This is hard to explain. Back before 1981, there used to be a total of 4 WRRS harpes wigwags here. In 1981, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (which became Wisconsin Central, and then Wisconsin & Southern Railroad in 2004) Upgraded their half of their owned crossing with 8" signals with no bells. The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad (which became UP) owned the other half of the crossing, and left their 2 wigwags alone.

 

The signal in pictures 1 and 2 are Griswold signals, but without the familiar "Type B" lights, and no bell.

 

UP abandoned their ownership of the crossing, and left it to what's now Wisconsin & Southern.

5

At one point in time, both Milwaukee and Main Streets had a crossing apiece, but it was closed in 1993. The wigwag in picture 4 which used to protect Main St. now protects traffic turning left onto Milwaukee St.

 

You can still see the grade in picture 5 where Main St. used to exist.

 

The MI 8" bell-less signal in picture 6 used to protect the other half of Main St. but has been demoted to a pedestrian signal.

On December 15, 2007, WEHRAR17@uwgb.edu got the crossing in action-a rare event since most WSOR trains to Plymouth stop and turn back south of here, leaving this crossing out of service.

 

The WSOR was operating its Santa Train with 1913 2-8-2 steam locomotive Soo Line #1003 to Plymouth. The train sat at the depot just south of Thayer St. for most of the morning, then backed to the north side of town for a photo-op runby through the entire town.

 

The wigwag side of the crossing is shown in action in pictures 7-8. The wigwag shown in picture 4 is on the left, and the one from picture 3 is on the right. The old Milwaukee Road caboose comes into view in picture 9 as the train backs up.

Picture 10 shows the rear side of the former Main St. 8" signal-turned-pedestrian-signal (shown in picture 6) in action.

Pictures 11-12 show the wigwags in action again, from a different angle as the train approaches southbound. The right-hand wigwag (from picture 3, protecting northbound traffic on Milwaukee St.) has a mount on the top that looks like it might have had a bell on it at one time.

Picture 13 shows the rear of the 8" signal protecting southbound traffic on Milwaukee St. (from pictures 1-2) in action.

 

Picture 14 shows the ex-Main St. 8" pedestrian signal again.

The train approaches, and crosses in pictures 15-16.