 216 miles from Othello, Wash. to Tacoma, Wash. over 5 mountain ranges.
The E57B is 57' 8 3/4" long and 16' 8" high (paragraph down) 10' 0" wide and weighs 144 tons. Rated at 1500 h.p. it could develop 2395 h.p. starting effort, a 62% overload. Operating in 1 to 4 unit consists, they were very trouble free locomotives. Their 3000 volt D.C. trolley restricted them to a small portion of the 11,248 mile railroad and they were replaced by the more versatile diesel electric locomotives.
W.H. Wilkerson, Secy., E57B Committee
Erected by E57B Committee and Montana Department of Transportation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition,
this page online
Location. 46° 26.202′ N, 109° 50.035′ W. Marker is in Harlowton, Montana, in Wheatland County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue North and Second Street Northwest (U.S. 12), on the left when traveling west on Central Avenue North. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 Central Avenue North, Harlowton MT 59036, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Montana. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Crazy Mountains (approx. 5 miles away); Paleocene Mammals and Albert Silberling (approx. 5 miles away).
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2021
2. E57B, The Last Electric Locomotive and Marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2021
3. E57B, The Last Electric Locomotive
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 26, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,688 times since then and 121 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 26, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
