On March 19, 2026, PBS Wisconsin aired the Center’s program “Railroads of Madison and South Central Wisconsin,” a presentation by Scott Lothes about the history and development of railroads in and around the Center’s home city. At their zenith, nine railroad lines radiated out of Madison, and the program traces their arrival, development, consolidation, and current status. Imagery comes from the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the CRP&A’s own collections, especially that of John Gruber, the organization’s principal founder who spent most of his life in Madison and documented its railroads extensively.
Lothes originally developed the program for the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation when the CRP&A partnered with the Trust on a walking tour of Madison’s “West Rail Corridor” in 2023. That tour is back on their menu for the 2026 season; tickets go on sale in May. The Wisconsin Historical Society recorded this version of the preservation on September 30, 2025, as part of their “History Sandwiched In” lunchtime lecture series.
