This painting of Everett street station in downtown Milwaukee gives one a feel of railroading in this part of the midwest in the 40s. Here, 4-4-2 A class locomotive #2 leads the famed Twin-Cities Hiawatha train out of the station with two 4-6-4 baltic locomotives in the background. HISTORY OF THE RAILROAD The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific railroad, better known as the Milwaukee Road, is a well known railroad to many railfans in the United States. And like many other rail companies in the 1800s, the Milwaukee Road grew out of humble beginnings. Starting out as the Milwaukee and Waukesha railroad in 1847, then in 1861, the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien company purschased the line. And after a series of company acquisitions, mergers, and name changes, the railroad emerged as the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul railroad in 1874. around the 1880s and 1890s, the railroad was looking to extend its system to the Pacific Northwest to keep up competition with other rival company's. This monumental plan was approved in 1905, and the 60 million dollar (equivalent to almost 2 billion in today's money) project would be completed in 1909. In the 1920s, the railroad was still going strong. Utilizing electric power in the Northwestern part of the system, and steam power for the rest. However, in 1929, the railroad began to suffer with the coming of the great depression, the Milwaukee Road was in huge financial straits and went into bankruptcy for quite a few years. This was also the time period when the famous "Hiawatha" train was born. This new streamlined train began in 1935 and connected Chicago and the Twin Cities using striking 4-4-2 Atlantic locomotives. By the late 1940s, five Hiawatha passenger routes were present on the Milwaukee's system. The railroad managed through World War II and did what they could to update their extensive passenger routes, locomotives, and rolling stock fleet. In the 1950s, the Milwaukee Road, like most other railraods, switched to diesel power. In the 1960s, the Milwaukee Road was again in another crisis. Travel by car and airplane was becoming far more popular than rail travel. While almost all U.S railroads were hit by this, the Milwaukee Road was hit harder than most. The midwest was becoming increasingly congested with highways. The Milwaukee Road continued to cancel a lot of their primeire passenger trains until Amtrak took over all passenger operations in 1971. In 1977, the Milwaukee Road filed for bankruptcy yet again. The railroad continued to suffer until 1985, when the railroad was put up for sale. The Soo Line ended up buying the line one year later. Today, the Milwaukee Road's legacy still lives on. Amtrak still runs the Hiawatha service from Chicago to Milwaukee. the old passenger and freight depot of the Milwaukee Road in Minneapolis, MN still exists and has been put on the National Register of Historic Places. And a railfan favorite, Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261 (owned by the Friends of the 261) runs occasional excursion trains on the BNSF Railway. Milwaukee Road S3 Northern #268 is seen chuffing out of Chicago's Union Station pulling a passenger train. ABOUT THE ILROAD & OPERATIONS This proposed section of the famed Twin-Cities Hiawatha route from Chicago to Milwaukee is about 90-95 miles in length. The line hugging the western shore's of Lake Michigan. The line would begin in Chicago at Union Station. This is where a lot of the Milwaukee Road's passenger trains originated or ended. It is also where the current Amtrak Hiawatha begins or ends. A few miles outside of Union Station, you will pass through the Milwaukee Road's West Avenue Yard. This is primarily a passenger train yard for storing passenger cars and servicing locomotives. This massive yard is also where both of the railroad's commuter line's (Now owed by Metra (Milwaukee West & North Lines)) intersect for the run into downtown Chicago. This line would mostly follow the now Milwaukee North commuter line owned by Metra. For about 50 miles, This line will mostly follow the now Milwaukee North commuter line owned by Metra. Ending at Fox Lake, the North Line has a total of 23 commuter stations (including Union Station). Among the stations, Glenview station is a stop on the Twin Cities Hiawatha route. Still hugging western Lake Michigan. The train will run through a few neighborhoods and stations until finally ending up in Milwaukee. Milwaukee is filled with life. Passenger services end at the beautiful everett street station which has unfortunately been replaced. Nearby the station, a few local, dockside industires are present near the Milwaukee river. But there are much larger yards to navigate through. One of those includdes the huge West Milwaukee Shops. This is where the Milwaukee Road built and rebuilt a lot of their equipment. As most of the geography of the route suggests, there is a lot to do. Such as freight and swtiching operations, commuter trains, and of course, the famous Twin-Cities Hiawatha service. The Hiawatha is allowed to race through the line at 100mph in some areas. In this ariel photo, the Milwaukee Road's Western Avenue Yard can be seen. This yard is huge and can make for some interesting switching operations. PROPOSED LOCOMOTIVES The Milwaukee Road's locomotive roster in the 1940s was primarily steam. Which is what this route should mainly focus on. However, there are a few exceptions for first-generation diesels. So here are the proposed locomotives for this route... Milwaukee Road A Class 4-4-2 When the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha train was in development, the company was trying to come up with a good locomotive to pull it. Eventually, they decided to use a locomotive wheelbase that hadn't been produced in many years. This design, in question, was the 4-4-2. These locomotives were unique from other steam locomotives of the 1930s. They were built to burn oil, they used a Leslie A-125 horn instead of a steam whistle, and they were one of the first locomotives ever designed to go 100 mph on a daily basis. The first locomotive, number 1, emerged from the American Locomotive Company in May of 1935. And locomotive #2 followed a little while later. By 1938, the Milwaukee Road owned four A Class steam locomotives, as well as four Hiawatha passenger car sets. The A's were eventually retired, with number 1 and number 2 being retired and scrapped in September of 1951, and by the end of 1951, all of the A Class steam locomotives had been retired and cut up. Milwaukee Road S3 4-8-4 Northern Beginning in 1943, the American Locomotive Company began constructing nine new 4-8-4 locomotives of the "S3" class for the Milwaukee Road. With 74 inch drivers and a top speed of 100 mph, the S3s were fantastic dual-purpose machines and hauled all sorts of trains throughout the Milwaukee Road's system. However, about ten years later, the railroad's steam locomotives succumbed to dieselization. And the majority of S3s were retired and scrapped. However, two of these 4-8-4s still surivive and carry on the history of the Milwaukee Road and the S3 class. Locomotive 261 is one of the survivors. After being retired in 1954, she was sent to the National Railway Museum in Green Bay, WI for display. After a number of years, in 1991, the newly formed "North Star Rail" company chose locomotive 261 for restoration to operation. Ever since, the 261 has been one of the most popular mainline steam locomotives of the 21st century. Occasionally pulling excursion trains on the BNSF railway. S3 #265 is the other survivor. After years in storage, the engine was sent to Milwaukee to be put on display. Then in 1975, the Illinois Railway Museum purchased the engine and since then, the 265 remains a display piece. Milwaukee Road 4-6-4 F6 "Baltic" Locomotive Another one of the railroad's passenger locomotives is the F6 "Baltic". The first of orders of these 4-6-4s came from the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930. Then, one year later, the F6a followed. With massive 80 inch drivers, the F6s were capable of almost any passenger service. In 1938, the entire F6 fleet was renumbered from 6400-6421, to 125-146. These engines continued passenger service until 1954, when all were retired and cut up. Milwaukee Road EMD SW1 Switcher The SW1 is one of the First Generation Diesel Switchers built by EMD. Introduced in 1938, the SW1 featured a V6 2-Stroke Diesel engine and was capable of putting out 600 horsepower. The Milwaukee Road owned 25 of them. Today, the Indiana Transportation Museum is the proud owner of locomotive #867, which is one of the only surviving Milwaukee Road SW1 locomotives. Though only a display, the engine has been beautifully restored in her original paint scheme. PROPOSED ROLLING STOCK (PASSENGER) In the 1940s, a lot of railraods were still using Heavyweight Passenger cars for their passenger trains. The Milwaukee Road was no exception. From commuter trains to long-disance trains, these cars were very common on the Milwaukee Road. So it would be very fitting to put a Heavyweight car consist into this route. These cars would include baggage, parlor, coach, diners, and observation cars. The Hiawatha was a different story, these trains used specialized, all welded passenger cars. Including a dining car, coach car, parlor car, and the famous "Beaver Tail" observation car. PROPOSED ROLLING STOCK (FREIGHT) 40ft freight equipment was very common back in the 40s. So a lot of the equipment proposed is going to be 40ft. Including Boxcarsm Gondolas, Flat Cars, and others. Tank Cars were also common to see back then, though they were also a lot smaller than modern-day tank cars. Some of the Milwaukee Road's freight equipment was unique cosmetically. The railraod owned what were known as Rib-Side boxcars and caboose's. Though normal 40ft Boxcars are welcome too. One of the Milwaukee's 4-4-2 A Class locomotives leads the Hiawatha through Rondout, IL. Rondout is a popular railfanning spot in the Chicago area. FINAL CONCLUSION A steam era related route or DLC is something that the community has been asking for for a long time. And this route definetely will accomplish that. Racing down the mainline at 100mph, the Hiawatha route takes you back to simpler times of speed and power. A route that follows one of the most famous passenger trains in US railroading. Besides the express trains, this route has a lot of other operations to keep you busy. Whether its dockside switching or running a daily commuter service out of the windy city, the variety this route offers is astounding. And because of the route's location, it can be extended in many different ways to continute the story of the once mighty Milwaukee Road. Which is why the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha Route would be a great fit for Train Sim World.
An alternative version of this route could be set in the Milwaukee Road diesel era with an FM Erie-Built set, an FP45, an SDL39, and a GP38. Also, I'd prefer the F7-Class Baltics with streamlining over the F6s.
Excellent idea and for the Milwaukee Road, the licence for it is held by the Canadian Pacific RR. Therefore any Milwaukee Road route can impact CP RR route like Kicking Horse Pass if made for TSW 2. Except for the 3kv DC Little Joe routes.
yes, if they can. And no I don't like the 2010 idea. It would be another copy paste style of route with no good mix of traffic, and the freight trains would be the same ones that came before.
The 2010 Hiawatha would be kind of pointless. That particular part might become a copy paste and no body likes copy pastes.
I thinking about a proposal for a Twin Cities to Chicago with 3 railroad's flagship trains like the Chicago and Northwestern's 400 passenger train and the Burlington Route's Twin Cities Zephyrs with their shovelnose diesels and newer diesels and of course the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha.
