[milwaukee-electric] Re: Milwaukee slums during the 1940s and afterward

[William Sell]

Was it insurance or politics?

I was about 12 years old. But this is what I remember.

My recollection was the Mayor Zeidler tried to get a solution to save 
the Speedrail. I do not recall why that failed. But I do remember 
being told that the Speedrail could not get insurance - the 
suggestion being the recklessness of Jay Mader, the owner.  Of 
course, I was young and was probably hearing what grown ups around me 
wanted to hear. I did learn later what a star Mayor Zeidler was, and 
in contrast how he was hated in the burbs - probably because of his 
aggressive moving of Milwaukee's borders into the townships surrounding.

Bill






At 05:50 PM 11/8/2010, Gary Schnabl wrote:
>On 11/7/2010 3:38 PM, Don L. Leistikow wrote:
> > Gary S and list:   If not for the National Avenue Cornfield Meet in
> > September of 1950, there may have been a chance for Speedrail to
> > survive.
> >
> > Two things come to mind.... ridership was strong in rush-hour service.
> > Aside from the abnormal capacity of the 'Duplex' trains, some trips left
> > the 'Building' with standing room only, loads.  Waukesha Limited duplex
> > trains left first, followed by a WJ duplex and then, on its heels, an HC
> > local with seated capacity, following.
> >
> > On the other hand, service throughout the day and evening, was too
> > frequent for the handful of passengers, mostly shoppers, to break even.
> > There was just not enough patronage to substaintialte the frequent
> > service.  Hourly headways would have been sufficient.
> >
> > After the accident, ridership on the HC line, was literally cut in half.
> > Ridership on the Waukesha line, remained strong, most likely due to the
> > fact that it was all double tracked.  A great feeling of safety, in that
> > thought.
> >
> > As for the line remaining in place with a Freeway alongside..... really
> > questionable. The Planners wanted the prow between downtown and 28th
> > street, for their construction purposes.  Certainly, it was cheaper to
> > build on that prow, than to condemn other real-estate in the Valley.
> >
> > Politics demanded the RTL be retired.
> >
> > Don L.
>How come there never was any effective block signals or other mechanisms
>for not allowing two cars on the HC line simultaneously--without being
>overridden manually? Railroads had installed adequate interlocking
>switches and signals several decades before 1950...
>
>Besides, in 1950, two-way radios were not that rare or expensive. I was
>a radio amateur since my grade-school days (1957), using mostly
>inexpensive WW2 or Korean-war equipment for receivers and
>transmitters--modified the shortwave gear that the B-17 bombers used
>(for higher power and better operation)..
>
>How did the operation keep in touch with the utility cars on active
>tracks? I would tend to agree that the ill-fated 1950 accident was
>bordering on negligent, criminal activity. Too bad... Otherwise, the RTL
>would have been able to purchase insurance and maybe be solvent for
>another decade or so.
>--
>
>Gary Schnabl
>Southwest Detroit, two miles NORTH! of Canada--Windsor, that is...


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