Wisconsin and Southern - Rockford ? - Trains Magazine

A bit off topic, but to add a little to Randy's comments on the Racine and Southwestern, later Milwaukee Road, it is the still active segment from Elkhorn to Bardwell, WI that runs through our town of Delavan.

My 1923 valuation maps show the line crossing the Chicago-Milwaukee main at "Corliss" which we now know as Sturdevant, WI. (Got interrupted here). The wyes are still in place. The WI DOT map shows CP rail still operating from Sturdevant to Union Grove and out of service from that point to Burlington. I think that the rails are still in place as far as Burlington. The rails were still in place between Burlington and Elkhorn as late as about ten years ago. At least part of the ROW east of Elkhorn is now trail.

WSOR operates track between Elkhorn and Bardwell Jct (near Darien) connecting there to the WSOR Janesville-Fox Lake WSOR line which goes on to Chicago via trackage rights.

The Line between Bardwell and Clinton is abandoned and now a trail. The segment one to two miles west of Bardwell is right next to I-43 and has a pretty good westbound grade. I would guess at least 2%.

The line from Clinton to Beloit is now C&NW (UP), probably picked up to get C&NW access to Joliet. Probably not much going on there anymore, but on rare occasions I have seen trains of about 25 grain cars on the line.

At Beloit, the line connected with the Davis Jct to Janesville line. (That is the line that is the original subject of this post.) After the MILW-SOO merger the SOO retained that segment which was later wound up in the hands of ICE. As indicated the segment sold to WSOR would be on the North end in Janesville, rather than in Rockford. As far as I know the ICE retains ownership between Davis Jct and just south of Janesville. Recently, I saw ICE power with a few cars ready to head south from Janesville. The crew had parked next to a convenience store to get "breakfast" (donuts, they must be expolicemen) and told me that they come up Monday, Wednesday and Friday and return the following mornings.

I digress. I don't know for sure, but the Milwaukee may have had trains continue on from Beloit, using the Janesville-Davis Jct line between Beloit and Rockton, IL. At Rockton there was a line branching off running through Freeport to Kettredge, IL which was (is?) a station on the old Milwaukee's Chicago-Omaha Line somewhat East of Savanna, IL.

This is speculation on my part, but it seems possible the traffic from Racine, and Sturdevant and north going west beyond Savanah may have been routed along that line, rather than though Chicago. That would be consistant with the way I have seen the MILW operate in other areas, where a "through" train would haul some pretty good drags, making good sized set outs and pick ups at major points for further handling by switrch jobs or patrols (way freights). In my minds eye, I see steam or early diesel really leaning into it to pull tonnage up over the ridge out of Bardswell.

Jay