Empire Builder alternate route thru Wisconsin 5 May

Trains Magazine Passenger
1

According to Amtrak Alerts, the May 5th Builder will take an alternate route and miss:

  • Red Wing, Minn.

  • Tomah, Wis.

  • Columbus, Wis.

  • Winona, Minn.

  • Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

  • Milwaukee, Wis.

  • La Crosse, Wis.

  • Portage, Wis.

It will also not stop at Glenview. I don’t know why Glenview is not listed as a separate station above but it may be because of the ability to take the EB into Chicago and then back to Glenview on the Hiawatha service.

The question is, are we taking BNSF all the way down the east side of the Mississippi to LaCrosse and then east from Savannah?

I will be on the train and wonder what there will be to see?

2

It’s interesting that it’s missing Milwaukee, on the other side of the state from LaCrosse etc. I wonder if it’s going to take the old Burlington Route line along the east bank of the Mississippi all the way down into Illinois and then cut across to Chicago like the CB&Q trains did?? Funny Amtrak doesn’t have a map showing where it’s going.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/Simple_Copy_Popup&c=am2Copy&cid=1180684147775

3

In 1994 the Empire Builder did use the ex- CB&Q BN line as a detour. I remember seeing the Builder in East Dubuque Illinois. I do not remember why the detour happened. I took the Afternoon Hi once in April of 1969 and it went down the CB&Q from Prescott to La Crosse. The Hi backed into the Milwaukee station in La Crosse off the CB&Q. The Hi also made its scheduled stop in Red Wing where US 63 crossed the CB&Q. There was no CB&Q station there but passengers were loaded and unloaded.

4

The Empire Builder usually ends up detouring a couple of times a year due to a derailment or a planned work window such as I’m guessing this is. In the past they have almost always taken the BNSF down the River from St. Paul to Savanna, IL and then the BNSF line across northern Illinois, the one that passes through Rochelle. Should be some really nice scenery along the whole route for you to see, especially along the Mississippi River, and it’s relatively rare mileage (like I said, they normally only use it only a few times a year).

Noah

5

I suppose another option might be to go down the River on the former ICE via Lansing, Marquette, and Dubuque to Sabula then across the River to Savanna and on to Chicago.

6

Word is that CP is doing bridge work on their River Sub Division from St. Paul to La Crosse. Seems we are taking BNSF from Hastings, MN down the east side of the river. Why isn’t the train turning east at Grand Crossing in La Crosse and continuing the normal route across Wisconsin to Milwaukee. Might be working on that sub too.

7

The connecting track between the BNSP and the CP at Grand Junction in La Crosse is in the northwest quadrant. It could be used to get an eastbound Empire Builder from the BNSF to the station,but the train would be facing the wrong way. To get turned around it would be necessary to continue to the west and wye the train at La Crescent. If the LaCrosse bridge is being worked on then that is not possible.

The alternative would be to back out of the La Crosse station to Grand Junction then continue down the BNSF.

8

“Where nature smiles - three hundred miles!”

9

Quick report on the 5 May 2009 Empire Builder from St. Paul, MN to Chicago, IL

Left St. Paul Depot at 0830

Down the MN Commercial RR to UP along the river in downtown St. Paul.

Down the BNSF St Croix Subdivision to Savannah, IL

That sub is CTC crossovers interspersed with Track Warrant Control

Amtrak had two engineers (one of which was qualified on the BNSF)

Amtrak crew changed at La Crosse, WI

Hundreds of idle cars stored at Savannah Army Depot (depressing)

Very nice ride – especially with no leaves on the trees

Turned east at Savannah, IL (after crossing the ICE river crossing into its tunnel)

Met the westbound Builder along this route

Joined the BNSF racetrack at Aurora, IL

Changed BNSF pilot at Eola, IL

Caught up with an inbound Metra train on the inbound (outer #3, I think). The dispatcher ran us around Metra on the middle express track. However, an outbound “express” was waiting for us to clear the middle track when we shifted over to the inbound track. Guess that didn’t work so well.

Got to Union Station about 6:20 PM but had to wait for 5 Metra trains to come streaming out before we got a lineup to get in. Within 5 minutes of our arrival on the south track #28, the entire south side of Union Station was empty. 5 minutes after that Metra trains were streaming in to get ready for the next surge of commuters.

Great trip, empty train (all the intermediate passengers were bused from St. Paul so 3 buses left St. Paul after #8 arrived at St. Paul about 8:05) outstanding service. Fun to talk to other fans who rode the trip.

10

The EB used this same route last year due to Wisconsin Dells flooding & washout.

Glad you enjoyed the trip!

Must be enough double track to meet the WB train in the Savannah area? IIRC most of the BNSF is single track till you get to Aurora & join the Racetrack.

11

Yes, Aurora to Savannah is single track with lots of long sidings.

What really surprised me was how much of the line was Track Warrant Control along the east side of the Mississippi on the BNSF. I expected to see little guys standing along the side of the track hooping up train orders!