[CBQ] Re: Re: La Crosse WI

["William Barber clipperw@gmail.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>]

Micheal,

Illini RR Club ran at least two excursions to LaCrosse during the fan trip era. 
On occurred on July 18, 1959 and the second on May 1, 1960. Both were pulled by 
O5B no. 5632. On at least one of those trips, On at least one of those trips, 
the excursion train and locomotive operated into the downtown area on the old 
line. I have photos of the stopped in the street. LaCrosse trips were also 
operated out of the Twin Cities by the Minnesota Railfans Association; one on 
October 4, 1959 and the other on September 2, 1962. One report indicates that 
the second trip went all the way south to Dubuque, but I can't confirm that. 
Whether either of the Twin Cities trips used the old line through LaCrosse, I 
don't know. Suffice to say that the old line was fully operable at least to 
1960. 

Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO

On May 31, 2014, at 3:07 AM, CBQ@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> Re: La Crosse WI
> Fri May 30, 2014 6:08 am (PDT) . Posted by:baton580
> Michael, 
> 
> 
> I can't give you the exact dates from memory, but the downtown line was the 
> original Q line through Lacrosse. Sometime in the late 1930s or 1940s, the 
> new east side bypass line was constructed which included a new passenger 
> station. After that point, through freights and passenger trains then used 
> the new bypass with only local switch jobs going downtown to serve the 
> industries including G. Heileman brewing and others. This timing is very 
> approximate as I have seen pictures of the Twin Zephyr on the old line taken 
> in 1939. The old downtown line is still there in some parts, coming in from 
> the south to at least as far as the brewery complex. I can not speak of any 
> remnants on the north end. 
> 
> 
> Hopefully others will have more exact dates. 
> 
> 
> Bob Plaehn