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State transportation secretary to kick off Wisconsin line rebuild
Had this been 30 years ago the headline would have been abandonment. Good to see these lines coming back.
Amazing that this line can be rebuilt and opened for use again. Usually the NIMBYs, enviromentalists and other so-called progressives throw all sorts of obstacles in the way. Wonder what is different here??
I think this has been on and off the table for a few years. Hopefully it will be a success.
While this has been in the works for some time, it nonetheless is of interest since the ROW from Kohler to Plymouth has virtually disappeared in places over the past half century. Plymouth itself is worth a visit if in the area as there are two extant depots, ex-CNW and ex-Milw. Rd. standing side by side, plus what is a gantlet type bridge for the two RR’s over Main St. That was necessitated by the fact that the CNW came in from the East, needing to cross over the Milw. in order to head West to Fond du Lac (foot of the lake) and there was no real possibility due to topography of a simple diamond. Complicating matters was the interurban line, which also ran west from Sheboygan, through Plymouth and up North to Crystal Lake, terminating in Elkhart Lake. This line had a certain fame as the furthest West one could ride on an interurban, from the East, without having to resort to a steam road. There was, of course, street running for the interurban, under the gantlet bridge, and then north of Plymouth, one can see the grades of both it and the CNW, if one knows where to look. The other irony is that the ex-Milw. line from Plymouth north to Kiel through Elkhart Lake has had some work for no obvious reason or customers. BTW, the Milw. line had both the Chippewa and Copper Country Limited in their day.
Is the line they are restoring between Plymouth and Kohler the former Wisconsin Power and Light line?
Do the wig-wag signals on Main Street still work?
Mr. Jeffries:
I love your use of the title “progressives” in the rail context. It’s interesting that former NYTimes editorial writer and well-known arch-conservative George Will wrote, some years ago, a stinging rant that among other things characterized those wanting to expand passenger rail nationwide as “progressives”.
Several comments: TMER&L (The Milw. Elect. Rwy.& Light) line ran up to Sheboygan through Port Washington before heading west to Plymouth and Elkhart Lake. That was gone long before (1930’s) the CNW’s line (1950’s) was to Fond du Lac, although a stub to Plymouth lasted into the early 1960’s. A grade crossing over highway 57 will have be put back into place for the reconstruction, along with a SE wye quadrant.
As to wig-wags, it is unlikely that there ever were any on Plymouth’s main drag, as it and the interurban line went under the joint gantlet bridge.
As to George Will, it is not likely that he was an editorial writer for the NYT at any time.
To Dennis: Luckily the city of Plymouth and local businesses were behind the project 100 % or it probably would have been harder to get past the nimby’s, however the grade and footprint couldn’t be improved at all to meet the requirements that the government required. There are some wig wags still in use on downtown Plymouth of CNW heritage. Some neat street running in Sheboygan Falls to worth a look at.
To. William McFadden: 2 wig wags at Main & Milwaukee operating and 1 wig wag one block north on Elizabeth st.