Wisconsin Central Railway 1871-1909 Photo Archive by PA Letourneau

Description: RailroadTreasures offers the following item: Wisconsin Central Railway 1871-1909 Photo Archive by PA Letourneau Wisconsin Central Railway 1871-1909 Photo Archive by PA Letourneau Soft Cover 126 pages Copyright 1998 CONTENTS No 47 Wisconsin Central #3 No 37 WC #3 WC #16 WC #6 Wisconsin Central Route Map WC #43 WC #36 George A Whiting paper Mill at Menasha Engine #31 Wisconsin Central Railroad Camp WC #75 First WC Train to enter Chicago WC #90 No 68 No 94 No 24 Chicago, Harlem & Batavia Railroad Dummy Line in 1887 West Chicago Dummy Railway Company Engine & Car WC #128 WC Depot and Hotel at Waupaca in 1887 WC Depot at Marshfield Wisconsin Former WC #47 A Griggs built 4-4-0 originally the Oregon WC Passenger Train #2 The Superior Wisconsin Central #12 Three WC Locomotives at the Stevens Point WC Passenger station Engine #112 Freight Engine #127 WC #201 View of the Waukesha Back Shop A WC Train crossing the Wisconsin River at Stevens Point One of 12 Baldwin 4-4-0 locomotives No 132 The Depot at Sherry Wisconsin WC #211 No 80 WC #134 An Excursion Train led by #18 WC #57 Building the WC at Manitowoc Dec 23 1895 A Two Car run between Stevens Point and Portage at Packwakee Junction The Weyauwega Depot Local Train #32 No 96 WC #204 The Terminal Yard at Manitowoc The Wisconsin Central storage yard at Manitowoc No 221 WC #223 WC #227 WC #210 WC CafChair Car #852 Aftermath of Collision between a WC Mogul #109 & #210 Crew and Equipment at work grade reduction near Amherst Junction No 90 No 80 WC #235 Nos 53 & 48 WC #50 and passenger train #502 No 220 and a WC Lidgerwood unloader WC #240 Passengers waiting for train at Colfax Wisconsin Central presidential car #1 WC #68 WC #246 Wisconsin Central passenger depot at Rockefeller WC #247 No 232 WC #140 No 212 WC #141 No 233 No 244 Wisconsin Central #257 and Abbotsford & Northeastern #1 No 228 Farmers with wagon-loads of potatoes waiting for arrival of WC at Colfax WC #259 Work Crew near Fond du Lac WC #207 No 1 the Menasha No 234 WC #72 No 22 No 98 WC #168 Work Crew travels the main line of the Abbotsford & Northeastern RR No 271 No 234 and Caboose #104 WC #128 No 225 WC #42 No 238 No 138 WC #50 and pile driver #2 WC #270 & Train #2 No 218 WC #95 WC #167 WC #146 WC #222 WC #183 The WC Baseball Club Train #101 Former-WC #76 WC Pile Driver and Soo #420 Wisconsin Central Depot and Yards No 222 Soo #2035 Stevens Point Shops Construction of the St Croix River High Bridge Soo #2607 WC 2701 Ex WC #161 Soo #2401 Soo #2914 originally WC #271 The Depot at Prentice, Wisconsin WC Caboose #171 INTRODUCTION The Wisconsin Central Railroad Company was founded in 1870 and began operations in 1871, temporarily headquartered at Menasha. In 1872, permanent general offices were established in Milwaukee, with operating headquarters at Stevens Point. (By 1890, all operating offices and shops had been moved to Waukesha). At various times in its history, among other names, the railroad operated as the Wisconsin Central Railway, Wisconsin Central Lines, and Wisconsin Central System-the changes in name usually following some form of company reorganization. For our purposes, however, we will simply refer to the operation as the Wisconsin Central. In June 1871, the Wisconsin Central or "W.C." awarded its first contract for construction: 250 miles of track running from Menasha to Ashland, on Lake Superior. The first 63 miles of track, between Menasha and Stevens Point, was completed by November, although service had commenced in October on a 35-mile section of track between Menasha and Waupaca. The final spike completing the original contract was not driven before May 1877, however. When completed, passengers and freight assigned to the W.C. could move between Ashland and Chicago (W.C., Ashland to Menasha; Milwaukee & Northern, Menasha to Milwaukee; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, Milwaukee to Chicago) without change of cars or transfer, a boon to the budding port of Ashland. Once the Wisconsin Central had reached Ashland, further expansion was directed toward reaching St. Paul, to the west, and Chicago, to the east. The first move westward was construction of 54 miles of track between Colby Junction (now Abbotsford) and Chippewa Falls, completed by December 1880. Once at Chippewa Falls, W.C. freight and passenger loads could be turned over to the Chicago, St. Paul & Minneapolis R.R. (forerunner of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, the "Omaha Road") for delivery to St. Paul and points west. By 1884, the W.C. itself reached St. Paul. Construction on a line that would eventually carry the W.C. into Chicago, via Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, and Milwaukee began in 1881. By 1883, the W.C. had reached Milwaukee (using 32 miles of C.M.&St.P. track between Slinger and Milwaukee). However, once the W.C. reached St. Paul in 1884 and could, therefore, compete directly with the C.M.&St.P., relationships between the two lines were strained. The subsequent refusal of the C.M.&St.P to handle W.C. sleepers between Milwaukee and Chicago accelerated the W.C.'s construction of their own line into Chicago, finally completed in July 1886. Once Chicago was reached, work was begun on a line that ran from the iron ore mines situated at Penuche, some 25 miles south of Ashland, to Bessemer, Michigan. When completed in June 1887, the W.C. had linked two significant iron ore deposits to the company's port facilities at Ashland. The mines generated revenues beyond expectations, as freight on the new road was heavy. More than 200,000 tons of iron ore were moved to port in the first three months of operation alone. Iron ore would remain a primary source of revenue to the W.C. and its successor, the Soo Line, long after revenue from hauling logs and lumber had collapsed. In 1889, the Wisconsin Central entered into an agreement with the Northern Pacific, which granted the NP trackage rights over W.C. rails between St. Paul, Ashland, and Chicago. This vital link with Chicago made the Northern Pacific more competitive with its arch rival, the Great Northern. This lease of the W.C. offered great promise. However, it ended in failure. In April 1893, the Northern Pacific filed bankruptcy, and the Wisconsin Central, devoid of revenue, was likewise forced into receivership. Reorganized in 1894, the Wisconsin Central wasted no time in expanding its presence on the Great Lakes, through development of port facilities at Manitowoc, and a complimentary line of track connecting to Hilbert Junction, east of Menasha. By July 1896, the W.C. ran twice-daily service between Menasha-Neenah and Manitowoc. This new line was a significant revenue source for the W.C., carrying trainloads of flour and wheat from Minneapolis to Manitowoc. The final expansion of the Wisconsin Central was begun in 1905, at Owen, Wisconsin, and concluded in 1909, with a new terminus at Duluth, Minnesota. The line, when finally opened to freight (in January 1909) and passenger service (1910), provided the shortest possible route between Duluth and Chicago. By 1907, and for a variety of reasons, the consolidation of the Wisconsin Central with other railroads had become the subject of rumor. Most frequently cited as partner was the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, an officer of which had joined the W.C. directorate in 1906. In 1908, when a former C.H.&D. director was appointed president of the W.C., the union of the two roads seemed certain. However, later the same year, a majority of W.C. stock was acquired by the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, commonly known as the Soo Line. In April 1909, the Soo gained control of all W.C. property, thus bringing an end to an "independent" Wisconsin Central. The Wisconsin Central continued in operation until December 31, 1960, when the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie, and the Wisconsin Central were merged to create the Soo Line Railroad Company. The State Historical Society of Wisconsin's collection of Wisconsin Central photographs, the source for photographs in this book, is, for the most part, focused on the railroad's early years. Consequently, our review of the Wisconsin Central ends with the Soo Line's entrance. We thank the State Historical Society of Wisconsin for permission to reproduce photographs from its collection. The photographs were, for the most part, a gift to the society from Roy L. Martin, whose book History of the Wisconsin Central (Bulletin No. 54, The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 1941) is an excellent and indispensable reference. All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us. Shipping charges US Shipments: Ebay will add $1.25 each additional items, there are a few exceptions. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and forwarded to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. Refunds may be issued if you add multiple items to your cart and pay with one payment. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping varies by weight. Payment options Payment must be received within 7 days. Paypal is accepted. Terms and conditions All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding. Thanks for looking at our items.

Price: 50 USD

Location: Talbott, Tennessee

End Time: 2024-08-17T19:10:31.000Z

Shipping Cost: 9 USD