East Troy Electric Railroad Facts for Kids

"METW" redirects here. For the collectible card game, see Middle-earth: The Wizards.

Quick facts for kids East Troy Electric Railroad

Ex-Milwaukee streetcar 846 operating on the East Troy line in 2006
Locale	East Troy, Walworth County, Wisconsin
Connections	Canadian National Railway
Commercial operations
Built by	The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company
Original gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Reporting mark	ETER - Formerly METW
Stations	3
Length	7 miles (11 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved electrification	600 V DC
Preservation history
Headquarters	East Troy, Wisconsin

A steeplecab electric locomotive shown outside of the storage barn in East Troy

The East Troy Electric Railroad is a special train line. It is a heritage railroad run by the East Troy Railroad Museum. A heritage railroad keeps old trains and tracks working. This allows people to ride and learn about train history.

You can take fun train rides on a 7-mile (11 km) long track. The rides go from East Troy to Mukwonago, Wisconsin.

History of the East Troy Railroad
- Changes in Ownership
- Museum Takes Over
What You Can Do Today
About the Train Tracks
Special Trains and Equipment
Gallery
See also

History of the East Troy Railroad

The train line started way back in 1907. It was part of a bigger system. This system was called The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company. It connected East Troy all the way to Milwaukee.

Changes in Ownership

In 1939, the part of the line from East Troy to Mukwonago was bought. The Village of East Troy purchased it. The rest of the line to Hales Corners was closed. For ten years, the original company's crews ran the trains.

In 1949, the company decided not to continue. So, the village hired its own train crews. They operated the railroad from 1950 until 1985. During this time, the railroad was called the Municipality of East Troy Wisconsin Railroad. Its symbol was METW.

Museum Takes Over

In 1985, the village asked the Wisconsin Trolley Museum for help. They wanted the museum to take over the train line. The museum agreed and moved its collection of old trolleys to East Troy.

Even before this, museum operations had started. In 1967, a group called The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society moved their electric train collection here. They used the tracks with an agreement from the village. This agreement ended in 1984. Then, the Wisconsin Trolley Museum began running the line. It became known as the East Troy Electric Railroad.

Between 1995 and 2000, a group called Friends of East Troy Railroad Museum, Inc. bought the train line. They also bought a large collection of trolleys.

What You Can Do Today

The East Troy Railroad Museum runs a museum and offers train rides. They have just over 7 miles (11 km) of track. You can ride the trains weekly from spring through fall.

The old building where the power used to be is now the ticket office. It also serves as the museum. You can buy tickets for rides to the Elegant Farmer store. This store is at Phantom Woods. You can also ride to Indianhead Park in Mukwonago.

The museum has about 30 pieces of old electric train equipment. These are kept in storage barns in East Troy and at Phantom Woods. The museum is a non-profit group. It is run by volunteers who love trains. The old power building is a special place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

About the Train Tracks

The railway is a "standard gauge" track. This means its width is the same as most other train tracks. It used to connect with the Canadian National Railway. This connection allowed the East Troy electric railroad to move freight. Freight includes things like fertilizer, sand, lumber, and steel. However, the railroad has not carried freight for at least ten years.

Much of the track is very old, but it was fixed up in the mid-1990s. The entire line runs on electricity. It uses a 600-volt direct current system. Power goes to the trolleys and interurban cars through overhead wires. An old machine that used to provide power is now on display at the museum.

Special Trains and Equipment

The museum has many interesting old trains. Here are some of the notable ones:

Original owner	Number	Built	Notes
Sheboygan Light, Power and Railway Company	26	1908	A wooden train car that has been fully fixed up.
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company	846	1920	This is a streetcar from Milwaukee.
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee	761	1930	An interurban car that has been fully fixed up.
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company	D-23	1907	This "Line Car" was used to fix and maintain the overhead wires.
Chicago South Shore and South Bend	24, 25	1927	These were passenger cars. The museum changed them into dining cars called "Ravenswood" and "Beverly Shores."
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company	L-6	1911	This is a special train with a crane for utility work.
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company	L-8	1935	An electric locomotive used to pull freight.
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Traction Company	L-9	1944	Another electric locomotive used for hauling freight.
Chicago South Shore and South Bend	6, 9, 13, 23, 30, 33, 107	1926 1929	These are steel interurban passenger cars.
Twin City Rapid Transit Company	1583	1913	A streetcar from Minneapolis-St. Paul with two sets of wheels.

Gallery

The East Troy Railroad Museum lines up former Chicago, South Shore and South Bend cars for a photo shoot.
A 1924 elevated car from the Chicago Transit Authority (left) and a 1913 Twin City Rapid Transit Company streetcar (right)
Chicago South Shore and South Bend No. 13 at The Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago
Chicago "L" No. 4420 and 4453 at East Troy
North Shore Car 761 on its first public ride in East Troy in July 2021
Outside view of the East Troy Railroad Museum
Inside view of the East Troy Railroad Museum