Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
logo_filename=WSOR_logo.gif
logo_size=118
old_gauge=
marks=WSOR
locale=southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois
start_year=1980
end_year=present
hq_city=Milwaukee, WisconsinImageStackRight|300
The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad Reporting mark|WSOR is a Class II railroad operating in the southern portion of Wisconsin and the northeast corner of Illinois.

WSOR runs over 700 miles of branch and mainline tracks which are jointly owned by the state of Wisconsin and the 21 counties that the railroad serves. The WSOR holds a 50 year operating agreement with the state of Wisconsin to operate on these tracks. Using existing rights of way, some of the bridges along the line date back as early as 1903. Much of the railroad's operating territory is formed from the defunct Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad, on tracks originally constructed by the Milwaukee Road and Chicago and North Western railroads.

Within Wisconsin, WSOR connects with four western Class I railroads: BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. With direct access to Chicago, WSOR connects with eastern Class I railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroad. WSOR has access to harbor facilities in Prairie du Chien, and WSOR transload facilities are located in Milwaukee, Janesville, Madison, and Oshkosh. 22 grain elevators have located rail load-out facilities on the Wisconsin & Southern system.

For train operation purposes, the WSOR system is divided into two divisions, the Northern Division and the Southern Division. The Northern Division is essentially the original WSOR trackage from when the railroad was incorporated in 1980, with a few new lines that have been added around the Milwaukee area in recent years. It includes the lines radiating out of Horicon and Milwaukee. The Southern Division includes the former Wisconsin and Calumet trackage, as well as trackage currently leased from the Union Pacific Railroad (ex-Chicago and North Western Railway) in the Madison area. The two divisions are not physically connected with WSOR owned trackage, but trackage rights over a short section of the Canadian National Railway from Waukesha to Slinger provide a link between the two divisions.

WSOR is headquartered in Milwaukee, where all dispatching duties are carried out. Locomotive maintenance is centered in Janesville; WSOR's Horicon paint shops often do contract work on both rolling stock, for railroads such as Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, and locomotives, including Union Pacific Railroad.

The railroad sponsors its own [http://fanclub.wsorrailroad.com/ WSOR Fan Club] for interested railfans around the world. (Note: as of 2005 the WSOR no longer has a fan club page on their website).

Timeline

* 1980: Wisconsin & Southern is formed.
* 1992: Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad is acquired by Wisconsin & Southern
* 2001: Railway Age Magazine names the Wisconsin & Southern its Regional Railroad of the Year.
* 2005: WSOR celebrates its 25th anniversary by painting engine number 4025, an EMD SD40-2, in a special anniversary paint scheme, and holding "open house" parties in Janesville on July 9 and in Madison on July 23.

ee also

*List of United States railroads
*List of Wisconsin railroads

External links

* [http://www.wsorrailroad.com Wisconsin & Southern]