Rail Road

Stations
CM & St.P – 640 W. Washington Ave.
Illinois Central – Bedford St.
Chicago & Northwestern – Blair St.
Milwaukee Road – E. Wilson St.

Lines

Roundhouse
East – 1741 Commercial Ave.


Railroad ----- Workers uprooted an 8-ton link to Madison's railroad past early Wednesday morning. The steel junction of the former Illinois Central and Milwaukee Road tracks, called a ``diamond'' because of its shape, stood as a reminder of thedays when railroads dominated interstate transportation. It was located near the intersection of West Dayton and Mills streets, the crossing point for trains for more than a century. Unless someone buys the sculptural diamond, which was fabricated sometime in the early 1930s, from the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, it will probably be scrapped, said Rodney Kreunen of the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission. But in other than artistic terms, no one is really shedding any tears for the diamond's departure. The east-west Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad (which eventually became the Milwaukee Road) laid tracks west through Madison in 1856, headed toward Prairie du Chien and the Mississippi River. When the Illinois Central crossed the track to make the diamond in 1887,Milwaukee railroad officials were furious, Kreunen said. The link made it possible to send freight south to an alternate east-west route, by passing congested Chicago and the Milwaukee railroad. The Illinois Central never proved to be a serious threat, Kreunen said, but he added that the legacy of the competition, the diamond, has bedeviled Madison drivers and pedestrians for decades. ----- The Madison Crossing – A spot on Lake Monona where two major rail lines cross. It is the only place in the country, and perhaps the world, where there is such a crossing in the middle of a lake. After many long years of debate a switch was installed at the crossing to allow trains to use whichever line they choose. The crossing has existed since the mid-1800s. The lines were originally the Milwaukee Road, built in 1856, and the Chicago & North Western Railway, built in 1872. Competition between the two railroads, and all the subsequent railroads that owned the tracks, kept a switch from ever being installed so that the tracks could be shared. The lines are now operated by two short-line railroads, the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission and Wisconsin and Southern. Gov. Tommy Thompson did the honors pounding in a golden spike. ----- The arrival of the first railroad, the Milwaukee and Mississippi Rail Road, in May 1854. It was the coming of the railroad that caused the Farwell Boom to really take off. Before the arrival of the railroad, getting products and goods to and from Madison was a tediously slow process. Travel was difficult and time-consuming. Travel by stage coach was a common mode of transportation before the railroad. It was proudly announced in a December 1853 State Journal article that the 54-mile stage route from Beloit to Madison could be accomplished in the unprecedented speedy time of 32 to 35 hours. Workers graded the route and built bridges. A hill on the southern end of Lake Monona was cut through with the dirt used to fill nearby marshes where the track was placed. An embankment was built out into the lake. The depot had been constructed a half mile from the Capitol on West Washington with a "number of new buildings springing up in the vicinity," including a hotel with "respectable dimensions." The depot was reported to be a very sturdy structure built of stone. The one-story building measured 150 feet in length and 42 feet wide. The marshes between lakes Monona and Waubesa, however, were causing some problems for the construction crews. Portions of the track and embankment over the marsh kept sinking, causing delays as additional dirt was brought in to provide solid footing. The problems with tracks sinking into the marsh would continue for some time. In fact, in June 1854, a portion of the track south of Lake Monona settled five feet in one day. At long last, the railroad bridge over Lake Monona was completed and the first train made its way into Madison the evening of May 18. The celebration was about to begin. May 23 was the date agreed upon by all of the parties involved. Thousands of people were in Madison to witness the great event. A State Journal reporter estimated that at least 2,000 people were gathered along the tracks between the depot and Lake Monona, creating a colorful and lively scene. At long last, shortly after 2 p.m., the train of 32 cars carrying nearly 2,000 passengers pulled by two locomotives made its way across the bridge into Madison. Bands played, cannons boomed and people cheered. ----- Railroad's Diamond In Rough Removed August 24, 1995 Workers uprooted an 8-ton link to Madison's railroad past. The steel junction of the former Illinois Central and Milwaukee Road tracks, called a “diamond” because of its shape, stood as a reminder of the days when railroads dominated interstate transportation. It was located near the intersection of West Dayton and Mills streets, the crossing point for trains for more than a century. The stage for Wednesday's work was set more than a century ago, when railroad companies laid tracks across the country to gain access to new markets. The east-west Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad (which eventually became the Milwaukee Road) laid tracks west through Madison in 1856, headed toward Prairie du Chien and the Mississippi River. When the Illinois Central crossed the track to make the diamond in 1887,Milwaukee railroad officials were furious. The link made it possible to send freight south to an alternate east-west route, bypassing congested Chicago and the Milwaukee railroad. The Illinois Central never proved to be a serious threat but he added that the legacy of the competition, the diamond, has bedeviled Madison drivers and pedestrians for decades. Because of its location, switching rail cars from one track to the other has required trains to back up and block traffic on Mills, Dayton and Charter streets. ----- East Side Roundhouse A bit of Madison's railroad history, the remainder of a roundhouse built in 1916 for Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, is being preserved through a $1 million, three-year restoration project. A C&NW caboose and a boxcar that will be placed on tracks in the restored building at 1741 Commercial Ave. have already been obtained. (the combined office and warehouse space will house Towell Promotional Services.) The building was an active roundhouse from 1916 until 1958 and was used to service steam locomotives. Ten of its original 24 service bays remain, the other bays being torn down in the 1960s. The property on which the roundhouse sits was owned by the railroad from the late 1800s until 1976. In 1959 it was leased to Plywood Madison and in 1976 it was sold to Lumberman's Supply. In 1982 it was sold again to Madison Gas and Electric Co., which used it for storage. Designed by Sieger Architects, the 26,642-square-foot project will feature an atrium entrance complete with a 40-foot 1964 caboose in the reception area, an open mezzanine office space with a storefront glass design and a fireman's pole from the mezzanine to the first floor. The 50-foot 1966 boxcar will be on a track and serve as a conference room. There will also be a half-court basketball and exercise gym. The warehouse will feature two 14-foot, drive-through doors. He said the roundhouse is one of the last steam locomotive roundhouses left in the United States. It is on a 4.7-acre site west of Madison Area Technical College's Commercial Avenue campus and across the street from the Hartmeyer Ice Arena. ----- 1874 East Madison Passenger Depot of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. WHi-11269 Small brick building the Milwaukee Road East Madison depot, built in 1869. ----- Ca 1887 Illinois Central Railway Station WHi-37800 (Bedford St???) ----- 1889 Blair Street Railroad Depot – Chicago & Northwestern Depot ----- 1889 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul passenger depot. This is the Franklin Street station on East Wilson Street. ----- West Roundhouse - Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad roundhouse ----- 640 W. Washington Ave. Milwaukee Road – Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. This structure housed the Milwaukee's business offices, passenger waiting room. A small interlocking panel controlled a nearby crossing with the C&NW. Passenger service in later years was with The Sioux. When passenger service ended Amtrak continued to use the waiting room area as terminal for it's bus connection to Columbus. When that ended the railroad used the passenger waiting room as a storage area. When the Milwaukee entered bankruptcy in the 1980's they closed their agency in Madison, moved out of the depot entirely, and removed all but one track of their adjacent yard. The structure sat vacant for a number of years. The depot was renovated to house a restaurant in the former waiting room and several shops in what had been the baggage room and office spaces. A "fake" passenger train consisting of an E9 shell and several passenger cars sits adjacent to the depot on a disconnected length of track and are also used to house shops and offices while adding to the station atmosphere. ------- 640 W. Washington Ave. (Behind Passenger Station) Milwaukee Road Yard Area Milwaukee Road - Illinois Central crossing at the west end of the yard in it's original two-diamond configuration along the roundhouse, freight house, commissary building that sat just west of the depot. An office building occupies the former roundhouse site and the Kohl Center sports complex sits where the freight house was located. ------- 641 West Washington Ave. Depot-Hotel, Railway Hotel. This was the CM&StP Railway Ticket Office and Passenger Station. ------- Milwaukee Road & SM&StP - Franklin St. (Two buildings I think) ------- Illinois Central Railroad Freight Depot, Bedford St. served as Jimmy Carter's Madison campaign headquarters for a short period of time during the mid-1970's then was sold to U-Haul Illinois Central Railroad Passenger Depot, Bedford St. Where Badger Bus is ------- Chicago & Northwestern Railway Depot – Blair St. (Two buildings?) Passenger service to Madison via the C&NW ended during the mid-1960's after which the depot was closed and sold to the Madison Gas and Electric Company, who's power plant was adjacent to the structure. MG&E converted the building for use as their headquarters, which it remains today. ------- Chicago, St. Paul, and Minneapolis

It was a historic moment in Madison and Wisconsin railroading history. For years, railroad buffs around the country have known about the Madison Crossing -- the spot on Lake Monona where two major rail lines cross. It is the only place in the country, and perhaps the world, where there is such a crossing in the middle of a lake. Tuesday, after many long years of debate, a switch was installed at the crossing to allow trains to use whichever line they choose. It seems a small thing, but it was big news. The installation of the switch means that long freight trains will pass through Madison more quickly and that an important link is in place if a commuter rail system ever becomes a reality. The crossing has existed since the mid-1800s. The lines were originally the Milwaukee Road , built in 1856, and the Chicago & North Western Railway, built in 1872. Competition between the two railroads, and all the subsequent railroads that owned the tracks, kept a switch from ever being installed so that the tracks could be shared. Efforts have been made at least three or four times over the years, all the way back to the 1930s when a crossing would have facilitated passenger traffic through Madison. Finally, discussions that started about six years ago proved successful. The lines are now operated by two short-line railroads, the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission and Wisconsin and Southern. Both lines are busy with freight traffic. Now, with the switch in place freight trains traveling east and then south through Madison will no longer have to make an awkward and time-consuming switch at the yards along University Avenue. They'll simply become through trains, traveling more rapidly through the switch at the Madison Crossing. That means fewer blocked crossings, especially in the campus area. The switch would also allow a commuter train, if Madison ever gets a commuter rail system, to travel from the Monona Terrace Convention Center, across Lake Monona, and on to the Dane County Coliseum. All in all it was a railroad event that called for the traditional pounding of a golden spike. Gov. Tommy Thompson did the honors Tuesday morning.