Train-Watching
Hot spot: Duplainville, Wis.
LOCATION You don’t need a passport to check out Trains’ hometown hot spot, although you’d be forgiven for thinking so. Duplainville diamond, located in the city of Pewaukee just northwest of our Waukesha offices, is the crossing of two international routes: Canadian National’s former Soo Line Waukesha Subdivision and Canadian Pacific’s former Milwaukee Road Watertown Subdivision. For an extra touch of variety, be sure to look for Amtrak on the CP and Wisconsin & Southern on the CN, too.
Twists in history have shaped the railroad scene in southeast Wisconsin. In 1985, the Soo Line, long affiliated with the CP, acquired the much larger Milwaukee Road out of bankruptcy and spun off its own traditional route as the Wisconsin Central Ltd. in 1987. CN acquired the WC in 2001, bringing the traditional Soo route into its orbit. In the meantime, CP exerted additional control over the affiliated Soo and its former Milwaukee Road main line. In the mid1980s, CN affiliate Grand Trunk Western was considered a leading contender to acquire the Milwaukee.
TRAIN-WATCHING: The diamonds lie just east of appropriately named Duplainville Road. Railfans congregate along Marjean Lane, which runs along the CP for a brief stretch west of Duplainville Road. Please be mindful of the businesses here.
CN’s single-track line sees about 25 trains daily, including intermodal, mixed manifest, and unit trains. There is a passing siding at Duplainville, stretching from Green Road north to Lisbon Road. At Weyer Road you can often find cars set out for the Waukeshabased local, which comes up to swap cars with road trains. South of the diamond is Waukesha siding, starting just south of Interstate 94 and running south into its namesake city. In the summer, watch for unit stone trains that operate from two quarries north of Duplainville to a transload at Grayslake, Ill. They run with former ore hoppers and a single six-axle unit that will appear long hood forward in one direction. The southbound loaded trains run in the late evening, but the northbounds can appear any time in the morning or afternoon.
Wisconsin & Southern operates a pair of trains over CN trackage rights through Duplainville. They run six days a week, except Sundays. Southbound T004 operates from Horicon to Janesville, usually in the early morning, although mid- or late-morning
appearances on Saturdays are common. It turns west in Waukesha onto home rails. Northbound counterpart T003 runs in the late evening and can sometimes be seen in daylight in late June. It runs north to Slinger, where it returns to home rails for the trip northwest to Horicon.
CP’s route is double track from Pewaukee, 2 miles west of Duplainville, east through Milwaukee and south into Chicago. It sees about 15 trains daily. A pair of intermodal trains, 198 and 199, are highlights, along with mixed manifests and unit trains.
Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes each afternoon on the CP, usually around 2 p.m. eastbound and just after 4 p.m. westbound.
Both Canadian roads and Amtrak have their own heritage motive power, which is easily tracked online. However, visitors will want to pay particular attention to the CN, which has been known to send BC Rail; Bessemer & Lake Erie; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; Grand Trunk Western; and Illinois Central units through in recent times. GTW and IC Geeps often appear on the Waukesha-based local.
Earlier generations of railfans were known to photograph trains off the Highway F and State Route 190 overpasses. However, such angles are no longer advisable due to increased traffic on those roads.
Thankfully, visitors today can still appreciate the Milwaukee Road-era searchlight signals that protect the CP’s route. They are easily viewed and photographed from Marjean Lane and Springdale Road.
Fun fact: The diamonds are located at milepost 102 on both routes, as measured from their historic Chicago passenger terminals — the Milwaukee from Union Station and the Soo from Grand Central!
RADIO FREQUENCIES: CN road, 161.295; CP road, 161.370.
FOR THE FAMILY: Be sure to stop in at The Station Pub & Grill, located on Duplainville Road right along the CP main for a burger and brew. You may even spot one of the Trains staffers there.
Just west of Duplainville, in the village of Pewaukee, check out Lakefront Park with a sandy beach and fishing pier. As a bonus, you’ll also be able to see Amtrak and CP trains there.
Waukesha County operates nine wonderful parks nearby, but be aware that entrance fees apply at those facilities.
You can ride a former Chicago & North Western line west of Waukesha 52 miles to Cottage Grove on the Glacial Drumlin State Trail. A state park pass is required. To the north, in Sussex, check out the Bugline Trail built on a former Milwaukee Road branch line. A bridge north of town goes over the CN main line, the perfect place for a break on your bike ride. —