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East Troy, Wisconsin:
The East Troy Electric Railroad

Description

Although it is mainly a museum and excursion operation, the East Troy Electric Railroad is also one of only two common-carrier railroads in the United States that still haul freight using the low-voltage DC electric interurban railway technology of the early 20th century. (The other one is the Iowa Traction Railroad in Mason City, Iowa.) It thereby qualifies as one of the last electric interurban railways in the U.S.

The village of East Troy is about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee. From 1907 to 1939 it was the terminus of one of the interurban electric railroad lines of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co. (TMER&L). When TMER&L abandoned this line beyond Hales Corners in 1939, the village bought the 6.4-mile section between East Troy and Mukwonago, in order to preserve freight service for local businesses. The village continued freight-only operation, using electric locomotives to haul freight cars between East Troy and a junction with the Soo Line Railroad at Mukwonago.

Beginning in the early 1970s, the Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society operated a museum service on the line, but they were forced to close in 1983. In 1985, the Wisconsin Trolley Museum started a new museum operation, under the name East Troy Electric Railroad, and took over operation of the freight service from the village of East Troy. In 1995, the museum bought the line from the village. It still operates freight service on demand, but there haven't been many freight movements in recent years.

Other Sites

Pictures

These pictures were taken on two brief visits a few days apart in August 2003.

[picture] The East Troy depot was formerly a TMER&L power substation, which explains its rather beefy industrial appearance. In front of it is car #1583, built in 1915 by Twin Cities Rapid Transit of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

[picture] Another view of the depot from the other side of Church Street. Note the ice cream parlor conveniently located across the tracks.

[picture] Turning 180 degrees from the preceding picture, we look across Division Street towards the carbarn.

[picture] Despite the signboard, car #21 is not from Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was actually built in the 1980s as a reproduction of an 1890's open-bench car, using parts from various cars.

[picture] Also in front of the carbarn is one of the line's electric freight locomotives, #L-9. It was built by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transport Co. (successor to TMER&L) in 1944, and spent much of its life switching coal cars at a Wisconsin power plant.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] Car #1583 approaches and passes the St. Peter's Road crossing, in views that show the authentic rural character of the line.

[picture] Car #1583 waits at the end of the line, the Elegant Farmer station, before beginning its return trip, as we look back down the track towards East Troy.

[picture] Here is another view of #1583 at Elegant Farmer, with the Phantom Woods carbarn visible in the background.

[picture] Ex-Philadelphia PCC car #2185 , parked in front of the Phantom Woods carbarn, informs passers-by that the line is open for business today. This car ran in regular service in Philadelphia from 1948 until 1992.

[picture] Car #846 was built for in 1920 for Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light, and ran in Milwaukee until streetcar service was abandoned there in 1958.

[picture] Interior of car #846.

[picture] Looking towards the front of car #846, we see the motorman at work, as the car rolls past cornfields in the rain.

[picture] A close-up view of the controls on car #846.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] The "Trent Spur" (named after one of the businesses that it serves) runs alongside Young Drive in the East Troy Industrial Park. It was built around 1970, and was originally worked with diesel locomotives. It was electrified during 1995-96.

This page was last updated on 19 December 2004, and reviewed on 24 January 2008.

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