Got an email back from the Mayor of Milwaukee, he likes the idea of extending one or two Chicago-Milwaukee trains to Miller Park Stadium in Milwaukee for Brewers games in the Summer. He said he would raise the issue with Amtrak at the appropriate time in the future and see what comes of it. Keep your fingers crossed because if this works out..........then the next stop is Wauwatosa, then Brookfield, then Pewaukee and before you know it we will be in Madison......lol.
Who says incrementalism doesn't work.
CMStPnP Got an email back from the Mayor of Milwaukee, he likes the idea of extending one or two Chicago-Milwaukee trains to Miller Park Stadium in Milwaukee for Brewers games in the Summer. He said he would raise the issue with Amtrak at the appropriate time in the future and see what comes of it. Keep your fingers crossed because if this works out..........then the next stop is Wauwatosa, then Brookfield, then Pewaukee and before you know it we will be in Madison......lol. Who says incrementalism doesn't work.
I've mused many times over the past several years that if (or perhaps more correctly 'when') commom-carrier rail passenger service ever returns to the Fond du Lac/Oshkosh/Appleton/Green Bay corridor that 'special events' platforms should be set up at both Miller Park in Milwaukee and Ashland/Lombardi in Green Bay. They could do very well for game day traffic, with both special trains for Green Bay Packers home games (especially for 'gold package' season ticket holders) and other Lambeau Field special events loading at the Miller Park platform, taking advantage of the adjacent stadium parking lot, and for 'flag' stops for regular trains at the Miller Park platform for Brewers home games and other Miller Park special events.CN's ex WC, exx FRVR, nee CNW Lombardi Ave crossing is only a short walk from Lambeau Field and any special trains would also make all of the regular stops along the way. Special trains could also operate between Green Bay and Chicago-Union for Bears/Packers games.
Michael G. Koerner - Appleton, WI
Once upon a time.........well about two years ago I called the 20th Century Railroad Club in Chicago about a Chicago to Green Bay Packers game train. They had so many issues with CN and planning passenger specials that they have pretty much given up on Green Bay (which could change in the future). They dropped the Special Trains to Oshkosh for the EAA fly-in because CN ripped up the track they used to park on.
Likewise, spoke with Amtrak via exchange of EMails in regards to special trains to and from Green Bay. They are very hesitant to leave their core network system with an Amtrak Charter AND they want Charter customers to use existing train schedules as much as possible and just add extra equipment to the train.
Have not tried METRA yet but I suspect the era of Special Trains out of Chicago has passed unless it is on a regular Amtrak route and a easy to do like Chicago to Miller Park would be. CP does have a siding in place at Miller Park, seems you would just need their permission to build a platform and a walkway to the Park's Parking Lot.
What if you could get Budweiser-Miller to sponsor the train to Green Bay? Make it a marketing splash. Kind of like the Coors Light Silver Bullet train campaign. Get the Soo Line steamer that's operating. Some of Ed Ellis' restored passenger equipment (or Wisconsin & Southern)?
Maybe CN might think differently.
I'm under the impression that both the Packers and the Bears sell out their stadiums to season ticket holders. Unless one assumes there is significant population of such holders in the other's city, I don't believe there is a market here.
Baseball is another story. If such a service were established, I'd be interested in the concession contract for the train -- at ball park prices.
Dakguy201 I'm under the impression that both the Packers and the Bears sell out their stadiums to season ticket holders. Unless one assumes there is significant population of such holders in the other's city, I don't believe there is a market here. Baseball is another story. If such a service were established, I'd be interested in the concession contract for the train -- at ball park prices.
You are quite correct about Packers and Bears home games - not many visiting team fans. Brewers-Cubs are big rivals and usually get a good crowd from the visitor's city. But there is already good Hiawatha service so no real market for special trains, which do not go very close to Wrigley, unlike the possibility for Miller.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Well the other thing about the Packers games in Green Bay at least. I know one person stated above that Lambeau Field is just a few blocks away from the former C&NW depot but the issue there is most folks are not going to walk that distance with stadium and tailgating supplies.......especially in the colder weather that usually lurks in Green Bay. Your going to need a shuttle bus between the Stadium and the train station.
The CN tracks to the C&NW station are still in place along with a train turning WYE. But there is no standing track at the station and the train would need to sit on what looks like the mainline.
Looks to me as part of the EHH administration, CN went through and lifted up every bit of spare track it used to have that was either not used frequently or no longer used and cashed it in for scrap or relayed the rail somewhere else. Why they kept the former passenger WYE in place close to the former passenger station in Green Bay is a mystery. I think it junctions with the track to Marinette, WI and the Michigan UP but never looked in detail via Google where the tracks on the branches of the WYE lead to. Bottom line is you can still turn a passenger train around just a short distance from the C&NW train station in Green Bay........which is interesting.
Some Packers games today at Lambeau Field in Green Bay are for former Milwaukee County Stadium season ticket holders. The Packers used to play some of their games there each season. Goes back many decades to when the Packers needed a larger fan base. All home games today are played at Lambeau. The interstates between Milwaukee and Green Bay are hit with a tsunami of cars when these "Milwaukee" games are played.
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