[milwaukee-electric] Re: Thanks guys - some questions

[William Sell]

Matt

I lived in Hales Corners during the period in which the Rapid 
Transit, then SpeedRail, thrived and died. My recollections are 
fairly good because we crossed the tracks daily walking to school and 
used the trains regularly.  The only footprints generally are the 
power lines because Wisconsin Electric continues to own the right of 
way, but the land beneath the power lines was converted for all the 
strip malls that line 108th street and they pretty much cover up any 
kinds of tracks. You could walk the right of way and look for detail, 
but start about half way between St. Martins and Hales Corners. The 
tracks from downtown ended at a Co-op and fuel store and there was a 
turnaround at that point. The Hales Corners passenger station was 
kitty-corner to the large still-standing old-building bar on 
Janesville and 108th St. (used to be called Swedes)

Going further into town there is an interesting stretch of right of 
way after Ridge Road. The ROW jogs a bit northeast away from the 
highway and becomes land that has been less developed.  There were 
stops along this stretch. Ridge Road, Boulder Road, Pleasant Valley, 
to name a few.  http://www.thetransportco.com/ has photos.

best
Bill







At 11:33 PM 9/13/2009, Matthew Austin wrote:
>Thanks for the pics, they all add to this Aussie's level of knowledge.
>
>Just wondering, does Hales Corners today look anything like it did 
>in TM/Speedrail/MRT days? I've used Google Streetview to try and get 
>an idea of places then and now, but I'm wondering if anything 
>remains from where the line was cut back to the Hales Corners loop.
>
>Cheers,
>Matt
>
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