Trempealeau, Wisconsin
The Inn on the River
11321 Main St.
Trempealeau, WI 54661
608-534-7784
The Inn on the River is located on one of the busier stretches of mainline track in the upper Midwest.
The BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe,) travels by here averaging 40 trains a day. The westbound trains on the BNSF originate either in Chicago or Galesburg, Illinois. You will see many Intermodal, a fair amount of general freight, auto racks, and some ore trains passing by.
The Canadian Pacific runs on the west side of the Mississippi River. The CP usually averages about 30 trains a day. Also, the Union Pacific, IC & E (Iowa Chicago & Eastern), and Amtrak over the CP with trackage rights. The La Crosse BNSF and CP yards are both of medium size. The crossing will see more than 60 trains a day.
RAILROAD OPERATIONS
Amtrak: Westbound, scheduled for after 7:30 P.M. Eastbound, scheduled for after 10:00 A.M.
Union Pacific: Trains originate in Friendship, WI, come to Winona, MN, stay overnight, and head back the following day.
DM&E: Trains come into Winona from South Dakota, interchange w/IC&E and head south on the CP to La Crescent, MN where it then goes south on it’s own tracks.
BNSF: They still have some first generation GP’s and SD-9’s, high hood and low hood, old and new paint schemes, SD-40 and SD-45 B units, and a few old GE’s.
CN: Trains usually leave the Refuge eastbound between 5:00 and 6:30 A.M.
RADIO FREQUENCY'S:
BNSF: 160.695 Mhz N. of La Crosse - 160.100 Mhz S. of La Crosse
CP: 160.770 Mhz
IC&E: 160.530
CN: 161.295
Directions to rail yard from Trempealeau: From Trempealeau, Hwy 35 S. to Hwy 53 S to La Crosse. When crossing I-90 on 53, stay straight….as 53 is also 57 and ends in about a mile. Turn right onto 16 W, go about 2 miles and turn right onto Count B (Gillette St.) You will go over what use to be Grand Crossing. BNSF is to your right. To your left approximately a mile is the CP yards. The neighborhoods are fine….enjoy!
From the owners of The Inn on the River (George and Debra Mickelson)
Trempealeau Hotel
150 Main Street
Trempealeau, WI 54661
608-534-6898
This is an over 100 year old historic building with a very nice bar/resturant on the first floor. The train action is best from a 2nd floor room. I have stayed there several times over the past 20 years. They have an outdoor screened porch facing the tracks and a Lock & Dam on the Mississippi River whichs makes for a very enjoyable summer afternoon of beer sipping and rail fanning and river barge traffic watching.
Submitted by John A. Thraen - Photo by: Joe Lewis 7.21.04