Waukesha Beach Railway
| Waukesha Beach Railway | |||||||||||||||||
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_Waukesha_Beach_Railway_-_Waukesha_Terminus.jpg) Waukesha terminus
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_Waukesha_Beach_Railway_-_Walker_generator_and_switch_board.jpg) Walker generator and switch board of Waukesha Beach Railway
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| Route length: | 9.7 km | ||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Power system : | 600 V = | ||||||||||||||||
| Maximum slope : | 32 ‰ | ||||||||||||||||
| Top speed: | 40 mph; 64 km / h | ||||||||||||||||
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The Waukesha Beach Railway operated an overland tram from Waukesha to Lake Pewaukee in Wisconsin from 1895 .
Railway line
The Waukesha Beach Railway was built by CE Loss & Company of Chicago . It was officially opened on June 25, 1895.
Located 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of Milwaukee, Waukesha became one of the most famous resorts for the wealthy Chicago and Milwaukee people in the late 19th century for its mineral springs. Aside from its spring water and the beauties of the city, Waukesha originally had no attractions to make it popular as a vacation spot.
The new railroad was 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) long and ran near Lake Pewaukee, a beautiful expanse of water about 10 kilometers long and 800 meters wide. The railway line was only intended for summer pleasure trips to the lake and should not be operated in winter. The route led from the terminus at the North-Western Railroad Depot in Waukesha to the beach of the lake. The rail company made extensive improvements to the beach they owned and it became a beautiful place. Facilities included the Ball Gardens ballroom, hotel, 3 roller coasters, amusement pavilion, and many other rides. Well-known entertainers such as Ted Mack, The Andrews Sisters as well as Heine and His Grenadiers were represented in the park. A baseball field was added in 1897 and was played by a Milwaukee team led by the legendary Connie Mack .
The railway bought the rights of way and fenced the route. The superstructure was very similar to that of a good steam train, except that the inclines were steeper and some of the curves sharper than was usual outside of mountains. The rails were rolled by the Illinois Steel Company with a standardized T-profile with a weight of 30 kg / m. Large quantities of track ballast were extracted along the route so that the contractors could lay out a very stable track bed over which trains could run as smoothly as on the best steam trains. The travel time between terminus to terminus was around 15 minutes. According to the timetable, there was a return journey every 40 minutes, including getting on and off at the terminus stations. A trip took at least 12 minutes. Usually there were no intermediate stops between the terminal stations.
The route was profiled by the engineer William Powrie. From Waukesha there was an incline of 140 feet for the first three miles and a decline of about 90 feet for the last three miles. The steepest section had an incline of 3.2 percent. The deepest cut and the highest embankment were 2.13 m (7 feet) deep and high, respectively. Outside the Waukesha city limits, there were no turns greater than 6 degrees, and the streetcars drove through these at up to 40 mph (40 mph) when they weren't too heavily loaded or when they were going downhill. When crossing the Fox River in Waukesha, a 15 m long plate girder bridge was built. At the level junction with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , interconnected wing signals and advance signals were used so that trains did not stop on either route unless the signals forced them to.
Rail vehicles
Two trains were in operation. The rail vehicles initially consisted of three electric railcars and four trailer cars. All were open except for one railcar, which was closed. They were each 37 feet (11 m) long over buffers, and the open cars had twelve seats each. The car bodies were built by Pullman and mounted on Brill bogies. The engine equipment consisted of two 50 horsepower Walker engines for each railcar. Walker paid special attention to engines of this class for overland traffic, and the results in this case, according to initial press reports, were very satisfactory.
The originally twin-engine railcars were replaced by type 100 railcars, each with four engines, in 1903. Year-round operation began on December 11, 1899 as far as West Limits.
power plant
The power station contained a 250 hp Allis Corliss steam engine and a 150 kilowatt Walker generator and control panel apparatus. The overhead line was divided into three sections, each of which was fed separately.
management
Alfred M. Jones, known by his nickname "Long Jones", was the first president. The line was initially operated under the direction of CL Jones, who had previously worked for the Milwaukee Street Railway. The railroad was purchased by the Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company in August 1897 for $ 62,500.
Decline and closure
In the late 1930s, financial problems and increased car traffic resulted in passenger traffic to the amusement park ceased for good on July 21, 1941. On July 2, 1951, operations were completely stopped. After the Second World War, Waukesha Beach lost its popularity. The park was closed in 1949. Then a housing estate called Beach Park was built on the 20 hectares that had been used for the amusement park .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Waukesha Beach Railway. In: The Street Railway Review (Vol. 5, 1895), p. 396.
- ^ A b Wisconsin Historical Markers: Waukesha Beach Amusement Park.
- ↑ Don Ross: The Milwaukee Electric Ry. & Light Co.
- ^ A b History of "The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company."
Coordinates: 43 ° 3 ′ 28.3 " N , 88 ° 18 ′ 33.9" W.