Mid-Continent Railway Gazette Vol 31 No 2, August 1998
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A Milwaukee and St. Paul train and people pose at Middleton about 1873. The post office and two other frame buildings are in the back ground. Station agent Samuel Barber is fifth from the left. Andreas Dahl photo, State Historical Society of Wisconsin (WHi (D31) 642) The Mid-Continent Railway Gazette is published by the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society, Inc., North Freedom. Wis. 53951-0358, phone 608/522-4261, e-mail [email protected] and is distributed free to members and friends of the society. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the editor, John Gruber, 1430 Drake St., Madison, Wis. 53711. Vol. 31, No. 2. August 1998. Mid-Continent is a member of Tourist Railway Association and Association of Railway Museums. Internet:http://www.mcrwy.com © 1998 Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society. Inc. 2 / Mid-Continent Railway Gazette Railroads Contribute to Wisconsin’s Heritage s Wisconsin celebrates the 150th Kilbourn (Wisconsin Dells) photographer. anniversary of its statehood, the Bennett travels on the Wisconsin Central Gazette reviews significant events to Ashland in 1889. Ain railroading through the years. 1 8 7 9 . Baraboo employees of C&NW hold first annual picnic at Devil's Lake. 1847. Wisconsin legislature charters 1 8 8 4 . Fast mail train begins running Milwaukee and Waukesha, renamed on Milwaukee Road on Chicago-Twin Milwaukee and Mississippi—a predeces Cities route. Railway Post Office service sor of the Milwaukee Road. continues until 1970. Northern Pacific 1850. Milwaukee and Mississippi opercompletes line from Superior to Ashland. ates W isconsin's first railroad five miles 1880-1916. Golden age of railroading, from Milwaukee to Wauwatosa. Line when railroads moved 90 percent of the continues to Waukeshain 1851. nation's passengers and commerce and 1 8 54. Madison celebrates arrival of their cultural influences are at their peak. first train from Milwaukee. 1 8 8 6 . Burlington Route builds along 1857. Rail line reaches Prairie du Mississippi River from East Dubuque to Chien and Mississippi River. Prescott. 1 862. Green Bay celebrates formal 1 8 8 8 . Illinois Central establishes ser opening of C&NW as excursion train vice from Freeport to Madison, its north- arrives from Chicago. ern-most location. Great Northern opens 1 866. Legislature charters Green Bay line into Superior. Duluth, South Shore and Lake Pepin (continues as Green Bay and Atlantic builds to Iron River and in and Western until 1993). 1 866. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi neers gives first annual festival in Madi son. 1 870. Legislature incorporates Baraboo Air Line, at request of Sauk County people, to build a railroad from Madison to Winona J ct. Air line consolidates with C&NW a year later. Baraboo celebrates opening of railroad in 1871. 1873. C&NW, with a West Wisconsin Railway connection at Elroy, establishes through service from Chicago to Twin Cities. Service to Winona begins later in the year. 1 875. Pontoon railroad bridge across Mississippi River opens at Prairie du Chien. 1 876. Wisconsin Central completes its line from Stevens Point to Portage, satis fying the criteria for receiving land grants to Ashland. H. H. Bennett, the famous Wisconsin 1878. Milwaukee Road purchases Dells photographer, made the view of 6,000 stereo views from H. H. Bennett, Devil's Lake in the 1870s. Photo from beginning a long association with the H. H. Bennett Studio Foundation. A ugust 1998 / 3 Superior (gap between Iron River and car runs between Freeport and Madison. Superior is closed in 1892). Milwaukee C&NW follows with a McKeen car between and C&NW railroads place interlocking Janesville and Beloit. signals in operation at Bay View and 1 9 0 9 . Ringling Brothers circus builds Washington Street crossings in Milwau car repair shops in Baraboo. Soo Line kee. takes over Wisconsin Central. C&NW 1889. C&NW opens impressive station orders 158 all-steel passenger cars. Mil designed by Charles S. Frost on waukee Road. 243 cars. With completion Milwaukee's lakefront (C&NW moves to of a branch to Burlington. Milwaukee's Union Depot in 1966; station is razed two electric interurban system reaches a peak years later). At a time when stations are of 232 miles, a threefold increase in 10 gateways to communities. Frost, often years. Milwaukee Northern's 57 miles are with Alfred Granger, is responsible for 30 added in 1922. Wisconsin stations for the C&NW. an 1 9 1 0 . C&NW begins safety first move other nine for the Milwaukee Road. ment on U.S. railroads. 1890. Ringling Brothers circus leaves 1 9 1 1 . C&NW opens new line from Baraboo for the first time by rail. Milwaukee to Wyeville and to Sparta in 1892. Ann Arbor No. makes1 first 1912; most freight traffic shifts to Adams carferry trip with freight from Kewaunee route. U.S. Post Office issues specifica across Lake Michigan. tions for Railway Post Office cars, requir 1896. C&NW rebuilds and double ing all-steel mail cars, accelerating move tracks main line between Madison and to all-steel passenger trains. Soo Line Baraboo, a substantial construction builds high bridge over St. Croix River project. Second track taken up in 1956. (2,682 feet long, 185 feet high) near Double track between Merrimac and Somerset. Baraboo remains another eight years. 1 917. World War I brings government 1898. Detroit Publishing Co. photo car control through 1920. USRA combines with William Henry Jackson as photogra stations such as Plover and Woodman, pher tours state for C&NW. boosts cross-lake traffic to GB&W. 1902. Great Northern introduces all 1920. Wisconsin railroads reach a steel ore cars, marking beginning of move peak, operating 7,546 miles and carrying from wood to steel freight equipment. As 20,188,000 passengers. it rebuilds and double tracks its main 1924. Four Wheel Drive Auto Co., line, Milwaukee Road hires Annette E. Clintonville, advertises itself as “the larg McCrea to design parks surrounding est manufacturers of gasoline railway stations. equipment in the world.” 1903. C&NW completes spur from 1 927. Milwaukee Road brings 3,655 North Freedom to La Rue to serve iron passengers in 11 special trains to the mines. Wisconsin-Minnesota football game in 1907. Alco delivers #1385, now pre Madison. served at Mid-Continent, to C&NW; it is 1 934.The M ilwaukee Express, a the only operating C&NW steam locomo scheduled train, sets world's record for tive today. (First R-1 class locomotive is sustain speed with steam, running from delivered in 1901.) Chicago to Milwaukee in 67 minutes at 1908. Illinois Central introduces inter an average speed of 75 mph. nal-combustion power as McKeen motor 4 / Mid-Continent Railway Gazette 1 935.Three railroads inaugurate high waukee Road. Productionfor domestic speed service on Chicago-Twin Cities market continues until 1958. route: C&NW,400, Jan. 2; Burlington. 1 9 4 7 . Burlington's 86.2 mph start-to- Zephyr, April 21; and Milwaukee Road, stop schedule forTwin Cities Zephyrs Hiawatha, May 29. from East Dubuque to Prairie du Chien, 1936.North Shore Line hauls loaded the world's fastest, continues until 1955. motor trucks by rail for the first time. Earlier, the Milwaukee Road in 1940-41 1940. Al Kalmbach establishes Trains set a record for steam power, 81 mph for magazine in Milwaukee. the Morning Hiawatha from Sparta to 1941. North Shore Line places Portage. Electroliners in Chicago-Milwaukee ser 1 9 4 7 . Milwaukee Road placesOlym vice. Robbins Railroad, the last narrow pian Hiawatha in service with styling by gauge common carrier logging railroad, is Brooks Stevens, a Milwaukee industrial abandoned. designer. The famous Skytop Lounges 1941-1945.In the 45 months of World join the train beginning late in 1948. War II, US railroads move 113,891 troop 1 9 4 8 . President Harry Truman's cam trains and get high praise for handling paign train barnstorms across Wisconsin. large increases in freight and passenger 1 9 5 0 s. Railroads complete transition to traffic. Milwaukee Road and C&NW ex diesel locomotives. Steam locomotives tend lines to Badger Ordnance Works, a large powder plant in Sauk County. GB&W hires women for track repair work Elephants are loaded into Ringling in Trempealeau Valley. Brothers cars in April 1898 as the 1 944. Fairbanks-Morse delivers first circus prepares to leave Baraboo for diesel locomotive built at Beloit to Mil the season. R. D. Pierce collection. August 1998 / 5 make last runs in regular service in state: 1 9 8 0 . State begins buying branch lines GB&W, 1950; DSS&A, 1952; Illinois from bankrupt Milwaukee Road, paying Central, 1954; Milwaukee, 1955; C&NW, $10,978,500 for 378 miles of railroad CB&Q, Soo, GN, 1956; NP, 1958; property. Missabe, 1960. Laona and Northern oper 1 9 8 2 . Locomotive #1385 returns to ates last steam in regular service. main line as C&NW and Mid-Continent 1950. Passenger service expands as begin steam program. Dakota 400 joins C&NW fleet. Calendar 1987:Wisconsin Central Ltd. pur for 1951 features 400, freight train at chases Soo Line trackage, starts service Devil's Lake. Service continues until as regional carrier. 1963. 1 988. Fox River Valley Railroad breaks 1951. Soo Line establishesLaker as ribbon at Green Bay, marking its first Chicago-Superior-Duluth train as poolingday. Last year cabooses are used on most agreement with C&NW ends. trains. 1957.Quartzite quarry at Hock 1989:Wisconsin Dells dedicates new Springs opens to provide most of the station, celebrates Empire Builders 60th C&NW's ballast; railroad features quarry anniversary.