# CP Christmas Train at Sturtevant, WI



## Trogdor (Dec 10, 2005)

Might as well post this one, too, from last night (9 December):

I was informed recently that the CP Holiday Train would be at the Sturtevant, WI, station tonight (9 December) from 20:00 to 20:40. This schedule theoretically made it reasonably convenient for someone from Milwaukee to take train 342 down (scheduled arrival SVT: 19:54), and return on train 341 (scheduled departure SVT: 21:04).

I should have known things were going to be "interesting" when 339 (scheduled arrival MKE: 18:45) pulled in at 19:44. Train 342 pulled out at 20:01 (31 minutes late). Due to some apparent slow running, we got to SVT at 20:30 (scheduled running time is 24 minutes). Once there, I saw a friend of mine, who rode 339 GLN-SVT. He told me that the Holiday Train was running late, so I wasn't worried about missing it or anything.

There was, of course, a large crowd of people gathered at the station, and in that pathetic old, one-rusted-nail-away-from-collapsing-under-its-own-weight depot. Not only that, but I wouldn't be surprised if 341 had as many, if not more SVT passengers than CHI passengers. Much of my car was filled with Sturtevant folks (and, contrary to normal practice, they actually started collecting tickets shortly after leaving MKE).

Anyway, it was about 20:40-20:45 ish, and I was getting worried, because 341 was due at 21:04 (and that trainset wasn't running excessively late, which meant that 341 could theoretically be on time). The Holiday Train, when it arrived, was to be on track 1. Normally, westbound Hiawathas board on track 1 at Sturtevant (in fact, there are platform signs to that effect). I asked a CP Railway Police officer about the situation, and he told me that when the Holiday train was in the station, all other rail traffic would be stopped until it left. With that, I remained on the track 1 platform as the Holiday Train pulled in some time around 20:55 or so. Naturally, the platform was so crowded that I couldn't set up my tripod easily, but I was more concerned about the fact that Mike heard on his scanner (though he didn't announce it to everyone sleeping on the lounge car tables) that 341 was going to come in on 2, while the CP train was in the station. I managed to walk up to the head end of the train (which was far beyond the platform, but, who cares?) and asked a CP employee if it would be okay if I crossed at that point. His response was neither in the affirmative nor the negative, only to the effect that "Amtrak's going to be flying through here in a minute." So, of course, I crossed a live track at a location other than a designated crossing.

After walking through six feet of snow (uphill both ways)...or maybe six inches, I managed to get a few decent shots of the train before making it to the platform about 30-45 seconds before 341 pulled in (with six coaches).

Now, remember how I said that lots of people on 342 got off at Sturtevant? They were most likely there *just* to see the Holiday Train (why the hell else would anyone go to Sturtevant that late at night on the train?) Well, as far as I could tell, I was the *only* person to board 341. Everyone else was apparently being distracted by the singing and dancing going on behind a couple of boxcars, facing towards platform 1, while 341 came, dropped off a few passengers, I got on, and left. I get the feeling that more than one passenger wanted to take the train back that night. Train 341, of course, is the last train to Milwaukee. I have no idea what those folks planned to do. I doubt all of them intended to spend the night in Sturtevant.

Consists:

342(9):

90222

54513

54526

54578

54511

85

341(9):

173

51003

54554

54563

54029

54579

51503

90200


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