The Fond du Lac, Amboy & Peoria Railway Company, 1874-1883. | |
History Personalities Route Locomotives Rolling stock Timetable of 1877 Industries Virtual FA & P Screenshots |
The Fond du Lac, Amboy & Peoria Railway Company was chartered in 1874, during the years when narrow-gauge railroads were widely promoted. It was originally conceived to tap the lumber and mineral wealth of Central Wisconsin and provide economical transportation for these products to Central Illinois. Although begun with grand plans, only 29 miles of 36" narrow gauge track were actually constructed, from the city of Fond du Lac on Lake Winnebago southward to Iron Ridge and a connection with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. The small railway endured business scandals, poor construction, and frequent accidents, until it was acquired by the CMStP on December 31st 1883 and promptly converted to standard gauge. This site is my effort to present the FLA&P story. A major source of information is the book "When Iron was King in Dodge County, Wisconsin" by George Frederick, an exhaustive compilation of the history of the industry in this area. -Scott Monsma |
A reconstruction of the village of Iron Ridge (now Neda), modelled in Auran Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004. More virtual FLA&P in TRS2004 | |
Updated December 16, 2003. |