Milwaukee Road-Rock Island Junctions

Hello,

I was wondering if there is a list of or a good resource that would help me out in finding all of the locations where the Milwaukee Road and Rock Island had a junction, especially one where cars were transferred between the two. If one could throw in the Illinois Central to boot that would be even better. First on my list is Albert Lea, MN.....

thanks

Michael Osweiler
Waseca, MN

There had to have been lots and lots of places.

The first one to come to mind is Blue Island Yard at Chicago. Council Bluffs, IA; Omaha, NE; Davenport, IA; probably Des Moines, IA;
Sioux Falls, SD; South St. Paul, MN; Owatonna, MN; Fairibault, MN; Aberdeen, SD; Minneapolis, MN; Iowa Falls, IA, and many other places.

Milwaukee Road and Rock Island were both corn belt grainger roads. They (and C&NW) generally served the same areas. Same for IC on its east-west lines. Don't forget the other graingers: CGW, CB&Q, M&StL.

Les

I guess I was hoping for actual and factual junctions. Milwaukee Road never went to Iowa Falls. Rock Island never went to Aberdeen. In Owatonna the Rock went over the Milwaukee via a bridge so no interchange there. Hopefully someone has a list somewhere....

Michael

From the Rock Island's 1967 List of Stations book.

Milwaukee Road interchange points: Albert Lea MN, Blue Island IL (via BOCT-IHB), Cambridge IA, Cedar Rapids IA, Chicago IL (via BRC-CRI) Clinton IA, Council Bluffs IA, Davenport IA, De Pue IL, Des Moines IA (via DMU), Donnan IA, East Moline IL, Emmettsburg IA, Faribault MN, Farmington MN, Garner IA, Joliet IL (via EJE-MC), Kansas City MO, Mason City IA, Minneapolis MN, Minnesota Transfer MN (in the Twin Cities), Moline IL, Muscatine IA, Nora Springs IA, Northfield MN, Omaha NE (via UP), Ottumwa IA, Pipestone MN, Polo MO, Postville IA, Rock Island IL, St Paul MN, Sioux Falls SD (via IC-CNW), South Omaha NE (via SOT), and Washington IA.

Note that some places interchange was done through another railroad. Some of those places had more than one option to use to make interchange. A couple of places that come to mind where the RI and MILW crossed at grade but didn't have an interchange were Conesville IA (called Cone on the RI) and Webster IA. There may have been interchanges at those locations at one time, but they were gone by the time the RI 1967 station book was issued.

Jeff

Again, from the 1967 station book.

Illinois Central interchange points: Albert Lea MN, Blue Island IL (via BOCT-IHB), Cedar Falls IA, Cedar Rapids IA, Clearing IL, Council Bluffs IA, Independence IA, Iowa Falls IA, Kensington IL, La Salle IL, Manson IA, Memphis TN, Omaha NE (via UP), Peoria IL, Rock Rapids IA, Ruston LA, St Louis MO (via TRRA), Sioux Falls SD, South Omaha NE (via SOT-UP) Waterloo IA, and Winnfield LA.

Gulf Mobile and Ohio points, which would be ICG after the merger: Blue Island IL (via BOCT-IHB), Clearing IL (via BRC), Joliet IL, Kansas City MO, Memphis TN, Peoria IL, and St Louis MO (via TRRA).

Jeff

I don't know how many are in circulation (I don't recall ever seeing one on a dealer's table at a train show), but the Official Railway Equipment Register was issued either monthly or quarterly for years (paperbound, orange-yellow cover, 8-1/2 x 11, around an inch thick) and contained, in addition to its main purpose which was listing all freight cars owned by each railroad, showed in each railroad's listing all interchange points with other railroads. This showed official interchange points provided in freight tariffs and would be a good source if you can find one, or if somebody has one.

I visit a library occasionally which has Equipment Registers from 1946, 1954, and 1964. I'll be here again sometime next week -- if anybody's still interested, I can check it out.

Here's a map covering the turf they shared. Rock Island is in red, Milwaukee Road in orange, and Illinois Central in green.

The map shows the systems circa 1967 and is exact in its positions and shapes.

I'm curious as to why you're curious about these three railroads intersecting...

Been a while and forgot I had posted my question in this group. I was looking for a place where the Rock, Milwaukee Road, and Illinois Central Gulf would have had interchange for modeling purposes. I want to build a switching layout and have an engine or two for each railroad to do switching as well as interchanging. The map was really helpful and I have nailed it down to Sioux Falls, SD. Now I am on the search to find out how the three interchanged in that city as well as what industries each served. From what I can see it seems the John Morrell plant was served by all of the railroads in Sioux Falls. Not sure what else was served by each one.....

Thanks

Michael