For an article in the upcoming newsletter of the Chicago Chapter NRHS, I am in search of pictures of speed restriction signs from the old Milwaukee Road, specifically ones that reference speeds of 90 or 100 miles per hour. I have long heard legends of signs that set speed restrictions of 100mph for diamonds, or trackside signs warning pedestrians of 100mph trains. Does anyone have pictures of these signs, or know of books that do? Or did these signs just exist in legend and folk tales?

Thanks.

Chris Jacks.

IIRC there is a shot of a trackside pedestrian warning sign in Scribbins "Hiawatha Story".

It's been discussed here before:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25561

I think it was agreed upon that the sign read "Reduce to 90" and was located in Rondout, IL. I have seen photos of the Hiawatha passing said sign but can't remember where. I'm thinking either a Beebe photo in "The Trains We Rode" or maybe an Otto Perry photo published elswhere.

Can't help you on your search. I live in Germany and have a couple of times taken the ICE, which has a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).
I'd not realized they were that fast. More than likely they don't get up to top speed from Heidelberg to Frankfurt. I am use to cruising at 120 Mph with my middling slow car on the autobahn, from time to time. So the train felt fast, very fast, but not terrifying fast....

In I don't know what time you are talking, a 100 mph train would have been terrifying fast, back in the day of the 45 mph road speed limit in steam time or the mid-50's before the Interstates.

Somewhere, I read an article about the "Reduce Speed to 90 m.p.h." signs. It said that many were removed because curves were realigned.

The book 'The Hiawatha Story" has a lot of discussion about the speeds. I don't own it but there is a preview on google books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ppWA5r ... ry&f=false

Maybe the actual book has the photo.

The all-time best single railroad history website I've ever seen:

http://milwaukeeroadarchives.com

Check out:

http://milwaukeeroadarchives.com/Milwau ... gazine.htm

You can read Milwaukee Road Magazine issues from cover to cover. Check out 1935 for the total story of the Hiawatha as told at that time.

On page 120 of said book, there are two photos taken at Camp McCoy, WI in 1964 that show a sign saying "STOP LOOK TRAINS PASS 100 MPH" mounted below a standard highway stop sign. I have heard there were similar signs placed along the C&M in suburban territory but have never seen a photo of one.

The standard Milwaukee Road "speed control sign" has black numerals (only) on a yellow ground angled 45 degrees upward from the post - no words.