The depot at LaCrosse was designed by Holabird & Roche. H&R had a long
standing relationship with the Q.... it colaborated with Paul Cret and Budd
on the 9900 Zephyr, did the Chicago Passenger Office, the "Fishbowl"
Coaches, and other commissions. I worked for H&R in the late 60's and found
some good stuff in the files....
The Burlington station was a similar design to LaCrosse, although I wouldn't
classify them as "Prairie School" which was much earlier and related to
Frank Lloyd Wright..... modern International Style with lannon stone and
concrete cantilevered roofs.....underreinforced, as it turns out and a
headache for the railroad...probably had more to do with the demolition than
worrying about Amtrak.
Charlie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Virginia Edgar" <vje68@h...>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 9:58 AM
Subject: [BRHSlist] TCZ stops @ LaCrosse
>
> Yes, the area the 'new line' in 1940 went thru was/is swampy bottomland
> requiring a lot of fill - the City of LaCrosse did not connect directly
> with No. LaCrosse til the causeway was built in the late 50's/early 60's
for
> that very reason. Previously you took either Wis #35 [Copeland] along the
> river or Wis #16 along the bluffs. One advantage of coming around the E
side
> with the new line was a spur running NW into LaCrosse State Teacher's
> College (now U. of Wis @ LaX) to haul coal for power plant - also gave
> access to open land on NE side of campus near stadium where Ringling Bros
> set up in "56 or so - the last yr they were under canvas & using
traditional
> train as opposed to the current set-up. I was born about 8 blks south,
just
> a block from where "Mr. Wizard" (Don Herbert was his Hollywood/G.E.
> spokesman name but was actually Don "K" - a long Polish name) grew up &
was
> a science classmate of my Dad's @ Central High. The spur ROW, abandoned
> when power plant converted, is now home to power poles. The new E side
> depot won a number of architectural prizes when built and partially
appeared
> on a Q calendar & in an A.R. It was a major departure from then standard
RR
> designs anywhere in USA. BN demolished it in a hurry @ onset of Amtrak
to
> diminish the chance that Amtrak would see the error of its ways & return
> Twin City-Chicago traffic from CMStP&P to the faster, better patronized
> Burlington line but the fact that a US Rep. who was a power on the House
> committee governing it the time was from Milw did not allow that.
> Arguably it was the best looking depot on the Q given its stone, "prairie
> school" design influence & a setting along a golf course at the foot of
> Grandad's bluff in "coulee country" (or as the old Heilemans ads said,
> "God's Country"). Also a purely residential, park-like area - no
industry,
> no junk, no freight sidings (just a single track), etc - more like a
> California rapid transit setting. Gerald
>
>
>
>
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