Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Predecessor | Wisconsin Western Railroad, Central Wisconsin Railroad |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Merged into Wisconsin and Southern Railroad |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Southern Wisconsin, Northern Illinois |
Key people | William Gardner (owner from 1993) |
| Products | Rail transport services |
| Parent | Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (from 1993) |
The Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad was classified as a Class III shortline railroad that served regions in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois from 1985 until 1997.
History
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, financial difficulties compelled the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) to discontinue several critical routes in southern Wisconsin, including those connecting Prairie du Chien to Madison, Madison to Janesville, and Janesville to Fox Lake, Illinois. At the same time, the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad ceased operations on its Madison to Freeport, Illinois line. To maintain rail service in these areas, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation created the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC) in 1980. Initially, two shortline companies—the Wisconsin Western Railroad (WIWR) and Central Wisconsin Railroad (CWRC)—managed segments between Prairie du Chien and Madison as well as Madison to Freeport.
Following the bankruptcy filings of WIWR and CWRC in December 1984, WRRTC sought a replacement operator. The Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad (WICT) was established on January 1, 1985. Over time, WICT took over operations of all these routes plus additional lines running from Janesville to Waukesha and Janesville to Monroe. In 1989, WICT inaugurated service along the Janesville to Fox Lake "J-Line." Soon after, it restored operations on the Janesville–Madison corridor, reconnecting communities such as Milton, Edgerton, Stoughton, and McFarland.
In August 1993, William Gardner of Northern Rail Car Corporation acquired Wisconsin and Calumet. Gardner had previously purchased the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad in 1988. Following this transaction, WICT functioned as a subsidiary under Wisconsin and Southern until its full integration into WSOR in 1997.
Timeline
- 1985: Formation of the Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad.
- 1989: Commences operation on lines from Janesville to Fox Lake and Janesville to Madison, reestablishing a rail link between Chicago and the Mississippi River through southern Wisconsin.
- 1992: Purchased by Wisconsin and Southern Railroad.
- 1993: The Illinois Central segment from Madison to Freeport was embargoed due to safety concerns; this line was eventually dismantled in 1999 for conversion into a bike trail.
- 1997: Merged into Wisconsin and Southern Railroad; ceased independent employment status according to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.
The route today
Currently, most of the former Wisconsin and Calumet trackage remains operational under the management of Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, with the exception of the Madison-Freeport corridor removed in 1999. This former rail line has since been repurposed for recreational use as part of the Badger State Trail (stretching from Monroe to Fitchburg) and the Southwest Commuter Path (connecting Fitchburg to downtown Madison).
Equipment and preservation
The locomotive fleet of WICT primarily consisted of early-model GM-EMD diesel-electric units such as GP7s, GP9s, and F7s—many originally sourced from Milwaukee Road. A number of F-unit locomotives were privately owned by Glen Monhart. A distinctive feature of WICT was its practice of naming locomotives after counties served by its network—for example, Dane County and Rock County.
WICT FP7 #96A was repainted as WSOR #71A and continues service on the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad (#600), operating in Michigan and northern Wisconsin. Several other former WICT F-units are currently stored in Wells Township, Michigan. Additionally, caboose #529 (formerly Santa Fe) is preserved at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum located in North Freedom, Wisconsin.
See also
External links
- Railroad Operations Status Report for Dane County, 1995, including information on WICT
- US Railroad Retirement Board's employer status ruling for WICT, December 1997
- Overview of the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission's history
- Image collection featuring locomotives from WICT's predecessors WIWR and CWRC in Madison during the 1980s
- News segment from Madison's WMTV Channel 15 covering WICT's inaugural run on the Janesville–Fox Lake route, 1989
- 1998 letter from WisDOT regarding the dismantling of the Madison–Freeport rail line