THE HISTORY OF THE RICE LAKE, DALLAS & MENOMONIE RAILWAY

This is a much-condensed history I originally did in the early 1980's for the Soo Line Historical Society. I then produced a one-hour Power Point presentation as a clinic for the South Central Wisconsin Division of the NMRA in 2002 from which I derived this video.

The RLD&M originally ran in northwest Wisconsin from 1893-99 then was absorbed into the Soo Line. The last vestige of the line was abandoned within the past 10 years.

See the other half of this presentation describing how I modeled this line in HO scale at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tZyg8Not3k

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Soo
• Line
• RLD&M
• Rice
• Lake
• Dallas
• Menomonie
• Railway
• Railroad
• history
• eisenbahn
• zug
• TRAIN
• Wisconsin

[Zebrails]

@ 3:29... it's a reverse angle... the locomotive number on the front of the boiler is # 65!

Yet the writings are correct.

[rwundrock]

While it may look like #65, it is really #25 on the front of the boiler. I have the photo. Blame it on video compression artifacts. The Soo had no #65 engine.

[myronjanet]

I enjoyed the comments on the Blue Berry Train. I am the grandson of the fireman that was killed on Halloween day, 1917 when an unscheduled freight collided headon with the blueberry train. If any one has any more knowledge of this incident please comment on it.

[rwundrock]

You are the grandson of Roy Janes? The only info I have was that Roy was tending the engine behind the depot while engineer Claude Cunningham was in the depot. The mainline switch was lined for the siding and a train ran into the Blueberry pushing the engine tender into the engine and fireman Janes. He was pulled from the cab but died in the depot waiting for medical help.

The three issues of "The Soo, " magazine that the Blueberry story appeared, should be at the Rice Lake library.

[Zebrails]

Excellent!! Gonna check out your other videos.

I am sure you have the book: "Trains of the Upper Midwest" by Marvin Nielson. A few years ago, my dad sent me that book. I fully agree that the photo's are a treasure.

Hope all is well where you are!

John

[rwundrock]

Marv went with me on one of my research forays on the line. He ran the Gustafson Ice Cream plant in Rice Lake at the time.

[gaycowboy31]

@rwundrock very fascinating footage indeed I love old historic footage such as this thank you for posting it I dont know alot about the SOO LIne but sure love photographing it while up in Wisconcin and Minnesota on the CP I am usually up there hunting Milwaukee Road relics to photograph but enjoy seeing SOO Line items too

[Zebrails]

Obtain the book: "Trains of the Upper Midwest".

The Blue Berry Route was Standard Gauge: 4' 8 1/2"

There is a pic' and article about the official abandonment of this particular route, the Blue Berry... the Barron-Ridgeland branch.

GET THE BOOK!

ISBN 1-58388-036-4

By the way, keep up with the news because it's possible that, either CN or CP wants to put a new fresh route to Rice Lake!

The book could be a bible for rail buffs!

John

[brockrooster]

Zebrails: I'm a Rice Lake Boy and interested in the article about the Blueberry. Was it the narrow guage railroad that I've read about? Did it go down near Hillsdale and Ridgeland on its way to Menomonie from Rice Lake?

[myronjanet]

The wreck was at the Barron depot. My cousing has his draft card and his union or railroad card and a textbook in which he was learning how to become an engineer. It was not a head on, my mistake. I also have seen a postcard of this wreck, but I

believe that it is around my house somewhere. I knew you must know of my grandfather as he was known as "Roy" which also written on his tombstone.

I never knew him as he was killed 25 years before I was born. Thanks for responding.

[BekkumTV]

I LIVE IN RICE LAKE! =D

[tygersflowerz]

My great grandma used to talk alot about the Soo Line. I miss northern WI... I live in Montana now. Aside from being tax-free, it's so overrated here... ;-) I'll take lakes and trees over mountains any day. It's so dry here.. at least the humidity in Wisconsin keeps my skin soft. lol