Passenger Trains > The Varsity at speed

Saturday the Iowa Pacific "Varsity", a football special from Chicago to Madison, WI., and back, made a pass by me at WSOR MP 124.5 in the Town of Pleasant Springs. It's crossing Door Creek Rd., we are just southeast of Madison a few miles. In my video, at about 530pm. Track speed through here is 40 (maybe 50 for passenger). In MILW days, it was ABS and good for 60 though since WSOR put ribbon rail in a couple years back the track is in even better shape than in the days of the Milwaukee's version of "the Varsity"

Sadly, the engineer, a friend of mine, reported that just ahead a mile or two the train struck and killed someone's dog as it couldn't escape from a small trestle they were (apparently) on. He felt bad as the family was there to watch their dog get killed, nothing anyone could do. The weather Satursay was about as perfect as can be, sunny, no wind to speak of. The train would have been heard whistling for three crossings as it approached. The spot is known for congregating fishermen, as the Yahara River exits Lake Kegonsa. Sad postscript to an otherwise (operationally) flawless excursion.

Chico

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Great video, great sound, great train.....

Back in the early 1940's I loaded mail on the Varsity at the Madison Station of the Milwaukee Road. If I remember there was a small loading platform for football crowds just north of Camp Randall Stadium on the west side of Madison. I wonder if they used it or the West Washington St. station for this chore last Saturday?

Bob Korach, UW 1947!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/14 16:44 by stone23.

It's still there Bob, in fact, the platforms were renewed a few years back when WSOR ran trips from Middleton into Camp Randall. Not sure if it is used in this application though, the train doesn't leave right after gametime. I saw it parked earlier just west of the MILW station, behind the Kohl Center.

We stopped west of University due to the length of the train. We would have blocked several streets while unloading, and there was a fine place to unload just west of the first pedestrian crossing west of University (or Campus Drive).

stone23 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Back in the early 1940's I loaded mail on the
> Varsity at the Madison Station of the Milwaukee
> Road. If I remember there was a small loading
> platform for football crowds just north of Camp
> Randall Stadium on the west side of Madison. I
> wonder if they used it or the West Washington St.
> station for this chore last Saturday?
>
> Bob Korach, UW 1947!!

---

Great video, thanks.

Sad about the dog. They probably blame the train (and bang their head on a block wall to get even).

Fantastic!

That horn gives me a smile every time I hear it and ones like it.
old cast Nathan P5r24.

Great video with full A Major 7th surround sound.

Gary

That's a great video of a beautiful looking train. I only wish we had more of these trains all over the country. Wow, what a difference this would make. Thanks for sharing your video with all of us.

Most delightful ! Thanks for sharing.