C&NW commuter service Lake Geneva/Williams Bay

[MP173]

Spent a long weekend in Williams Bay, Wi. at the western edge of Geneva Lake.  At a restaurant there was a framed invitation of a person inviting friends to take a private car from Chicago to Lake Geneva on a certain date for an all day party of golf and a cookout.  It stressed it would be a private car and one could return in the evening.

I checked a few of my Official Guides.  In the 1964 OG there were 3 scheduled EBs and 4 WB out of Chicago between Williams Bay and Chicago.  

My 1968 OG did not show service and the map showed ending at Lake Geneva.

Anyone know when this service ended and when the tracks were pulled?  It appears the remnants of the line are still in place as bike trails in certain locations.

 

Ed

[MP173]

I didnt find a Facebook devoted to the Lake Geneva Sub with quite a bit of information and photos.

Last train Williams Bay was 1965.  Last train Lake Geneva was 1975.  Freight locals ran to LG into 80s.

Ed

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Freight service to Lake Geneva after 1975 had an interesting restriction.  Since there were no sidings on which to park the suburban train consists vernight and on weekends, they were parked in Richmond right on the main line and freight service could not be operated north of Richmond on evenings and weekends.  The restriction was included in the Special Instructions in the employee TT.

[Falcon48]

Service between Lake Geneva and Williams Bay ended in December,  1965.  Passenger service to Lake Geneva ended in August, 1975, followed by full abandonment in November, 1982.  I don't have the dates of track removal but CNW typically pulled up abandoned lines pretty quickly to realize the liquidation value of the assets.