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The Milwaukee Road
My memories of the Milwaukee Road are very clear. First let me thank the following people who have supplied photos and
information: David Franzen, Louis Richards III, Howard Nielson, Clarence Reppin, Marvin Helmig, Steve Shutt, Ken Holzner,
Leo Muhlach, and Mike Gleason. I also want to thank others who I have not posted their photos, but bought publications
with their work. Mike Shaeffer, Mike McBride and Jerry Pyfer. I spent the years from 1973 to 1981
in Mendota before moving out West to Nevada for 16 yrs. The Milwaukee Railroad was still active even though little did
I know it was to be the last decade for them on this branch line. I remember the trains vividly switching back and forth and
interchanging coal cars with the Illinois Central Railroad. It was a thrill to stand near the trains as they rumbled by and
the ground shook. I remember one cold snowy, winter night looking out my bedroom window over at the depot and see a train
parked in front with its head light on and I could see just how hard the snow was falling from the light. I would give anything
to go back to those times. Here below are some photos thanks to many people and will give you a glimpse into the Milwaukee
Railroad in Mendota Illinois. In 1981 we moved and the Milwaukee was done and the line abandoned. I came back many years later
and most all the tracks were gone. The depot was still there and still stands today in Mendota.
| Mendota IL 1978 |
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| Photo by Louis Richards III |
| Milwaukee Road on the IC tracks in Mendota 1978 |
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| When the Milw diamond was taken out they used the IC in the end around 1978-79 Photo credit unknown |
| Train in Oglesby IL 1960s |
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| Anonymous |
| Train in Oglesby in the 1960s near Lehigh Cement |
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| Anon. |
| Early view of Milw Depot in 1940s |
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| Mendota IL |
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| MIlwaukee Road Steam Engine heads north past tower at Mendota 1950s |
| Mendota IL 1950s |
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| SOuthbound on IC tracks near depot at 8th st xing |
| In Mendota IL |
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| Photo by Howard Nielson |
| Milwaukee Road F7 locos in Mendota 1978 |
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| Photo by Howard Nielson |
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| Photo by Ray Tutaj Jr 1987 |
| Depot in Mendota around 1978 |
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| Photo by Louis Richards III |
| Looking north toward Milw Depot in Mendota |
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| Early 1900s |
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| photo by Ray Tutaj Jr |
| Combine car on display in Mendota IL |
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| Visit the Mendota Union Depot RR museum Photo by Ray Tutaj Jr. |
| Mendota IL photo by Louis Richards III |
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| Train approaching from North and about to come on to IC main |
| Mendota 1975 photo by Louis Richards |
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| What a coincidence that our house is seen in background. |
| The floor plan of the Milw depot |
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| Thanks to Clarence Reppin for info. I drew this up after talking with him. |
Notice the interchange track in the diagram above. Here below is a picture of that track looking southwest. I snapped
this photo probably around 1986 or so. I was living in Las Vegas at the time but would try to get back every few years. This
is basically all that was left; the IC main from uptown at Mendota to 1st street, this interchange track and a section of
the Milwaukee Road track was left in to a point just southwest of ole route 51. (now 251) It was sad walking these
rails and remembering those days in the 1970s when the ICRR would set out strings of coal cars for the Milwaukee Road to take
up to Janesville Wisconsin. I also remember the Milwaukee bringing the empties back. They would back them up this interchange
track and set them out on the furthest west track in the 4-track IC Mendota yard along 7th avenue where I grew up. I graduated
Mendota High in 1981 just a year after the Milwaukee Road's last train pulled out of town forever. I wish I would have know
about it. It happened silently and when I did not see no more trains on the Milwaukee Road tracks my heart sunk.
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| Milwaukee Road and ICRR interchange track in Mendota at 1st st |
| MIlw F7 idling south of 1st street crossing. |
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| Mendota IL. 1975 Photo by Louis Richards III |
| Mendota IL |
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| Not far from old Mendota Highschool on North end of town. Louis Richards III photo |
| Milwaukke Road Mendota 1950s |
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| Photo by Louis Richards III |
| F7s north of Depot in Mendota IL |
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| Photo credit Steve Shutt |
The David Franzen photo below was graciously donated to the Mendota Railroad Museum (with many more) and are now
on display. Thank you to David for giving the museum the images and for allowing me to put a sample of his work on this website.
A photo album has numerous other photos at the Museum. David worked for the Milwaukee from 1972 until 1980.
| Train #159 moves southward to begin final day |
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MARVIN HELMIG pictures below
| Last Run of MIlw Feb 29 1980 |
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| DOn Corsolini engineer - Photo by Marvin Helmig |
| Last Run forever on the branch line. Feb 29 1980 |
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| Richard Gorman on Caboose - Photo by Marvin Helmig |
The Milwaukee Road went to Ladd. The RR had it's own depot, engine house and even had a coal mine in Cherry. The Milw
exchanged with four other railroads: The C B & Q (Chicago Burlington and Quincy), the LSBC (La Salle and Bureau County
Railroad), the CNW (Chicago North Western) and the NYC (New York Central. There was a wye track there as you can see in the
diagram. The Milwaukee road timetable is below. Thanks to David Franden for the timetable.
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| Thanks to Marion and Scott from LSBC club for info |
| Milwaukee road timetable 19th subdivision 1963 |
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| Milwaukee road timetable close up of junctions |
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| From Rockton it was 18 miles to Janesville WI |
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| Cedar Point Milw Road Line |
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| There was a coal mine here too. See Coal mine page |
The two Welland IL aerial images below are from Leo Muhlach.
| Welland IL Milwaukee Road tracks 1965 |
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| Looking Eastward |
| Welland IL MIlwaukee Railroad Tracks 1965 |
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| Looking West |
| 1978 at Welland about o pass over trestle |
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| Notice trestle in the two aerial images above |
| December 1974 Mendota IL |
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| Milwaukee Road Caboose looking North between 1st and second street |
A Special thanks to Howard Nielsen for allowing me to use his classic images to post here. In the time frame of 1974-1980,
I lived close by this action. I was a young teen. Not once do I remember anyone photographing these trains but apparently
they did. If I would have seen them I might have been struck with the idea to do the same. OH how I wish somebody would have
provoked me to take pictures back then of the trains. What my eyes have seen while having the ICRR and Milwaukee railroad
in my front yard was incredible! But I am soooo grateful to the photographers who did capture those times. They help fill
a void in me and I can help fill the void in others who are interested simply by sharing the images online here.
| 1978 Mendota IL Milwaukee F7 parked |
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| South of 1st st xing in Mendota about two to three blocks, the Milw would park their locos overnight |
| Parked south of Mendota 1978 |
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| Mendota Depot 1978 |
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| JUly 5th 1979 |
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| I used to live next door to the big red house you see in the background. Memories! |
| July 1979 Eight months before the last train out |
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| The Milw would use the IC main as seen here to leave town at this time |
The picture above and directly below are related. IT was 1979 and the end was near for the Milwaukee Road (Feb 29, 1980).
The Milw parked this snow plow on their main. Their trains now used the IC mainline where it connected theirs near 1st
street crossing. The switch was just north of the railroad crossing of 1st street about 60 ft. I have a picture on this page
of that interchange track. Anyway the Milwaukee diamond was torn out and so they used the IC up to past 8th street crossing
just north of the Mendota Depot (Railroad museum today).
| Late fall or 1979, the end approaching |
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| This snow plow was parked on the Milw main which was no longer used at this time |
The image below shows the camp train at the time of the building of the C. M. & St. P. Railroad into Mendota
in 1903. Photo from the (Muzzy/Leo Muhlach collection)
| Milwaukee Road depot in Oglesby IL 1940s |
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| Looking West |
| Oglesby IL Milwaukee Road at depot |
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| 1920s Looking north toward La Salle |
| Milwaukee Road trestle over IC in Oglesby |
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| Milwaukee Rd trestle in Oglesby Il |
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| Milwaukee Road Tracks in Oglesby |
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| Milwaukee Road tracks in Oglesby in Lehigh Cement |
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| Milwaukee Road F7's at Mendota IL near 2nd st. |
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| Photo by Steve Shutt |
| Milwaukee Road Double header at Mendota |
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| Train going southover 6th st crossing approaching intersection with CBQ |
| LONELY RAILS on the MILW RD. |
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| Southwest of Mendota the tracks are abandoned 1986 |
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