l6 at ES

Volunteers Brett Forster (L) and Jack Franklin (inside) take advantage of a beautiful November Saturday to begin the autumn ritual crossing-slot cleanout. This shot shows the busy Highway ES crossing in Mukwonago. Behind work motor L-6 to the right is the interchange with the Wisconsin Central Lines, and to the left, the towers of Wisconsin Electric marching away along the former right-of-way towards Milwaukee.

After the regular passenger season ends, this type of preventive maintenance is the first priority of the railroad volunteer staff. The slot cleaning allows for the normal buildup of road ice in the grade crossing slots to be crunched out by the railcar wheel's flanges, instead of allowing it to form a concrete-hard sludge that can actually lift the wheel of a lighter car clear of the railhead. As the snow season begins, salt will be maintained in the slots as well to help keep the buildup frangible.