Trolleys and Trains

[Robert E. Rathke]

Thanks, Ken.  Let me know if you find any photos of the West View Park
train.

I just re-read the Riverside & Great Northern brochure.  It says the R&GN
was built on the former right of way of the Milwaukee Road line that was
built in the 1850's, but was taken out of service in 1902 when the
Milwaukee Road built the low grade line.  This "new" low grade line is
the current Soo Line (Amtrak) that is west and parallel to the R&GN line.

This heritage gets confusing.  I live near the Wisconsin Central (Metra
passenger) line in northern Illinois, and still have to think twice
before describing its ownership.  Way back, this was the Wisconsin
Central, but later became the Soo Line; more recently it became the
Wisconsin Central again when the Soo Line acquired the Milwaukee Road
line, and the WC took over the Soo Line.  Sort of like musical chairs.  A
map helps.

Bob 9/16




On Wed, 15 Sep 1999 06:59:02 +0000 Kenneth and Tracie Josephson
<kjosephson at sprintmail.com> writes:
>Robert E. Rathke wrote:
>
>> >> A few days ago I answered  offline some questions about trolleys 
>and
>> >> miniature railroads, and though they might be of interest to 
>readers
>> >of
>> >> this e-mail list:
>> >>
>> >> I rode the miniature railroads at Kennywood and West View Parks 
>many
>> >> times.  Both parks had gasoline engine powered trains, although
>> >> Kennywood's locomotives were designed to look like bullet-nose 
>steam
>> >> locomotives.  My uncle Ray Rathke lived in West View, and after
>> >> retirement from the B&O, he was engineer on the miniature train 
>at
>> >West
>> >> View Park, probably right up to the time the park closed.  The 
>West
>> >View
>> >> Park train station was near the Dips loading station, and the 
>train
>> >> tracks paralleled the roller coaster line, weaving in and out of 
>the
>> >Dips
>> >> wooden structure on the way out to the end of the roller coaster
>> >line at
>> >> the fence along Rt. 19.   I spent many days and nights 
>photographing
>> >the
>> >> 10-West View line in 1963-65, including time at the West View 
>Park
>> >stops
>> >> trying to get the roller coaster and other park buildings in the
>> >photos.
>
>I may have some Roberta Hill photos of the West View miniture train. I
>will check.
>
>> >> Last week I visited the Riverside & Great Northern RR at 
>Wisconsin
>> >Dells,
>> >> Wisconsin.  What's interesting about this 15" gauge railroad is 
>that
>> >it
>> >> was originally a manufacturing plant for the trains, and its
>> >1-1/4-mile
>> >> line was built as a demonstration railroad for prospective 
>amusement
>> >> park/zoo customers. It's built on the former Milwaukee Road right 
>of
>> >way,
>> >> and is parallel to the current Soo Line (Amtrak) route to the 
>Twin
>> >> Cities. 
>
>A minor correction. The current Soo Line right of way *is* the old
>Milwaukee Road right of way. The 15" railroad was in operation when 
>the
>Milwaukee Road still owned the Milwaukee- Twin Cities line. No former
>Milwaukee right of way was abandoned. The Soo Line simple took over 
>the
>Milwaukee Road line and spun off the old Soo Line line to the 
>Wisconsin
>Central.
>
>
>They also built the miniture railroad at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
>
>Ken J.

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