The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-24
CONTEST BETwEEN1 BURLINGTON
AND NORTHERN PACIFIC.
START WAS FROM BILLINGS
"a" Train Led Into Missou'a by Two
Minutes, But Got Left
There.
There.

From Missoula comes a story of q
race between two passenger trains,
which sounds almost like a descrip-
ton Of an oldtime steamboat race on
the Mississippi, when "niggers" were
placed on the safety valve and the
stokers of the c%ontending boats burn
ed the lard and bacon that went to
make up their cargoes in order to
keep the boilers hot.
The contest was between the North
ern Pacifc's No. 3, the westbound
local, and the Burlington coast train.
The race began in this city last Thurs
day and continued until Missoula was
reached, where the Burlington, which
had been in the lead, was passed by
the other train. The first named
train left Billings a few minutes ahead
of the other, the Northern Pacific
having arrived just late enough to
give it's competitor the right of way.
AS both ran over the same track and
ran by way of Helena, the Northern
Pacific could not hope to pass, ex-
cepti where there were sidings and
the crew of the Burlington train took
care that this could not be done.
At every stopping place between
Billings and Missoula the Northern
Pacific tried to pass, but the men in
charge of the leading train would not
have it that way. At Helena, where
a stop of several minutes was made,
the Northern Pacific pulled into the
station as the Burlington was leaving
it. Up Helena hill the race then be-
gan anew. The Northern Pacific, be-
ing the heavier ct the two trains, lost
more time and the Burlington gained
several minutes. But the Northern
Pacific figured that it could pass at
Garrison, thinking the other would
have to stop there so long that it
could be passed. The Burlington
men had Thought of this and when
they whisked into the station had ev-
erything in readiness. The mail was
bundled off in a hurry and scarcely
had the train stopped ere it vas
streaking out for the west once more,
with the. trailer not close enough TO-
be in sight.
BY this time the passengers had en-
tered into the spirit cf the race and
were sharing the excitemnt with the
railroad men. Drummond was reach
ed and it was found that the North
ern Pacific had not been loafing, as
the Burlington had exactly two min
utes in which to get under way once
more, beside leaving the mail and
express. 1t required some lively
work, but it was accomplished and
the leading train still had the right
of way. A large crowd was on the
platform of the station and Justify
cheered the departing train just as
the other poked it's nose in front of
the depot.
From there on the a c was all one
sided until Missoula was reached.
The Burlington crossed the Rattle
snake bridge exactly two minutes in
advance of the other train and the
passengers of the former had not yet
alighted when the Northern Pacific
dashed into the station So close
were the two trains that the engineer
of the Northern Pacific was COMPEL
ed to slow up to prevent running over
the people who were crossing over
to the platform. Here the Northern
Pacific gained it's first advantage. 1t
had the right to use the track nearest
the depot platform, while the Bur-
lington had to occupy n further
away. Then the depot employees, all
Northern Pacific men, helped No. 8
to unload first, by giving it the bene-
fit of the freight trucks and hustling
off its mail and express and loading
the outbound before going to the help
of the crew of the other train.
Because of these advantages the
Northern Pacific was enabled to leave
about six minutes before the Burling-
ton and expected to lead the rest of
the distance to the coast. The Bur-
lington, however, had not given up
and left it's mail a behind in order
to tighten the train and the crew de-
clared the race would not be over un-
til Portland was reached.