Madison Train Depot

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The street facing front of a train depot with a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk.

Last weekend I attended a fascinating walking tour of Madison’s west rail corridor (from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation) that ended with a visit to the former Milwaukee Road depot.

A group listens to a tour guide. A train station and the front end of a diesel locomotive can be seen in the background.

A great room with high ornate ceilings, arched windows, and vintage bicycle posters on the far wall. The walls are lined with new bicycles on racks that are stacked three high.

It was the first time I’d been inside the historic passenger station, which was built in 1903. Even though I’d prefer to see it still being used for its original purpose, the former waiting room is a wonderful retail space for Motorless Motion Bicycles that occupies most of the building.

The exterior of a train station showing the passenger platform. A diesel locomotive and passenger cars are parked along side the platform.

The old passenger platform (mostly enclosed) also serves as a display space for bicycles and equipment.

The inside of a long passenger platform enclosed in glass. New bicycles and equipment are on display on both sides of the platform.

A group listens to a tour guide on the bhe back side of a train depot.

The last passenger car on display at the station is a renovated observation car, home to Loco Motive, a bar and gallery space.

A railroad passenger car, parked on a platform near a railroad station. At the end of the car is an open observation deck.

It’s hard to imagine there used to be 12 tracks crossing West Washington Ave. in this spot.

A view of the train depot showing one railroad track crossing the street in front of it.