Hi Arlyn,
The short answer to your question is August 23, 1886. However, here is the
long answer...
My information comes from the "Corporate History of the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy Railroad," published in 1921, written in by W. W. Baldwin, Vice
President of the railroad.
This line, beginning at the south border of Wisconsin, was incorporated as
the Chicago, Burlington and Northern Railroad in Wisconsin on August 26,
1885. By Article 2 the company defined its road as:
"The railroad of this corporation, with all necessary appurtenances and with
telegraph lines in connection there with, is to be constructed, maintained
and operated from a point on the south boundary line of the sate of
Wisconsin, in Grant County, at or near the City of Dunleith, in the state of
Illinois, northerly to a point on the west boundary line of the State of
Wisconsin, in or near the town of Prescott, on the St. Croix River, in
Pierce County, there to connect with a railroad constructed or to be
constructed in the State of Minnesota." (Dunleith is about 2.5 miles
east-northeast of East Dubuque, IL, where the tracks were actually built.)
A day later, on August 27th, a company with the same name was incorporated
in Minnesota to construct a railroad:
"Commencing at a point in Washington County, Minnesota, on the State Line
between the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota, near the town of Prescott, in
Pierce Count, Wisconsin (where it will connect with a railroad organized and
in process of construction in and through the State of Wisconsin), thence in
a northwesterly direction to and into the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota,
via and through the City of St. Paul, Minnesota, upon such convenient route
as the directors may determine."
Two months later, On October 21, 1885, this company was consolidated with
the Chicago, Burlington and Northern Railroad Company of Minnesota becoming
a consolidated corporation of the two states, under the same name. Neither
of the individual companies constructed any railroad, but it was the
consolidated company that actually did the building. On the day that the
consolidated company was created, it also acquired the Winona, Alma and
Northern Railway Company, which had incorporated on August 20, 1883, and had
begun construction of a line from the east bank of the Mississippi across
from Winona, MN to Alma, WI.
On November 16, 1885, the consolidated company leased the Chicago,
Burlington and Northern Railroad Company of Illinois that ran from the south
border of Wisconsin southerly and easterly via Savanna, Illinois to Oregon,
Illinois, and from Savanna southerly to Fulton and a branch line from Galena
Junction to Galena, IL. This company had also obtained trackage rights
between Portage, IL and East Dubuque, IL from the Illinois Central Railroad.
The segment of railroad from La Crosse, WI to Trevino, WI was opened for
business on June 6, 1886. The remainder of the line between St. Paul and
East Dubuque was opened for business on August 23, 1886, just shortly after
the line in Illinois had opened for business on July 22, 1886.
The line from Oregon to St. Paul was operated as the CB&N until May 1, 1899
when the line was leased for 25 years to the CB&Q. It was then operated by
the CB&Q and was deeded completely just a month later on June 1. This line
became the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970; the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Railway on September 22, 1995; and was officially renamed to the
BNSF Railway on January 24, 2005.
This line was the host to many of the CB&Q's famous, named passenger trains
such as the "Flyers" starting on June 2, 1897; the Chicago and Twin Cities
Limiteds of the early 1900s known as the "Finest Trains on Earth;" the
joint CB&Q/GN/NP trains such as the Northwest Limited, the Oriental Limited,
the North Coast Limited, the Empire Builder; in 1927 the Burlington's
elegant heavyweight Black Hawk was inaugurated; but the most famous are the
speedy, stainless steel, Twin Cities Zephyrs. The original three-unit,
articulated diesel-electric powered trainsets, which officially began
service April 21, 1935, set new speed records along this route, covering the
431 miles between Chicago and St. Paul in only 5 yours and 33 minutes - an
average speed of 77.65 miles per hour. Heavy patronage required an upgrade
to six-car articulated sets in 1936 with a 7th car added in 1937. The
ultimate Vista Dome Twin Cities Zephyrs were placed into service on December
19, 1947 and became BN's trains 7, 8, 9 and 10 at the BN merger (albeit with
a much shorter consist). Also lasting into the BN era were the North Coast
Limited and the Empire Builder. With Amtrak's takeover of the US passenger
trains in 1971, the Zephyrs were dropped and the Empire Builder was rerouted
over the Milwaukee's rails between Chicago and Minneapolis.
Hope this helps!
Dave Lotz
BRHS Zephyr Editor
-----Original Message-----
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of barronwgn
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 8:35 AM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] Dates Needed
I am working on a local railroad book and need the date when the line from
LaCrosse to the Twin Cities was completed. I have an agreement dated March
25, 1886 for allowing the Burlington to construct a crossing of the
Milwaukee tracks at Trevino. But a newspaper article indicated the line was
completed in 1885.
Also, anyone know when the first passenger train was run on this line?
Any further information or pictures of Trevino would be appreciated.
Thanks!!
Arlyn Colby
427 Pine Street
Barron, WI
barronwgn@yahoo.com <mailto:barronwgn%40yahoo.com>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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