Green Bay & Western employee timetable  No. 81, effective October 30, 1955.

By the mid-1950s the Green Bay Route was becoming a streamlined Class I bridge route, hauling priority freight across Wisconsin.  The schedule was dominated by trains Numbers 1 through 4: east and west, day and night.  In addition, a way freight operated between Green Bay and Wisconsin Rapids on a daily basis. For the sake of readability, I have reproduced the timetable in HTML format instead of scanning the actual timetable.  All the information included in the actual timetable is included below. There are several interesting things in this timetable: Continuing improvements in track, equipment, and operations cut the scheduled cross-state transit time to 22 hours and 20 minutes, down from 23 hours and 50 minutes seven years earlier.  These trains were typically led by a pair of the railroad's FA-1 locomotives. The Special Instructions have been reworked to recognize the unique requirements of modern equipment, with terms such as enginehouse replacing roundhouse, instructions on using the radio communication equipment, and special operating requirements for diesel-electric locomotives. The Milwaukee Road began using the bridge over the Mississippi River at Winona after the CMStP&P's pontoon bridge at Reads Landing was abandoned in 1951. The New London Division way freights Nos. 7-8 also work the Steven Point and Iola Branch as trains 15-16 and 23-24. The Howard siding in west Green Bay was increased, from 33 to 96 cars.

Time-Distance chart of Timetable 81.

Kewaunee Division New London Division Whitehall Division Steven Point Branch Iola Branch Special Instructions Related material: Timetables 1872  1886  1944  1948  1955  1959  1967  1969  1976

Special Instructions

1. The maximum speed for trains is 45 miles per hour between Norwood and Milepost 210;
   30 miles per hour between Milepost 210 and East Winona;
   30 miles per hour between Plover and Stevens Point;
   25 miles per hour between Scandinavia and Iola; 
   40 miles per hour between Haevers and West Wye Switch, Kewaunee.

All trains and engines will reduce speed to 20 miles per hour over the following railroad crossings:

CMStP&P Automatic Interlocker Crossing, Green Bay.

Soo Line Automatic Interlocker Crossing, Black Creek.

C&NW Automatic Interlocker Crossing, New London.

CMStP&P Gate Crossing, Dexterville.

CStPM&O Interlocker Crossing, Merrillan

C&NW Automatic Interlocker Crossing, Marshland (M.P. 209.3).

C&NW Interlocker Crossing, McDonald.

2. Rules Governing Operation Through Signals Controlling Movements on the Fox River Bridge:

Signal governing movement of Eastward trains is located one hundred feet West of West approach to bridge.

Signal governing movement of Westward trains is located one hundred feet east of East approach to bridge.

Train or engines receiving YELLOW indication on approaching the bridge may proceed without stopping.

Train or engines receiving the RED indication on approaching the bridge will come to a stop short of the signal.

In cases where lights fail in color light signals, train and enginemen will be governed by the most restrictive indication that is given by the signal, which would be STOP, and be governed as follows:

If the signal is not cleared promptly, and the bridge is seen to be closed for rail operation, train or engines may proceed on hand signal from the Bridge Tender, after determining the reason for the signals not operating, and that bridge lift rails are in proper position and the bridge locked for rail operations.

Report of the failure to receive proper signal, and the operation under flag protection from Bridge Tender must be given the train dispatcher promptly.

A WHITE FLAG BY DAY, and YELLOW LANTERN BY NIGHT, will be used by the bridge tender in flagging train or engine over bridge in case of signal failure.

Train and engines will not exceed 20 miles per hour over Fox River Bridge

3. Engines must not run over Track Scales or Ferry Slip Aprons.
   
4. All trains report for orders before leaving Norwood, Wisconsin Rapids, Winona, Kewaunee Ferry Yard.
    
5. Register Stations are maintained at Norwood, Wisconsin Rapids, Winona Enginehouse, and Kewaunee Ferry Yard.
    
6. Standard Clocks are located in the Norwood Dispatcher's Office, Norwood Enginehouse and in the following telegraph offices:
   Wisconsin Rapids.
   Merrillan.
    
7. Bulletin and Circular Books are maintained at Norwood Dispatcher's Office, Norwood Enginehouse; Wisconsin Rapids Depot; Wisconsin Rapids Enginehouse; Winona Enginehouse.
    
8. Between East Winona and Winona, 2.0 miles, the track will be used by CB&Q, CGW, CMStP&P, and GB&W trains and engines at restricted speed as the way is seen to be clear.

Movements over Mississippi River Draw Bridge are governed by automatic signals.

During the navigation season, all trains and engines will come to a stop short of the Draw Span, and proceed only on signal from Bridge Tender.

Trains and engines will not exceed 6 miles per hour over the Mississippi River Bridge, with the entire Train.

Trains and engines must stop before crossing Walnut and Franklin Streets, Winona, and protect movement over the crossing.

9. The following stations are protected by yard limit boards: Green Bay Terminal, Seymour, New London, Wisconsin Rapids Terminal, Merrillan, Whitehall, and Kewaunee, including Kewaunee Ferry Yard.
   
10. East Switch of New Wye and Lead Switch at 13th Avenue at Norwood may be left lined as last used.
    
11. Rules Governing Operation of Diesel Power and Oscillating Signal Light.

1. Headlight on Diesel engines in road service must be burning dimly during daylight hours except will be extinguished when train turns out to meet another and has stopped clear of main track.
2. Unless authorized Diesel-Electric locomotives shall not be operated, either by towing or using traction motors for power, through water having depth over top of rail greater than shown below: 

   Type of Diesel Locomotive	Depth of Water over Top of the Rail
   Freight	5 inches
   Switch	5 inches

   Maximum speed in all cases shall not exceed three miles per hour.
   

3. Mars Oscillating Headlight
   Certain Diesel engines are equipped with both a straight beam headlight and a Mars Oscillating signal light. The straight beam headlight will be displayed in conformity with Rule 17 of "Rules and Instructions of the Transportation Department." Mars Oscillating signal light is arranged to display an oscillating white light to be displayed between the hours of sunset and sunrise and during daylight hours when weather conditions would impair vision and obscure the observance of an approaching train.
   
   Oscillating signal light will be extinguished; when train turns out to meet another and has stopped clear of main track or is standing to meet a train at end of double track or junction, when standing or moving backwards in yards where yard engine. are employed.

12. The following is a new section which is made a part of the Rules of the Transportation Department:
    
    RADIO GENERAL AND OPERATING RULES
    
    GENERAL RULES
    
    The following rules and requirements cover use of railroad radio systems and govern employees using such systems:

1. Definition: A Railroad Radio Communication system is one employing radio for the transmission of intelligence between moving equipment, between moving equipment and a fixed point, or between fixed points.
   
2. Radio communication systems are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission. THE RAILROAD COMPANY AND ITS EMPLOYES ARE GOVERNED BY THE COMMISSION'S OPERATING RULES. VIOLATION IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE FOR WHICH SEVERE PENALTIES ARE PROVIDED. 
   
3. In order to operate a radio transmitting set a railroad employee must read and study the following rules:

OPERATING RULES

801. All employees, except those specifically authorized to do so, are prohibited from making any adjust- ments to a railroad radio set. If it appears that a radio transmitter is not operating properly its use shall be discontinued and the Superintendent notified as soon as possible.

802. No employee shall knowingly transmit any false distress communication, any unnecessary, irrelevant or unidentified communication, nor utter any obscene, indecent, or profane language via radio.

803. No employee shall divulge or publish the existence, contents, purport, effect or meaning of any communi- cation (distress communication excluded) except to the person for whom the communication is intended or to another employee of the railroad whose duties may require knowledge of the commumication. The above applies either to communications received direct or to any that may be intercepted.

804. Before transmitting, any employee operating a radio transmitting set shall listen a sufficient interval to be sure that the circuit is not already in use, particularly for distress traffic.

805. A distress call will be preceded by the word "Emergency" repeated three times. Such calls shall be used only to cover initial reports of derailments, storms, washouts, fires, obstructions to tracks, or other matters which would cause serious delay to traffic, damage to property, injury to employees or the traveling public, and shall contain as complete thereon as possible. All employees shall give absolute priority to communications from another station in distress, and except in answering or aiding a station in distress shall refrain from sending any communications until there is assurance that no interference will result to the station in distress. 

806. The Railroad Company is required to answer an official notice of violation of the terms of the communications Act of 1924, as amended, within three days from receipt of notice and any employee receiving inquiry concerning any violation sha1l answer such inquiry within 24 hours after receipt of notice.

807. Any employee shall permit inspection of the radio equipment in his charge and all FCC documents pertaining thereto, by a duly accredited representative of the Federal Communications Commission at any reasonable time.

808. Employees shall identify the radio station from which they are calling by prefacing their call with the railroad initial, for example, "GBW calling engine 601," "GBW caboose train No.1 calling engine."

809. In certain cases at crossings, junctions or paralleling tracks, some interference may develop with another railroad. In such cases especial care in making identification shall be used and the employees concerned shall cooperate in handling their business by alternating calls and being as brief as possible.

810. If any communication from a station other than another railroad radio station interferes with Railroad Radio service the railroad employee will endeavor to ascertain the identity of such station and report the occurrence as soon as possible through authorized channels, to the Superintendent, giving the exact time, nature of the communication and identity of the station, if possible.

Internationally, the word "MAYDAY" indicates a distress message; the word "PAN", an urgent message and the word "SECURITY," a safety message. Railroad employees may hear such messages sent by aircraft or, in coastal areas, by boats. Railroad employees hearing such messages must report them immediately through authorized channels to the Superintendent in addition to taking such appropriate action to relieve the distress as may be possible.

811. Information which is authorized to be transmitted between head and rear end of train, or between moving equipment and a fixed point follows:

1. In connection with air brake tests.
2. Relative to hot boxes or other defects on train.
3. Rear end of train by limits of slow order.
4. Rear end of train in clear on siding.
5. Train clear of siding and main track switch closed.
6. Location of rear end of train when necessary to back train over on two or more tracks.
7. Flagman has returned to train.
8. Conversation between head and rear end of train relative to the fulfillment of train orders received.
   NOTE -Information that a train to be met is in clear on siding must not be transmitted from bead to rear end of train unless positive identification of the train to be met has been made.
9. The exchange of advice from the head end to the rear end of the train under conditions involving Rule 848, 848a, 848b, and where Clearance Form 108 is issued.
10. Conversation between head and rear end of trains or between moving equipment and a fixed point relative to work enroute.
11. Train handling.
12. Oversight of any character that might en- danger the movement of a train.

812. Train orders must not be transmitted by radio between head and rear end of a train.

13. All pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be protected by a member of the crew when switching movements are being made over the Quincy Street Crossing, Green Bay Terminal. It will not be necessary to flag over Quincy Street when the movements are through train movements or straight away yard engine movements with the engine on the forward end and with air coupled.