Trains in the Twin Cities in September 2002

I took these pictures in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the morning of September 8, 2002, while traveling on Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder. St. Paul was a highlight for me, as the Minnesota Commercial and Soo Line equipment visible from the train seemed exotic to an Oregonian like me.

Switching at Amtrak’s Midway Station in St. Paul during the Empire Builder’s service stop, Minnesota Commercial #316 is a 2,400-horsepower RS-27 that was built by Alco Products in March 1962 as Chicago & North Western Railway #903.  Only 27 examples of the RS-27 were produced; the Chicago & North Western owned four, which were returned to Alco in 1966 in trade for C-424s. Alco leased them to various railroads in 1967 and 1968. This unit was sold to the Green Bay & Western in 1968 and became #316. It was later joined by two of the others. On August 27, 1993, the Green Bay & Western was merged with the Fox River Valley Railroad to form the Fox River & Western, a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Central, and this locomotive was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad.

Parked on a track at Midway Station were three privately-owned passenger cars, the Caritas, the Sierra Hotel, and the Puget Sound.

The Caritas was built in 1948 by Pullman as a 4-Bedroom, 14-Roomette Sleeping Car for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, or Frisco for short. The car was originally named Pierre Laclede after the founder of St. Louis. The car was originally assigned to the Texas Special, which ran between St. Louis, Missouri, and San Antonio, Texas, over the Frisco and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas. The Frisco discontinued its portion of the Texas Special (the northern portion) in 1959. In 1964, this car was sold to the Canadian National and named Churchill Falls. High Iron Travel bought the car in 1983 and rebuilt it to its current configuration, with 3 double bedrooms and a master room, dining area, galley, wine cellar, and lounge. I had seen the Caritas here before in 1999 wearing a red and white paint scheme; it had since been repainted in the same pattern but using Milwaukee Road colors, as shown here.

Sierra Hotel was built by the Budd Company in October 1948 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #251 Silver Lounge for use on the California Zephyr between Chicago and Oakland. This mid-train Dome-Dormitory-Buffet-Lounge car originally included dormitory space for 15 crew members, a lounge under the dome that was remodeled into the “Cable Car Lounge” in 1964, and a buffet with seating for 19 passengers. After the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, it became Burlington Northern #251. The California Zephyr made its last run on March 24, 1970, and when Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971 it was sold to become Amtrak #9811. It was used on Amtrak trains including the North Coast Hiawatha and the Texas Chief before being retired in October 1981 and being sold into charter service as Vandalia Railroad #9811. In 1989 the car was rebuilt by Midwest Railcar as open-end observation car Sierra Hotel. The open observation deck was built into what was originally the front of the car, so it now typically operates in the opposite direction of what was intended when it was built.

Puget Sound was built by the Budd Company in June 1955 as Great Northern #1323 for use on the Empire Builder between Chicago and Seattle. It was originally built as a Great Dome coach with 46 revenue leg-rest seats plus seating for 24 people in the dome. After the Great Northern was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, it was assigned Burlington Northern #4603, but it did not receive this number before Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971 and it was sold to become Amtrak #9463. It was retired in 1985 and sold into private ownership and stored in Fargo, North Dakota, and Sault Ste Marie, Wisconsin, until being converted into sleeping car Puget Sound by Avalon Railcar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2000. As part of the rebuilding, its original smooth side panels were replaced with fluted panels to match Sierra Hotel.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes Minnesota Commercial’s nearby roundhouse in Minneapolis. Minnesota Commercial #1978 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in April 1979 as Conrail #1978. It was retired in 1999 and sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railway, where it retained its original number.

Conrail #2002 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in August 1979. It was retired by Conrail in 1999 and was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, but has yet to be placed in service and still wears full Conrail paint and lettering.

Minnesota Commercial #1B is a 1,600-horsepower RS3 that was built by the American Locomotive Company in September 1950 as Lake Superior & Ishpeming #1504 and was soon renumbered to #1604. It was retired in September 1989 and was sold to Clint Jones. It was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railway in 1998 and was rebuilt as 1B in 1999.

Soo Line #4002 is a Fuel Tender that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1958 as Milwaukee Road #2371, a 1,750-horsepower GP9. Milwaukee Road renumbered it to #263 before rebuilding it into “GP20” #949 in the 1970s. The Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee Road in February 1985. The locomotive was rebuilt into Fuel Tender #4002 in November 1987. Coupled to it is a CP Rail 40-foot boxcar, which was rare to see in the 21^st century. It is painted in the “Multimark” paint scheme, which was applied from 1968 to about 1987.

Soo Line Flatcar #954541 is a flatcar with an Operation Lifesaver display of crossing signals and an automobile involved in a grade crossing accident. Also pictured here are former Soo Line #1400 & #1401, 1,500-horsepower SW1500s that were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1966 as Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern #36 & #37. The Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern was merged into the Soo Line on January 1, 1986. These were the only SW1500s on the Soo Line. They had been recently retired with their road numbers stricken out. Also pictured here is a Soo Line extended vision caboose. The road number is unclear but appears to be either #60 or #80. In either case, it was built by the International Car Company in 1973.

Soo Line MP15AC #1548 is a 1500-horsepower MP15AC that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1975 as Milwaukee Road #482. The Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee Road in February 1985, and this locomotive became Soo Line #1548. It was never repainted into Soo Line colors and remains in its Milwaukee Road paint with its former road name and number painted out with black paint. Patched former Milwaukee Road locomotives on the Soo Line were known as “bandits.” In the background is one of four former North Louisiana & Gulf MP15DCs #42-45, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1975, that has been acquired by CP Rail in 1996 and became CP Rail #1434-1437. The North Louisiana & Gulf was purchased by the MidSouth Rail Corporation on September 8, 1987, which operated it as the MidLouisiana Rail Corporation. On January 11, 1994, MidSouth was taken over by Kansas City Southern. Also (barely) visible is a Soo Line extended vision caboose in the later brown paint scheme.

Soo Line MP15AC #1538 is another 1500-horsepower MP15AC that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1975 as Milwaukee Road #472. This MP15 was paired with CP Rail #776, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1974 as Soo Line #776, for hump yard service at Pig’s Eye Yard in St. Paul. The Soo Line was consolidated into owner CP Rail in 1991, and in March 1993 SD40-2 #776 received the new CP Rail System paint scheme combining the American and Canadian flags, symbolizing CP Rail’s operations in both the United States and Canada.

HUNX Dome Coach #7003

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, this car was built by American Car & Foundry in 1955 as Union Pacific #7003 and assigned to the Challenger between Chicago and Los Angeles. It was sold to Auto-Train in June 1972 and became Auto-Train #703. 

In December 1981 it was sold to James E. Strates Shows and was resold to a private party in 1982 before being acquired by the Collis P. Huntington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society the same year. Initially assigned #800377 and given the name Sandstone Falls, it was later restored in 1993 to its original appearance as HUNX #7003.

BKSX Dome Coach #9410

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, BKSX Dome Coach #9410 was built by the Budd Company in 1955 as Great Northern #1331 for the Empire Builder. It was assigned Burlington Northern #4611, but never received it before becoming Amtrak #9471. It was renumbered #9410 in January 1984 when it was converted to Head-End Power. It was retired in 1995 and sold to become a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

BKSX Dome Coach #9407

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, BKSX Dome Coach #9407 was built by the Budd Company in July 1954 as Northern Pacific #550 for the Vista Dome North Coast Limited. It was assigned Burlington Northern #4617, but never received it before becoming Amtrak #9477. It was renumbered #9407 in October 1983 when it was converted to Head-End Power. It was retired and sold in May 1995 to become a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

BKSX Dome Coach #9544 "Silver Scene"

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, BKSX Dome Coach #9544 Silver Scene was built by the Budd Company in 1947 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #4729 for the Twin Cities Zephyr. It became Burlington Northern #5484 and then Amtrak #9544. It was retired in December 1983 and passed through a series of owners, by this time being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

BKSX Dome Coach #9410 at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Displayed at the 100th Anniversary of Union Station in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1996, BKSX Dome Coach #9410 was built by the Budd Company in 1955 as Great Northern #1331 for the Empire Builder. It was assigned Burlington Northern #4611, but never received it before becoming Amtrak #9471. It was renumbered #9410 in January 1984 when it was converted to Head-End Power. It was retired in 1995 and sold to become a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

BKSX Dome Coach #9407 at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Displayed at the 100th Anniversary of Union Station in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1996, BKSX Dome Coach #9407 was built by the Budd Company in July 1954 as Northern Pacific #550 for the Vista Dome North Coast Limited. It was assigned Burlington Northern #4617, but never received it before becoming Amtrak #9477. It was renumbered #9407 in October 1983 when it was converted to Head-End Power. It was retired in April 1995 and sold to become a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car, receiving BKSX reporting marks in May 1995, though at this point in 1996 it still gives the appearance of an Amtrak car.

BKSX Dome Coach #9544 "Silver Scene" at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Displayed at the 100th Anniversary of Union Station in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1996, Dome Coach Silver Scene was built by the Budd Company in 1947 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #4729 for the Twin Cities Zephyr. It became Burlington Northern #5484 and then Amtrak #9544. It was retired in December 1983 and passed through a series of owners, by this time being restored with a California Zephyr letterboard (though this was not a California Zephyr car) and being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

Union Pacific Dome Lounge Observation #9009 "City of San Francisco"

Union Pacific Dome Lounge Observation #9009, City of San Francisco, was built by American Car & Foundry in April 1955 for use on the City of Portland. The car was sold to AutoTrain in May, 1972 for use between Virginia and Florida, becoming AutoTrain #908. After AutoTrain shut down in April 1981, the car was sold in December but was never paid for. It moved through several owners seeing little use until becoming Scenic Rail Dining's Rivers Edge in 1987 and being used in dinner train service. It became Transcisco Tours' Zephyr Cove in 1991 and was used on the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago's Wine County Dinner Train. Union Pacific re-purchased the car in May of 1993. After being refurbished, the car was given the name City of San Francisco, after the jointly operated Union Pacific/Southern Pacific/Chicago& North Western streamliner that ran between Chicago and Oakland, California from June 1936 to April 1971. Incidentally, due to clearances on the Southern Pacific portion, Union Pacific's dome cars were not used on the City of San Francisco.

Chicago & North Western Full Dome #421 "Powder River"

Chicago & North Western Full Dome #421, Powder River, was built by Pullman-Standard in 1952 as Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Super Dome #53. It was sold to Canadian National in 1965, becoming #2401, Athabasca, and was later transferred to VIA Rail, remaining in service in Canada until 1982 as #2701. After going through a series of owners, it was purchased by the C&NW in 1985. Union Pacific acquired the car when it absorbed the C&NW in 1995. This was one of the few excursions it was used on before UP sold it to the North Carolina Department of Transportation in 1996. The Friends of the 261 purchased the car from NCDOT in 2005 and restored it to Milwaukee Road colors.

Union Pacific Dome Dining Car #8008 "City of Portland"

Union Pacific Dome Dining Car #8008, City of Portland, was built by American Car & Foundry in May 1955 for use on the City of Portland. In June 1972, the car was sold to AutoTrain for use between Virginia and Florida, becoming AutoTrain #807. After AutoTrain shut down in April 1981, the car was sold to A. J. Daniels of Tulsa, Oklahoma in December 1981, and was subsequently sold to Kansas City Southern via Mid-America Car Company in 1982. The car was assigned KCS #19 and was intended for use on a revived Southern Belle passenger train that was aborted. The car remained in storage in AutoTrain paint at Mid-America Car Company in Kansas City until being re-purchased by Union Pacific via Northern Rail Car in October 1990. After being refurbished, the car was given the name City of Portland, after the jointly operated Union Pacific/Chicago & North Western streamliner that ran between Chicago and Portland, Oregon from June 1935 to April 1971.

Union Pacific Dome Coach #7015 "Challenger"

Union Pacific Dome Coach #7015, Challenger, was built by Pullman-Standard in November 1958 as part of Pullman-Standard's last group of dome cars: five for Union Pacific's City of St. Louis and one of the same design for the Wabash railroad. This was the last of the Union Pacific cars, and was originally assigned to service on the City of St. Louis, a train operated jointly with the Wabash (the one car built for Wabash was also assigned to this service). In June 1972, the car was sold to AutoTrain for use between Virginia and Florida, becoming AutoTrain #702. (It is rumored that before being sold to AutoTrain, it was accidentally shipped to Alaska with a group of cars that had been purchased by the Alaska Railroad, and had to be sent back, but this has not been verified) After AutoTrain shut down in April 1981, the car was sold to A. J. Daniels of Tulsa, Oklahoma in December 1981, and was subsequently sold to Kansas City Southern via Mid-America Car Company in 1982. The car was assigned KCS #22 and was intended for use on a revived Southern Belle passenger train that was aborted. The car remained in storage in AutoTrain paint at Mid-America Car Company in Kansas City until being re-purchased by Union Pacific via Northern Rail Car in October 1990. After being refurbished, the car was given the name Challenger, after Union Pacific's all-coach Challenger train that ran between Omaha, Nebraska and Los Angeles, California from May 1936 to April 1971.

Union Pacific Dome Dining Car #7011 "Missouri River Eagle"

Union Pacific Dome Dining Car #7011, Missouri River Eagle, was originally built by Pullman-Standard in November 1958 as Dome Coach #7012. It was part of Pullman-Standard's last group of dome cars: five for Union Pacific's City of St. Louis (including #7015, also in this train) and one of the same design for the Wabash railroad. In June 1972, the car was sold to AutoTrain for use between Virginia and Florida, becoming AutoTrain #708. After AutoTrain shut down in April 1981, the car was sold to the James E. Strates Shows circus in December 1981, later to Kasten Rail Car in 1984 and eventually to the Hartwell Lowe Corporation of Yucca Valley, California as HLCX #1898, Marion Mattison. In 1988, the car was sold to Scenic Rail Tours and was rebuilt by Northern Rail Car into Dome Dining Car #7011, Mountain View, in 1989. Scenic Rail Tours was bought out by Transcisco Tours in October 1990, and the car was renamed Emerald Bay. Transcisco Tours went bankrupt and the car was returned to Northern Rail Car in August 1991, who immediately leased it to the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago for Michigan Wine Country Dinner Train service. In May 1993, Northern Rail Car sold the car to Union Pacific and it became #7011 and was named Missouri River Eagle after the Missouri Pacific Railroad's first, and last operating, diesel-powered streamliner, which operated from St. Louis to Omaha from March 1940 to September 1965, when the route was cut back from Omaha to Kansas City. Service on the shorter route continued until April 1971.

Union Pacific did originally own a Dome Coach of this design with the number 7011. That car is currently in Mexico. This car was originally #7012.

Burlington Northern Full Dome Observation Car BNA #24 Glacier View

Glacier View was originally built by the Budd Company in 1955 as a full dome-lounge car for the Great Northern’s Empire Builder. It was originally Great Northern #1390, and was always named Glacier View. It it notable for having been painted in an experimental version of Burlington Northern Cascade Green paint scheme in 1968, two years before the merger. When the Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #1390.

When Amtrak took over passenger rail service in 1971, the car became Amtrak #9360. It was retired by Amtrak in April 1981, and Burlington Northern re-acquired it in 1983. It was rebuilt by Burlington Northern’s Como Shops in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a fully-equipped kitchen and dining area for 22 people, a dome observation area with 16 swivel lounge chairs under the dome, and a two-level theater-style seating area with full glass end observation window.

This was one of the first cars to be painted in the new “executive” dark green and cream colors in 1993.

WC Chicago Sub in Fall 2001: Sussex to Duplainville, 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 Ackerville to Colgate, 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 Sussex to Duplainville, Wisconsin, taken on November 19, 2001.

Sussex was founded in 1843 by George Elliott, a bricklayer from Beckley, East Sussex, and Richard Cooling, a blacksmith from Dorset.

Sussex - Union Pacific (former Chicago & North Western) Bridge over the Wisconsin Central at Quad/Graphics

The Chicago & North Western Railway line through Sussex was built in 1910 on reclaimed limestone quarry land. This through plate girder bridge carries the Chicago & North Western over the Wisconsin Central. It is probably not the original bridge, though it is unclear when it was built. The Chicago & North Western was merged into the Union Pacific on April 24, 1995.

Sussex - Abandoned M. Davidson Lime Kiln at Quad/Graphics

As many as nine lime kilns were operating in the area of Sussex from as early as 1840. The abandoned M. Davidson lime kiln is the only one remaining in Sussex. It was built by the Wisconsin Lime & Stone Company prior to 1891, perhaps as early as 1873. The kiln is approximately 35 feet tall with exterior walls of heavily-mortared limestone. It has two rectangular burning shafts lined with refractory brick and granite with rounded corners for the uninterrupted movement of the hot, sticky pieces of limestone, which was fed from carts into the top of the kiln, accessed by an inclined wooden skid. Firing eyes originally covered by cast iron doors are on the east and west sides, and finished lime was drawn from arched opening at the base of the west side. This kiln operated continuously in all seasons until 1910, when the Chicago & North Western Railway was built on reclaimed quarry land to the north, and the kiln was abandoned.

Sussex - Passenger Cars at Quad/Graphics from the South

Three stainless steel streamlined passenger cars owned by Quad/Graphics are stored on a siding here.

Sussex - Passenger Cars at Quad/Graphics from the North

Sussex - Silver Express

Silver Express was ordered from the Budd Company in June 1948 and was delivered in June/July 1950 for the Southern Pacific’s Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans as Southern Pacific #3102. It is a Class 83-BD-2 Baggage-Dormitory car that was built with a baggage compartment and 16 dormitory bunks. It was transferred to Southern Pacific’s Texas subsidiary Texas & New Orleans as #300 in 1951, and was transferred back to Southern Pacific #3102 in 1961. After Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971, it became Amtrak #1530. It was converted to Head End Power in 1980 and was renumbered to Amtrak #1623. It was retired in 1995 and sold to Quad/Graphics, rebuilt as club lounge-dance floor-storage and named Silver Express.

Sussex - Parcel Direct Logo on Silver Express

Sussex - Silver Shore

Silver Shore was built by the Budd Company in 1948 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #424 Silver Shore for the California Zephyr between Chicago and Oakland. It was originally a sleeping car with 10 roomettes and 6 double bedrooms. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, and this car was assigned BN #1413 but this number was never applied before Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971, and this car became Amtrak #2651. It was retired in October 1983. It was sold to Quad/Graphics and was rebuilt as a sleeper-kitchen-lounge car.

Sussex - Silver Chalet

Silver Chalet was built by the Budd Company in November 1948 as Western Pacific #831 Silver Chalet for the California Zephyr between Chicago and Oakland. This mid-train Dome-Dormitory-Buffet-Lounge car originally included dormitory space for 15 crew members, a lounge under the dome that was remodeled into the “Cable Car Lounge” in 1964, and a buffet with seating for 19 passengers. Following the conclusion of the last run of the California Zephyr on March 24, 1970, Burlington Northern’s former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Dome-Dormitory-Buffet-Lounge #252 Silver Roundup was stored in Western Pacific’s yard in Oakland, California, only to be gutted by fire in April 1970. With no remaining passenger service of its own, Western Pacific traded its identical Silver Chalet to the Burlington Northern in exchange for the remains of the Silver Roundup which Western Pacific sold for scrap. The Silver Chalet was assigned Burlington Northern #252 but it retained its original name and the Burlington Northern number was not applied before Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971 and it was sold to become Amtrak #9812. It was retired in 1983 and sold into private ownership, where it was restored to its original appearance. In 1987 it was sold to Quad/Graphics and was rebuilt by Northern Railcar with the rounded open platform as seen here.

Sussex - Quad/Graphics - North Building

One of the major customers on the Wisconsin Central line, Quad/Graphics was founded July 13, 1971 by Harry V. Quadracci and his wife Elizabeth. Quad/Graphics became the largest privately-owned printing company in the world and the fifth largest printing company in the United States with 13,000 employees and 22 facilities on three continents.

Sussex - Quad/Graphics - South Building

The Sussex plant opened in 1983. The 1.3 million square foot facility employs over 2,900 workers. This plant’s M-64 32-page offset web printing press set a world record in 1996 printing more than 350,000,000 impressions that year. This facility features a 24-hour child care center, fitness center, sand volleyball courts, softball diamond, and fishing ponds for employee use.

Sussex - Quad/Graphics - South Building Again

Sussex - End of Silver Chalet

Sussex - Quad/Graphics Trailer

The Sussex plant is also the headquarters for Duplainville Transport with over 350 trucks, the company’s distribution subsidiary originally founded in 1973.

Sussex - Parcel Direct Trailer

Parcel Direct was founded by Quad/Graphics on September 16, 1998 as a package consolidator and expeditor for catalog and online retailers, picking up and sorting parcels and delivering them to post offices for final delivery. Parcel Direct’s headquarters and main facility was in New Berlin, Wisconsin. Parcel Direct was sold to Federal Express in 2004.

Sussex - Trailer Ends

Sussex - Quarry

This quarry in Sussex was owned by the Vulcan Materials Company and was a customer of the Wisconsin Central. Vulcan Materials Company is based out of Birmingham, Alabama, and was formed on January 2, 1957, in a merger of companies dating back to 1909. This quarry was sold to Lannon Stone Products, Inc. on June 20, 2013.

Sussex - Quarry

Sussex - Quarry

Sussex - Quarry

Sussex - Quarry

Bridge over Sussex Creek between Sussex and Duplainville

This bridge carries the Wisconsin Central main line over Sussex Creek, which flows south and east from Sussex, eventually becoming a tributary of the Fox River.

Duplainville - Wisconsin Central Freight Train led by an EMD SD45

Duplainville is a neighborhood in the city of Pewaukee. The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad main line between Brookfield and Watertown was built in 1855. It was merged into the Milwaukee & St. Paul in 1867, which subsequently merged with the Chicago & Pacific Railroad in 1874 to become the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (also known as The Milwaukee Road). The Wisconsin Central Railroad line from Rugby Junction to Chicago was built in 1885, crossing the Milwaukee Road at Duplainville with a diamond junction. A wooden tower was built in the northwest quadrant of the diamond in 1890. The Wisconsin Central Railroad was reorganized as the Wisconsin Central Railway in 1897 and was leased in 1909 by the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, which itself was controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway. On September 1, 1944, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway was reorganized as the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. The Wisconsin Central Railroad entered receivership in 1932, declared bankruptcy in 1944, and was reorganized as the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company in 1954. On January 1, 1961, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad and the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company were merged with the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad to form the Soo Line Railroad. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway was reorganized in 1928 as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. The original tower burned and January 1, 1929, and was subsequently replaced with a brick tower that stood until it was torn down in 1987. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific declared bankruptcy in 1977, and on January 1, 1986, the remains of the bankrupt railroad, including the main line through Duplainville, was merged into the Soo Line. On October 11, 1987, the Soo Line spun off the former Wisconsin Central line to the new independent Wisconsin Central, Ltd. The Canadian Pacific acquired full control of the Soo Line in 1990, and the Wisconsin Central was purchased by Canadian National Railway on October 9, 2001. Duplainville is the only place in Wisconsin where the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific cross. Duplainville Road also crosses the Wisconsin Central mainline here.

The backbone of the Wisconsin Central locomotive fleet was a group of 110 second-hand EMD SD45s making up nearly half the roster. These 3,600-horsepower locomotives were built between June 1966 and December 1971, and were being retired at the time the Wisconsin Central started up, making them a readily available and relatively inexpensive source of motive power for the new railroad. Just over half of Wisconsin Central’s SD45s, a total of 57, were previously owned by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and another 42 came from the Burlington Northern, with 11 more from a variety of sources. They had full second careers on Wisconsin Central, continuing to operate even after the Canadian National Railway took over on October 9, 2001, with some lasting until 2007.

Duplainville - Quad/Graphics

Quad/Graphics was founded July 13, 1971 by Harry V. Quadracci and his wife Elizabeth, and this is the original Quad/Graphics location in Pewaukee on Duplainville Road. Originally a 20,171 square foot abandoned mill warehouse that Harry V. Quadracci purchased at auction, Quad/Graphics started here with 11 employees, a leased press and a loaned binder. Since then it has grown to a 291,097 square foot facility with over 700 employees, and includes an on-site medical clinic, fitness & rehabilitative center, and child care center for employee use. It is a major customer on the Wisconsin Central main line. Quad/Graphics became the largest privately-owned printing company in the world and the fifth largest printing company in the United States with 13,000 employees and 22 facilities on three continents.

Continue to Waukesha, WI…