Milwaukee Road class EP-2

After the electrification of the mountain lines over the Rocky Mountains, the Milwaukee Road also took on the Coast Division in Washington. This required an electric locomotive that could haul heavy passenger trains faster than the steam locomotives available at the time without double-heading. While the Rocky Mountains had many long, straight stretches on the plateaus, here the inclines of the Cascade Mountains had to be negotiated. A total of five of the EP-2 were built in 1919, costing $200,000 each and nicknamed “Bipolar” because of the two-pole traction motors used. They were built parallel to Baldwin-Westinghouse's EP-3 because the US Railroad Administration dictated orders to be split between manufacturers.

A total of twelve powered axles were required to achieve the required power. In order to achieve sufficient running characteristics in curves, the chassis was divided into four groups that were coupled to each other. The two outer groups each comprised a leading and two powered axles, while the two inner groups consisted of four powered axles each. The body consisted of three parts and each was articulated between two chassis groups. The electrical equipment and a cab were located in the outer parts, while a boiler for the train heating was housed in the middle part.

Although only five were built, they were the flagship of the Milwaukee Road, hauling important long-distance trains like the Olympian. Despite being designed for 90 mph, they were only approved for 70 mph, which was sufficient in their area of application. In 1939, the locomotives that previously had the numbers 10250 to 10254 were renumbered E-1 to E-5.

In 1953 the heavily worn locomotives were completely rebuilt. In addition to a modernized electrical system that allowed higher speeds and multiple controls, they were also streamlined. Shortly thereafter, the locomotives were transferred to the Mountain Division. It was found that the last rebuild, which had been carried out by a team not specialized in electric locomotives, had not been carried out optimally. As damage and failures now occurred more frequently, all locomotives were retired by 1960.