{image1} It starts in La Crosse, when you hear a distant train whistle.
That's Amtrak's Empire Builder, as it crosses the bridge from Minnesota over the Great River into Wisconsin.
The train has already come a long way by the time it reaches that point, all the way from Seattle, with stops in places like Minot, Whitefish and Fargo along the way. Its final destiny is Chicago. The Empire apparently ended or started there when this train line was completed 76 years ago.
For the next couple hundred miles, the train will run through Wisconsin. The stretch through the state is one of the most beautiful of what overall is a wonderfully scenic trip.
This trip is in jeopardy, as is all of Amtrak service. We'll look more at that later, but first let this writer, who recently took the Empire Builder through the state, finish the trip for you and look at some of the history of the train.
After dropping off some people and picking up others at the historic depot in La Crosse, the Empire Builder heads east, first through the wet lowlands of the Scenic Rivers area, then through the hills and valleys of the Coulee Region of the state.
It only slows for some towns. Kids wave to the passengers. Even older people stop to watch, and sometimes wave too. But, their towns no longer are stops along the way.
For much of the route, bicycle paths run where a second set of tracks once laid during the peak years of railroads. Some former depots now serve as museums, gift stores, ice cream shops and other businesses in these towns that no longer are stops.
Some of the small towns still have wonderful old, historic looking depots. Portage is one of this writer's favorites. So is Wisconsin Dells.
The Tomah and Columbus depots need a little work, but have potential. Pewaukee has one of the nicest looking examples, but Amtrak doesn't stop there.
The land starts to flatten out around Columbus, sprawling in broad farm fields of south central Wisconsin. Those fields become dotted with more development as you approach southeastern Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Metro area.
When you get to Milwaukee, you can't help but feel that there is untapped potential for trains here. You can't see much of downtown when you enter the city from the west, but you do get a good view of downtown and the Third Ward when you come up from Chicago.
No matter how you enter the city, the depot is dingy and looks more suitable for freight than humans. You can't really see downtown until you pull out of the depot.
Plans and proposals have been made to update and expand the depot, as well as increase overall rail service to and from town. Let's hope they become reality.
Heading south of Milwaukee, you get the feeling Racine and Kenosha counties have done some things to appeal to train transportation. You see the backside of most communities from a train, and like it is with humans some backsides are appealing to look at and others not.
You can say the same for communities. In Racine and Kenosha counties, recreational facilities and renovated businesses face the tracks in many areas and make better-looking backsides.
The line is Amtrak's most scenic, with the possible exception of the California Zephyr, which runs through the Rockies, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.
{image2} "Certainly, it is one of the most scenic and historic we have in the west," he said, adding that the stretch through Wisconsin features classic Midwest scenery.
In its 76 years, the Empire Builder has traveled through ever-changing scenery and communities. It has endured ever changing economic conditions.
History
The Empire Builder celebrated its 75th anniversary last year with events in the Northwest, Chicago and numerous places in between. Milwaukee was one of them. The line was named after James J. Hill, who founded the Greater Northern Railroad in the 1800s.
That railroad played a key role in linking Chicago and the Midwest with the Pacific Northwest and places in between. It was the only rail line to go to Glacier National Park, stopping at Whitefish, Montana. The park tourism took off because of the service.
The Empire Builder line officially started in 1929, after passage routes through the Cascade Mountains were significantly improved. Running several trains, it became quickly known as a classy way for tourists to travel the country in virtual luxury.
During World War II, part of the train was used to transport troops around the country. After the war, significant upgrades led to tall windowed observation cars, and Ranch Car lounges, made to resemble a ranch chuck wagon and give great views of the scenery.
In 1971, Amtrak took over most of the nation's passenger trains, including the Empire Builder. The line remained one of the premier sightseeing trains in the U.S., but over time the number of trains and runs has been reduced.
Today, the line still features popular, double-decked observation cars, classy dining facilities and ample sleepers. The Empire Builder also is linked with the National Park Service's Trails and Rails program, through which you can take the train to Glacier and other historic and scenic trail areas. For example, one of the recent packages included part of the Lewis and Clark trail.
Amtrak Future?
Will the Empire Builder get a chance to continue this rich history for another 75 years or longer? Certainly, with gas prices hovering around $2.40 a gallon, and only likely to go up, alternatives to auto travel are needed.
Many people are tired of the security at airports, cramped seats and late flights. "Look at the room in these seats, and I can walk around," said Erica Skumsrud, who was making the trip from Minneapolis to Milwaukee. "And, I didn't have to take my shoes off or open my hand bag."
For those small towns still on the route, and their surrounding rural areas, trains provide about the only alternative to car travel. Greyhound cutbacks have eliminated bus routes to many.
The train also offers a more relaxed form of travel in many ways. Even Chicago's Union Station, where this writer caught another train to New York, and Penn Station in the Big Apple, were not as hectic as O'Hare or LaGuardia airports.
There are major disadvantages to overall Amtrak services. This writer took the Lakeshore Ltd. line from Chicago to New York after riding on the Empire Builder. With a coach seat, it's an 18-hour endurance test, and that's when the train is on time. Work on rails along the line delayed the service by a couple hours. One employee joked that the line should be renamed the Lateshore Ltd., because it is late so often.
You need to have time to travel via trains, even when they are on schedule. If you go first class on an overnighter, it's not bad. If you travel coach, it's tough to sleep on trains.
Amtrak also loses money, quite a lot of it. Some employees, speaking on the guarantee of anonymity, said the service can't make repairs because it can't buy parts. Trains scheduled to be used in the busy Northeast Corridor of the country had to be sent back recently because of bad brakes. At least one employee said the problem is Amtrak is top heavy in management.
Despite selling 25 million tickets annually, Amtrak gobbles up $1 billion in federal funding. Joe Vranich, formerly of Amtrak, called it, "the nation's nightmare" at recent hearings.
In large part because of these factors, the Bush Administration has talked about pulling the federal funding -- the Administration calls it a subsidy -- from Amtrak. The Administration and others would like to see the service privatized, but no private railroad company is rushing to take over the lines.
"Subsidy is not really an accurate term," Magliari said of Bush's use of the term. "If you subsidize something, it indicates that it will survive without the subsidy. But, Amtrak would not do so. What the Administration is trying to do is bankrupt Amtrak."
Magliari said Bush's plan seemed dead on arrival. He felt a compromise plan incorporating the Bush plan, a Congressional committee plan and an Amtrak board plan would more likely pass.
Other employees were not as optimistic, saying they thought Congress could pull the federal funding this time.
Hearings were held on the proposals during the week of April 18-22. The issue is part of the Bush budget.
Magliari said taking away a mode of transportation for the public, during a time of high gas prices and bankrupt airlines, seems "incredulous to a lot of people."
Turning back to the Empire Builder, Magliari expects the line to survive.
"Many people think of the Empire Builder as a train people get on in Chicago and take to Seattle," Magliari said. "Some do that, but many take it from point to point to visit family and friends, do business, go for medical appointments.
"In the Chicago to Milwaukee to Minneapolis corridor, we provide what amounts to a commuter service for some people. We serve many different customers with the Empire Builder and hope to do so for years to come."
