--- In STMFC@..., "Richard White" <rhwhite@b...> wrote:

Dear Members,
This is a request for information. I live in Botswana so local

library

sources aren't much help.
I am building a layout set in south-west Wisconsin in the late

1940's.

Inspiration is Miwaukee Road's Mineral Point branch, Illinois

Central's

lines in the area and C&NW lines across the Mississipi in Minnesota

that

later became the DM&E.
In the steam era, where did this region get its coal supplies from?
More importantly from the layout building perspective, which

railroads' cars

were used to carry it? <snip>

Richard,

The Illinois Central delivered large amounts of southern Illinois and
Western Kentucky coal to the Milwaukee Road at Mendota, IL for points
in Wisconsin. Often northbound IC trains would have 50 to 60 cars of
coal to deliver to the MILW. 93 cars is the most I can recall having
to deliver at one time. The MILW moved the coal north up the line
through Beloit to Janesville, WI, where it went in various directions
to final destinations. Quite abit of the coal went to power plants
at Beloit and Wisconsin Dam. Some of it went to paper mills and I
believe to the Chevy plant at Janesville.

The IC handled coal up their Madison branch for the U of W power
plant and a few cars to the Oscar Mayer plant. Cars were delivered
to the MILW at Madison for them to spot. At times cars for Madison
were interchanged to the MILW at Mendota. At least 90% of the cars
used were IC.

Chet French
Dixon IL
Go Illini