Milwaukee Road commuter trains

Is anybody here a Milwaukee Road expert? I'm trying to gather some information about pre-bilevel MILW commuter trains, and I have a few specific questions:

When were steam locomotives last used on commuter trains?

What kind of locomotives were used after the steamers were retired? I've seen pictures of GP9's pulling heavyweight cars. Were any other types used, such as E6's or E7's?

When the bilevels arrived, were they ever pulled by Geeps or anything other than the FP7's and E9's?

Anybody have any pictures of MILW heavyweight commuter trains? They seem to be rather hard to find.

Thanks!

I know that 4-6-0's pulled it. But Mr. Norman may be able to answer that better.

AmtrakFan

Just about every unit you mentioned was used on the scoot's at one time or another.

The GP9's #200-209 were used for the most part. I've seen pictures of FP7's, E6's and E7's (painted yellow and gray).

I do have a picture of an ERIE at Wood Dale painted yellow and gray.

I do not believe that the E9's (30A&C - 35A&C) were ever used. Those were bought in 1956 when the Milwaukee took over the U.P. city trains from the CNW.

Thanks for the reply, Bones. I don't suppose you would be able to share that shot from Wood Dale?

I'm puzzled by your statement that the E9's were never used. Of course they were very much used in commuter service in the '60s and '70s. Do you mean they were never used on heavyweight trains?

There were 2 groups of E9's.

Group 1 was purchased in 1956. The had boilers NOT HEP. They were numbered 30A,B & C - 35A,B & C. These were not used in suburban service as far as I know.

Group 2 was puchased in 1961 FOR suburban sevice. They had HEP NOT boilers. They were numbered 36A & C - 38 A & C.

33C was later converted to HEP for suburban service.

The pic of the ERIE I bought at a train show, and it does have copyrights, so I gotta be carefull.

I know in a few books thier are photos of heavyweight MILW Commuters.

John

Whoops, I should have read those numbers a little more closely. Thanks for clearing that up. Do you know when 33C was converted to HEP?

Here's another question -- how many of the GP9's were orange and black and how many were yellow and gray? I've seen a picture online of 204 and 206 painted orange with a train of orange heavyweights, but Patrick C. Dorin's book "Commuter Railroads" shows a Geep in yellow and gray.

33C was converted after 1965. I know it was done by 1970 because my dad used to ride home behind it.

Most of the Geeps were painted orange, but a small handfull were painted yellow.

Also believe it or not there were some H10-44's painted yellow. 720 was one of them.

bones wrote:
Most of the Geeps were painted orange, but a small handfull were painted yellow.

Also believe it or not there were some H10-44's painted yellow. 720 was one of them.

I've never seen those yellow units before expect the E units and the F45's.

John