[milwaukee-electric] Re: Name of the Milwaukee Train Station During 1969

[Gary Schnabl]

On 3/16/2011 8:39 PM, Don L. Leistikow wrote:
> Gary S and list;  The Subway was started as a proposed route to the PSB
> which could have been underground at the PSB or.... entering street
> level at or about 5th street on the east side of the grade which was
> topped by 6th street.
>
> As I worked the Line Car for a month, I discovered many things.   One
> was that the Subway, which began at 8th Street, went only to the alley,
> mid-block between 8th and 7th streets.  The instance of our going in
> there was for the Lineman to inspect the sump pump which ran almost
> continously draining water from the floor of the subway.  An ominous
> situation, if I ever saw one.
>
>
> Later I was able to measure the construction of the H column placement
> that provided the vertical stance to support the cement ceiling.  The
> subway did curve ever so slightly to the northeast, in that short
> distance.  These columns were anchored in a concrete base that was some
> one foot or so higher from the concrete floor.   I did prepare a drawing
> of that subway construction floor plan.
>
> As for Abel and Bach, they refused to sell so, TMER&L simply went aroujd
> their building which faced St.Paul avenue, the westside of 10th street
> and on the north, Hibernia street.  If yu lookup the various structures
> between 8th and 12th streets, you can match up the trackwork as it was
> designed to be in through service with the existing tracks on the
> eastside of 10th street.
>
> There were options in place for TMER&L's abiltiy to use one of the
> several plans to run through underground or straight ahead by entering
> St.Paul avenue off the deck.  Double track was already installed in the
> 8th street bridge which was immeidately next to the subway entrance on
> its east side.
>
> None of these options ever materialized as the Great Depression was at
> hand and investments lagged or disappeared.
>
> Don L.
Wasn't Abel and Bach's frontage on Hibernia -on the south, not north? 
Wasn't the building between clybourn and Hibernia?

As to the subway: I though I saw an older photo, showing that TMER&L 
parked some of the cars at grade level, one or more tracks parallel to 
and south of its PROW east of Eighth Street at one time. Was that the 
case before the subway started construction?

How far east did the actual subway extend? Exploring that must have been 
quite an attractive nuisance for the kids living near there.

So, the purpose of the short elevated section of the interurban was to 
allow perpendicular street traffic underneath the ROW? Or were there 
other reasons for elevating it? And how did that stretch compare to 
grade level? I was too young ever to witness it myself, being only eight 
years old or so when the interurban ceased running.

Afterward, when I started attending MU for three semesters starting in 
1961, I would try to find parking space for my car in that area and 
noticed that some piecemeal deconstruction was occurring in the 
neighborhood--probably in anticipation for the first MU interchange.

Gary

-- 

Gary Schnabl
Southwest Detroit, two miles NORTH! of Canada--Windsor, that is...