WC Chicago Sub in Fall 2001: Ackerville to Colgate, WI

These pictures were originally posted on the website of the Society of Model Engineers model railroad club at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The website is no longer online, so I am posting them here.

…Continued from Cedar Lake & Slinger, WI.

The new layout for the Society of Model Engineers at the Milwaukee School of Engineering was to be based on the Wisconsin Central’s Chicago Subdivision between Burlington and Cedar Lake, Wisconsin, with staging yards representing Chicago, Illinois and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In November 2001, fellow SOME member Stuart Baker and I explored the route, taking pictures with a digital camera of interesting things along the line to model.

Here are the pictures from Ackerville to Colgate, Wisconsin, taken on November 19, 2001.

Ackerville - Crossing looking North

Ackerville is an interchange point with the Wisconsin & Southern and has a small yard. Ackerville is an unincorporated community where there is an interchange point between the Wisconsin Central and the Wisconsin & Southern and a small yard. State Highway 164 crosses the tracks at the intersection with Sherman Road & Fond du Lac Drive.

Ackerville - Crossing looking South

Ackerville - Crossover

Ackerville - Looking East

Ackerville - Looking West

Ackerville - Looking North

Rugby Junction - Wisconsin Central Caboose FRVR #10523

This caboose was built by Pullman-Standard in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1946 as Chicago Great Western #624, the last of a group of 25 numbered 600 to 624. These cabooses were copies of the New Haven’s NE-5 Class cabooses. The Chicago Great Western was merged into the Chicago & North Western on July 1, 1968, and this caboose became Chicago & North Western #10523. The Fox River Valley Railroad took over Chicago & North Western lines between Milwaukee and Green Bay on December 9, 1988, and this caboose became Fox River Valley #10523. The Fox River Valley and the Green Bay & Western were put under common management by their owner ITEL in 1991. Wisconsin Central acquired the Green Bay & Western and Fox River Valley on August 28, 1993, and merged them into a single subsidiary called the Fox River & Western, Ltd. Though this caboose is painted in Wisconsin Central colors, it still carries the Fox River Valley Railroad's FRVR reporting marks. The Wisconsin Central was purchased by Canadian National on October 9, 2001.

Rugby Junction - Wisconsin Central Caboose FRVR #10523 Again

Rugby Junction - Payne & Dolan, Inc. Quarry

Rugby Junction is an unincorporated community at the southern end of an area where the Wisconsin & Southern closely parallels and connected with the Wisconsin Central. There is also a Payne & Dolan, Inc. quarry facility here. Payne & Dolan is a paving company that was founded in 1922 and is now based out of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Rugby Junction - Payne & Dolan, Inc. Quarry Office

Bridge over State Highway 167/Holy Hill Road between Rugby Junction and Hubertus

This bridge carrying the Wisconsin Central mainline over State Highway 167/Holy Hill Road is typical of several such bridges on the line, except for its distinctive graffiti calling to "STOP THE DRUG WAR."

Hubertus - Bridge over Hubertus Road

This older timber trestle carries the Wisconsin Central mainline over Hubertus Road at Hubertus, Wisconsin.

Hubertus - Garage

Hubertus is an unincorporated community just west of this bridge over Hubertus Road. Hubertus was named for the Saint Hubert Parish of the Roman Catholic Church, which was merged with the Saint Gabriel Parish on July 1, 2002.

Colgate - North Siding

Colgate is an unincorporated community just west of this crossing of County Highway Q/County Line Road. The road marks the line between Washington County to the north and Waukesha County to the south. There was a siding at Colgate that was too short to use as a passing siding. It was cut in two at the grade crossing before being removed altogether.

Colgate - South Siding

Continue to Sussex to Duplainville, WI…