The Northwestern Union Railway was a railroad company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1871 and opened a line between Milwaukee and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1873. It was merged into the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway, a forerunner of the Chicago and North Western Railway, in 1881.
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1871–1881 |
| Successor | Chicago and Milwaukee Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Length | 62.63 miles (100.79 km) |
History
editThe Milwaukee and Northwestern Railway was incorporated on February 25, 1871. The company was renamed the Northwestern Union Railway on May 3, 1872.[1] The company's 62.63-mile (100.79 km) line between Milwaukee and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, opened in 1873.[2] At its southern end, the line connected with the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway's line between Chicago and Milwaukee. At the northern end in Fond du Lac, it connected with the Sheboygan and Fond du Lac Railroad's line between Sheboygan and Princeton, and the Chicago and North Western Railway's line from Chicago to Green Bay via Janesville.[3]
The Northwestern Union Railway was consolidated with the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway on January 11, 1881, forming a new company also called the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway. That company, in turn, was consolidated with the Milwaukee and Madison Railway and the Sheboygan and Western Railway to form the Chicago, Milwaukee and North Western Railway.[4]
Line
editUnder the Chicago and North Western Railway the line between Milwaukee and Fond du Lac was known as the Air Line Subdivision. In railroading, a "air-line" denotes a relatively straight, direct route. During the era of Chicago and North Western passenger service it hosted Upper Peninsula-bound trains such as the Flambeau 400 and Peninsula 400.[5]
Notes
edit- ^ ICC (1928), p. 304.
- ^ Kaysen (1937), p. 8.
- ^ "Railroad map of Wisconsin / prepared for the railroad commissioner". UWM Libraries Digital Collections. 1880. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ ICC (1928), pp. 99–100.
- ^ Scribbins (2008), pp. 129, 152.
References
edit- Interstate Commerce Commission (1928). "Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports". U.S. Government Printing Office.
- Kaysen, James P. (1937). The Railroads of Wisconsin, 1827-1937. Boston: Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. OCLC 5577008.
- Scribbins, Jim (2008) [1982]. The 400 Story. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5449-9.
Further reading
edit- Yanke, James H. (2009). The Chicago & North Western's Air Line Subdivision. Ethel, Missouri: Chicago & North Western Historical Society. ISBN 978-1-932804-03-4.