[milwaukee-electric] Re: National City Lines.

[Y Marti]

I have a sketch which shows this plan:

http://oldmilwaukee.net/forum/blog.php/?p=246

The City Engineer at that time would have been Joseph P. Schwada.

Yance M.

Quoting "Don L. Leistikow" <DLeistikow at webtv.net>:

> Ken and list:   The NSL was thrifty about spending and did have a
> bankroll from WW 2 income.  Although they did give up the Shore Line
> Rorte, the C&NW was running their own suburban service so duplication
> was not practical.
> Henry Bykirk and I had many conversations out at East Troy as he was a
> regular, dependable motorman every Saturday in season.
>
> In Milwaukee, the City Engineer (name?)  was the planner who, wanted  to
> put the NSL in the median of the new freeway from the southside into
> downtown.  When he retired, he gave me his files on this subject.
>
> Anyway, passenger traffic was waning and the multiple car trains on the
> north end, dwindled to only one car, partly filled, other than the
> rush-hour.  The Susquahanna investment group, bought into the NSL and,
> gaining control, drained the bankroll, investing in other ventures or
> simply distributing the excess among its stockholders.
>
>
> Evidence of intent to continue operations by the NSL, is found in the
> Highwood Shops as the 715 was the last car to get a GOH late in 1962.
> The NSL  had a surplus of rolling stock to draw from so, intention of
> total abandonment, was not evident.
>
> None the less, the squeese was on as the Milwaukee Division revenues
> dipped and patronage dropped.  We must remember that the NSL was still
> operating effiecntly in northern Illinois... deopping and adding a car
> at Edison Court.  So, in all likelyhood, operations in Illinois were
> still profitable and should never have been abandoned.
>
> The CTA picked up the slack and began operations from Howard to
> Dempster.  Actually, it was necessary as their Shops were up there but,
> they could have continued fruther north to Edison Court and Mundelein.
>
> The hang-up on the Milwaukee Northern, was its street running from the
> Fiebrantz Car Station to downtown. Not to mention that patronage was
> waning, anyway.  The longrange plans were to put the service onto the
> MILW line that came downtown known as the Beer Line.  That would have
> brought the service into 3rd street, at Juneau.
>
> Today, yes... but now on the former C&NW prow from the lakefront, north,
> connecting with the Lakeshore line in Glendale, or..... attaining the
> original MN line by connecting with the MILW, also in Glendale... two
> possibilities.
>
> Don
>
>