Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Another Twin Towns Trip, June 3, 2007
On June 4-6, 2007, I attended industry standards committee meetings on behalf of my employer in Bloomington, MN. Since I had the time on the 3rd, I offered to drive the round trip for mileage rather than incur the cost of a plane ticket, and my bosses took me up. After a social outing on the 2nd, I left Belgium, WI about 10:45 of the 3rd.
After passing through some vigorous thundershowers in western Ozaukee county, I topped off the Magnum's fuel in Fond du Lac, and recorded the clouds' imposing presence while driving on Scott Street.
Waiting next to the mostly-vacant south yard office at Shops Yard, the south end switch set blocked Lakeshore Drive.
The class engine of a group of rebuilt first-generation EMDs, CN 4000, also was awaiting its next assignment there.
A typical assortment of road power laid over by the fuel rack that morning.
At Subway Road (Shops North CTC), a northbound manifest was preparing to depart when I passed at 12:06, led by a pair of ex-GCFX "SD45 killer" SD40-3s.
Up the road, after passing a southbound manifest at Winnebago whose power I didn't see, I found a meet between T119 (dropping off a block of auto racks for T357 to forward) and a yard engine, WC 3000.
After leaving 3000 at Cecil Street, whose overpass was well on its way to completion, I first found rain showers near the US10 CN overpass west of town. They would be my companion for much of the next few hours, including my visit to the roundhouse and yard in Stevens Point.
The Plover turn was approaching from the south, and waited as an eastbound manifest pulled through on the yard bypass.
Not much of note was seen after that, save for taking note of the full set of CTC signals at Junction City on the new connections, as I encountered rain coming down "axes and hammer handles" soon after I turned west at Abbottsford. CN RTC West broke the silence as I went west from Chippewa Falls, giving permission to someone to tie up on the siding at Colfax. Having not been there for a few years, I drove the few miles north from Elk Mound. Didn't see any trains, but I recorded the state of the museum there, and the pair of WC Railway-era passenger depots.
After dinner and fuel (24 mpg) in Woodbury, MN, I swung over to Pigs Eye to see what was around.
The switch/local power was also tied up at the UP Hoffman yard, just to the west.
Paired up still, the CP's ex-Kennecott Copper GP39-2s (4598-4599) were tied up near the fuel rack.
In fact, a notable amount of the SOO GP38s were collected at Pigs Eye, hopefully not for final disposition.
A second-order SD60 was staged next to a repainted MP15AC, as well.
Checking into my hotel near MSP airport, the departing showers provided a double full-arc rainbow, only portions of which I could catch with the camera as I went to Minneapolis.
I guess the pot o' gold was in the IDS center that evening. :>)
Finally, as the last day's light faded, I visited the Milwaukee Road depot in Minneapolis, which has been refurbished as a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, offices, and a skating rink in the trainshed.
Details of my return journey on the 6th to follow in part 2.
After passing through some vigorous thundershowers in western Ozaukee county, I topped off the Magnum's fuel in Fond du Lac, and recorded the clouds' imposing presence while driving on Scott Street.
Waiting next to the mostly-vacant south yard office at Shops Yard, the south end switch set blocked Lakeshore Drive.
The class engine of a group of rebuilt first-generation EMDs, CN 4000, also was awaiting its next assignment there.
A typical assortment of road power laid over by the fuel rack that morning.
At Subway Road (Shops North CTC), a northbound manifest was preparing to depart when I passed at 12:06, led by a pair of ex-GCFX "SD45 killer" SD40-3s.
Up the road, after passing a southbound manifest at Winnebago whose power I didn't see, I found a meet between T119 (dropping off a block of auto racks for T357 to forward) and a yard engine, WC 3000.
After leaving 3000 at Cecil Street, whose overpass was well on its way to completion, I first found rain showers near the US10 CN overpass west of town. They would be my companion for much of the next few hours, including my visit to the roundhouse and yard in Stevens Point.
The Plover turn was approaching from the south, and waited as an eastbound manifest pulled through on the yard bypass.
Not much of note was seen after that, save for taking note of the full set of CTC signals at Junction City on the new connections, as I encountered rain coming down "axes and hammer handles" soon after I turned west at Abbottsford. CN RTC West broke the silence as I went west from Chippewa Falls, giving permission to someone to tie up on the siding at Colfax. Having not been there for a few years, I drove the few miles north from Elk Mound. Didn't see any trains, but I recorded the state of the museum there, and the pair of WC Railway-era passenger depots.
After dinner and fuel (24 mpg) in Woodbury, MN, I swung over to Pigs Eye to see what was around.
The switch/local power was also tied up at the UP Hoffman yard, just to the west.
Paired up still, the CP's ex-Kennecott Copper GP39-2s (4598-4599) were tied up near the fuel rack.
In fact, a notable amount of the SOO GP38s were collected at Pigs Eye, hopefully not for final disposition.
A second-order SD60 was staged next to a repainted MP15AC, as well.
Checking into my hotel near MSP airport, the departing showers provided a double full-arc rainbow, only portions of which I could catch with the camera as I went to Minneapolis.
I guess the pot o' gold was in the IDS center that evening. :>)
Finally, as the last day's light faded, I visited the Milwaukee Road depot in Minneapolis, which has been refurbished as a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, offices, and a skating rink in the trainshed.
Details of my return journey on the 6th to follow in part 2.
Labels: canadian national, canadian pacific, depots, soo line, UP, weather, wisconsin central
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
An Eau Claire weekend, June 9 & 10, 2007
On June 9, I set out on an 'overnighter' to Eau Claire, with a Board of Directors meeting for the SLHTS scheduled for the following morning there at our convention hotel for '07. On my way about 11:30, I went by the usual route, picking up the railroad at Shops. CN 4705-WC 1564 were at the south yard office, with CNWC 6903, at 14:45, and I saw a southbound manifest waiting to get into the yard at the CTH N crossing, led by an IC 60xx-ICCN 60xx.
I hit pay dirt again at Black Wolf North at 15:00, catching what looked like T357 there, led by CN 5715-WC 6002 (!).
Neenah South had T119 dropping off its 357 block at 15:34, led by CNWC 6945-ICCN 6136. Heading west on 10, at 16:10 CN RTC East told T408 to pull into the siding at Weyauwega behind T340, to meet T119. At Hoover (16:49), I saw the tail half of an eastbound manifest, and another eastbound passed through Point yard (led by CN 2427-CN 5366) as I was examining the roundhouse and yard.
Heading west, I found a track crew's equipment in the siding at Rocky Run, and at 17:33, found an eastbound manifest parked at Auburndale, featuring CN 2636-CN 2674-CANAC 8734 on the head end.
Getting dinner at Hudson's in Marshfield after a fuel stop, the radio was quiet the rest of the way west. Playing a hunch, I swung by Altoona yard, and found the UP business train there, it having provided rides to the local residents as part of an Operation Lifesaver promotion that day.
After a few tall cool ones produced by the local brewery, I was ready for a good night's sleep. The Directors' meeting and hotel tour the next morning went well, and after lunch I was headed east again. After a pit stop at the folks' to change the oil in the MR2 (yes, it was due, as well), I saw a "City of New Lisbon" UP power set by Weston III generating plant, consisting of UP SD9043MAC-UP AC44-SP AC44. After fueling in Point, I swung by the roundhouse and yard.
At Hoover, a meet had been arranged, so I pulled in to see the show. First off, T357 showed up at 16:46, a monster (127 cars) led by CN 5328-CN 5366-CN-2410, and featuring 100 empty lumber centerbeams, which snaked by for a long time.
This was followed at 16:57 by the eastbound, featuring CN 5265-CN 5289-WC 2500.
Political commentary was scrawled in the dust on the second unit.
With 5 hours' drive in front of me, I took off when the train doubled back into the yard. Before taking the Winchester cutoff, I heard the Weyauwega detector (MP 216.4) sound off for 462 axles, with "CN 2412 South" involved in conversation on the radio shortly after. A northbound manifest was waiting at Cemetary Road at 18:23 for a crew, led by CN 5712-CN 5500-CN 9450-CN 9540, and the same power (CNWC 6903 and 15??) were at Shops North as the day before. Likewise for Shops South at 18:32:
A northbound was seen at the Quad Lomira plant at 19:02, and I took a grab shot through the windshield in the midst of the second half of my "Golden Earring" feature.
Expediting from there, I was home about 22:15 that night. It was a good trip, covering 847 miles in about 35 hours, counting down time.
I hit pay dirt again at Black Wolf North at 15:00, catching what looked like T357 there, led by CN 5715-WC 6002 (!).
Neenah South had T119 dropping off its 357 block at 15:34, led by CNWC 6945-ICCN 6136. Heading west on 10, at 16:10 CN RTC East told T408 to pull into the siding at Weyauwega behind T340, to meet T119. At Hoover (16:49), I saw the tail half of an eastbound manifest, and another eastbound passed through Point yard (led by CN 2427-CN 5366) as I was examining the roundhouse and yard.
Heading west, I found a track crew's equipment in the siding at Rocky Run, and at 17:33, found an eastbound manifest parked at Auburndale, featuring CN 2636-CN 2674-CANAC 8734 on the head end.
Getting dinner at Hudson's in Marshfield after a fuel stop, the radio was quiet the rest of the way west. Playing a hunch, I swung by Altoona yard, and found the UP business train there, it having provided rides to the local residents as part of an Operation Lifesaver promotion that day.
After a few tall cool ones produced by the local brewery, I was ready for a good night's sleep. The Directors' meeting and hotel tour the next morning went well, and after lunch I was headed east again. After a pit stop at the folks' to change the oil in the MR2 (yes, it was due, as well), I saw a "City of New Lisbon" UP power set by Weston III generating plant, consisting of UP SD9043MAC-UP AC44-SP AC44. After fueling in Point, I swung by the roundhouse and yard.
At Hoover, a meet had been arranged, so I pulled in to see the show. First off, T357 showed up at 16:46, a monster (127 cars) led by CN 5328-CN 5366-CN-2410, and featuring 100 empty lumber centerbeams, which snaked by for a long time.
This was followed at 16:57 by the eastbound, featuring CN 5265-CN 5289-WC 2500.
Political commentary was scrawled in the dust on the second unit.
With 5 hours' drive in front of me, I took off when the train doubled back into the yard. Before taking the Winchester cutoff, I heard the Weyauwega detector (MP 216.4) sound off for 462 axles, with "CN 2412 South" involved in conversation on the radio shortly after. A northbound manifest was waiting at Cemetary Road at 18:23 for a crew, led by CN 5712-CN 5500-CN 9450-CN 9540, and the same power (CNWC 6903 and 15??) were at Shops North as the day before. Likewise for Shops South at 18:32:
A northbound was seen at the Quad Lomira plant at 19:02, and I took a grab shot through the windshield in the midst of the second half of my "Golden Earring" feature.
Expediting from there, I was home about 22:15 that night. It was a good trip, covering 847 miles in about 35 hours, counting down time.
Labels: canadian national, trains, UP, wisconsin central
Another Twin Towns trip, June 6, 2007 (Part 2)
After 2 fruitful days of meetings with customers, and listening to presentations at the standards meetings, I left for home on the morning of the 6th. Earlier, in fact, than I'd originally planned, as the radar showed a heavy line of thundershowers approaching from the west, I started out about 8:00.
Little of note was heard or seen on the way east to my folks', where I intended to take a conference call and change the oil in the Magnum, save for hearing CN L517 (with CNGTW 5954) getting a track warrant at CF Yard to proceed west. On my way again after the oil change and lunch in Wausau, I topped off the fuel in Point (24.5 mpg) and checked what was by the roundhouse and yard at 16:12.
After which, the southbound departed, followed by myself.
I left the radio on until my fuel stop in Mount Pleasant (22.6 mpg), hearing (at 20:03) the UP 5168 (ZCHEM, the RoadRailer train) get a track warrant from Butler to Rock, meeting a UP 2989 east at Rock, and some chatter on the CP C&M Sub. Home about 22:30, a 1200-mile round-trip complete. Couldn't cool my heels for long, after another 2-day week in the cube farm, I was on my way again....
Little of note was heard or seen on the way east to my folks', where I intended to take a conference call and change the oil in the Magnum, save for hearing CN L517 (with CNGTW 5954) getting a track warrant at CF Yard to proceed west. On my way again after the oil change and lunch in Wausau, I topped off the fuel in Point (24.5 mpg) and checked what was by the roundhouse and yard at 16:12.
With rain catching to me again in Point, I headed east, seeing T408 at the Lake Emily detector (MP 237.3) with 606 axles (a large block of ballast cars from Mathy were on the head end), led by CN 9591 and other engines I didn't see enough of to identify. Neenah had its usual assortment of second- and third-generation CN four-axle power, and I headed south, seeing the tail half of T357 at Van Dyne, and the tail half of T411 at Shops North. CN 4000 was still by Shops South yard office, with a NS power set (un-IDed), and another switch set further north (likely the same pair I'd seen on the 3rd).
After getting supper at Culvers in Fond du Lac, I went down to Marsh siding to dine, and found a set of meets arranged at 19:12. First, in the siding, was a southbound, led by CNWC 6904-IC 6058.
The first northbound then showed at 19:20, NS interchange led by NS 9920-NS 6619.
This was followed soon after (19:30) by T331, led by CN 2622-CN 5783.
After which, the southbound departed, followed by myself.
I left the radio on until my fuel stop in Mount Pleasant (22.6 mpg), hearing (at 20:03) the UP 5168 (ZCHEM, the RoadRailer train) get a track warrant from Butler to Rock, meeting a UP 2989 east at Rock, and some chatter on the CP C&M Sub. Home about 22:30, a 1200-mile round-trip complete. Couldn't cool my heels for long, after another 2-day week in the cube farm, I was on my way again....
Labels: canadian national, norfolk southern, trains, wisconsin central
Duplainville, May 28, 2007
Taking advantage of a full day of rest on Memorial Day before traveling for work, I made my way up to Duplainville to capture some images.
Leading off after I arrived at 11:15, the Canadian Pacific provided a westbound sulfur empty (611) led by 9650.
After impatiently waiting, the CN then took over, first running a southbound heavy at 14:00 with company motors 2237-5419-5555.
This, in turn, met a northbound 331 at Waukesha, which passed at 14:19 with a pair of GEs in the lead.
After a pause long enough to get more water from Kwik Trip, the parade resumed, with the CP starting the show at 15:29 with an eastbound.
Then, a southbound CN approached, with enough lead time for me to get to the curve south of the diamonds before its appearance at 15:38.
The closing acts of my afternoon there started with the appearance of the CN's Milwaukee turn (L510) at 16:09. Featuring the SD35R 2500, its diminished size foreshadows the imminent cancellation of this service, to be replaced by interchange with the WSOR at Ackerville.
However, before it could make its way onto the CP connection, the westbound 'Builder appeared at 16:17.
With Amtrak out of the way, CP Wisconsin Dispatcher cleared the signals and lined the connection, and the 2500 was on its way.
All in all, a good day. The week would see me traveling to Oakland and back, and returning to Milwaukee, but down time before that was much appreciated.
Leading off after I arrived at 11:15, the Canadian Pacific provided a westbound sulfur empty (611) led by 9650.
After some Sudoku time, the Canadian National obliged with a southbound manifest (336) through the "crossroads of Canada" at 11:53.
CP provided the high-priority 295 train next, at 12:48, featuring a SOO SD60 trailing.
CP took another turn at 13:27, with the 852 coal loads rolling by. Included in the 304-axle trainset were new hoppers with MILW reporting marks, notably.
The CN followed in short order at 13:34, with a 402-axle hopper train led by the mixed combo of a GE, a wide-nose SD40, and an Illinois Central 6000-series SD40 variant.
The 'Empire Builder' then dropped the CN signals to red, passing near the advertised at 13:51 with 64 axles led by motors 56-40.
CP took another turn then at 13:53, with a westbound led by GEs 8552-8574.
After impatiently waiting, the CN then took over, first running a southbound heavy at 14:00 with company motors 2237-5419-5555.
This, in turn, met a northbound 331 at Waukesha, which passed at 14:19 with a pair of GEs in the lead.
After a pause long enough to get more water from Kwik Trip, the parade resumed, with the CP starting the show at 15:29 with an eastbound.
Then, a southbound CN approached, with enough lead time for me to get to the curve south of the diamonds before its appearance at 15:38.
The closing acts of my afternoon there started with the appearance of the CN's Milwaukee turn (L510) at 16:09. Featuring the SD35R 2500, its diminished size foreshadows the imminent cancellation of this service, to be replaced by interchange with the WSOR at Ackerville.
However, before it could make its way onto the CP connection, the westbound 'Builder appeared at 16:17.
With Amtrak out of the way, CP Wisconsin Dispatcher cleared the signals and lined the connection, and the 2500 was on its way.
All in all, a good day. The week would see me traveling to Oakland and back, and returning to Milwaukee, but down time before that was much appreciated.
Labels: amtrak, canadian national, canadian pacific, soo line, trains, wisconsin central
Friday, May 25, 2007
Weekend Excursion to Twin Towns (part 4)
(Click Here to go back to part three of this series, here to go to the beginning.)
Ray: Sunday morning began with a visit to Minnesota Commercial's facilities to pay homage to some of the remaining ex-GBW Alcos.
Galen: At CP's Humboldt Yard, we found a few sets of road power laying over.
New Brighton was also quiet this morning. The only conversation piece to be found was the defaced WC herald. New Brighton was one of the first stations to show evidence of the CN takeover in the fall of '01.
Back on the Wisconsin side of things, we stopped to check up on the St. Croix river bridge. The walkway was apparently undergoing repairs. Sadly, the granite monument to one of the founding management team of the WC on the east end had been removed, with a graffiti-stained toolbox chained to the base it had been on.
Traveling east, we found no action on the Minneapolis Sub, but a red signal faced us at Owen, so hope was present. When we arrived at Spencer, the hotbox detector lit off, and we captured the UP's MPRIT haulage train just east of there. Leading the short manifest was a former SP SD45 rebuild.
Ray: Sunday morning began with a visit to Minnesota Commercial's facilities to pay homage to some of the remaining ex-GBW Alcos.
Galen: At CP's Humboldt Yard, we found a few sets of road power laying over.
New Brighton was also quiet this morning. The only conversation piece to be found was the defaced WC herald. New Brighton was one of the first stations to show evidence of the CN takeover in the fall of '01.
Back on the Wisconsin side of things, we stopped to check up on the St. Croix river bridge. The walkway was apparently undergoing repairs. Sadly, the granite monument to one of the founding management team of the WC on the east end had been removed, with a graffiti-stained toolbox chained to the base it had been on.
Traveling east, we found no action on the Minneapolis Sub, but a red signal faced us at Owen, so hope was present. When we arrived at Spencer, the hotbox detector lit off, and we captured the UP's MPRIT haulage train just east of there. Leading the short manifest was a former SP SD45 rebuild.
Labels: canadian national, trains, wisconsin central
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Canadian Rockies and Kicking Horse Pass, 8/9/6
I flew to Calgary on August 7 for the every-other-month Fibrechannel standards committee meeting, that previously this year had taken me to Santa Fe, NM and Anchorage (those guys know where to hold meetings! They're making up for that the next time in October, we're in Oklahoma City). After spending all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning in presentations at the hotel, I decided over Wednesday lunch to move my trip to the Rockies up from Thursday (when I was flying back) to Wednesday afternoon, so I'd have more time to work with.
First, the "out the hotel room window" picture:
Apparently, CNR was presenting sponsor for an equestrian meet in town that week; these flags were all around downtown, and at the airport.
Driving west on the TransCanada highway (110 kph posted speed limit until you enter Banff National Park), about 45 minutes from town the scenery started getting interesting.
I decided to work west-to-east, back towards town, starting at Field, BC, about 130 miles west of Calgary. Field was built as a railroad town for the CPR to stage helpers and re-fuel the steam engines before crossing Kicking Horse Pass, and the Continental Divide. Today, it's the west end of the Laggan Sub, which starts in downtown Calgary.
About 5 miles east of Field lays Kicking Horse Pass and the famous Spiral Tunnels of the Canadian Pacific, astride the Continental Divide. The TransCanada Highway lays on the former railroad grade, 4%+, and has informational plaques at an overlook by the lower tunnel.
Luckily for me, the RTC had set up a meet between a couple trains at the siding just west of the pass. First, the westbound came through, going directionally east between the tunnels, before reversing direction (see the diagram above).
Then, the westbound was routed through, to good result (more zoom than 8x is needed there, though).
Driving east, I next went to Lake Louise, AB. The glacial-fed lake of the same name is about 5 miles away, and had a full parking lot of tourists at 5 PM local, so I stopped at the CPR station for a look around, with good results. A stack train on the older (eastbound) alignment was parked, waiting for a westbound to clear the single-track stretch to the east.
Also there are some passenger coaches on display, just to the west of the station (which is now an Italian restaurant).
The westbound showed then, after I'd shot the extent of what was on display. The westbound alignment is grade-separated to ease the climb to the Pass, part of the C$500 million track construction undertaken by CPR in 1989 across Kicking Horse Pass and through Mount MacDonald (which I found out after I got home was another 70 miles west of Field; I wondered where the 10 miles of railroad inside a mountain was I'd not found).
For what it's worth, I also found Morant's Curve after I was home. It's on the east side of Lake Louise, looking west (meaning any pictures I'd have got would have been looking back at the sun when I was there). Filed for future reference.
Part 2, including the best pictures from the trip, coming soon....
First, the "out the hotel room window" picture:
Apparently, CNR was presenting sponsor for an equestrian meet in town that week; these flags were all around downtown, and at the airport.
Driving west on the TransCanada highway (110 kph posted speed limit until you enter Banff National Park), about 45 minutes from town the scenery started getting interesting.
I decided to work west-to-east, back towards town, starting at Field, BC, about 130 miles west of Calgary. Field was built as a railroad town for the CPR to stage helpers and re-fuel the steam engines before crossing Kicking Horse Pass, and the Continental Divide. Today, it's the west end of the Laggan Sub, which starts in downtown Calgary.
About 5 miles east of Field lays Kicking Horse Pass and the famous Spiral Tunnels of the Canadian Pacific, astride the Continental Divide. The TransCanada Highway lays on the former railroad grade, 4%+, and has informational plaques at an overlook by the lower tunnel.
Luckily for me, the RTC had set up a meet between a couple trains at the siding just west of the pass. First, the westbound came through, going directionally east between the tunnels, before reversing direction (see the diagram above).
Then, the westbound was routed through, to good result (more zoom than 8x is needed there, though).
Driving east, I next went to Lake Louise, AB. The glacial-fed lake of the same name is about 5 miles away, and had a full parking lot of tourists at 5 PM local, so I stopped at the CPR station for a look around, with good results. A stack train on the older (eastbound) alignment was parked, waiting for a westbound to clear the single-track stretch to the east.
Also there are some passenger coaches on display, just to the west of the station (which is now an Italian restaurant).
The westbound showed then, after I'd shot the extent of what was on display. The westbound alignment is grade-separated to ease the climb to the Pass, part of the C$500 million track construction undertaken by CPR in 1989 across Kicking Horse Pass and through Mount MacDonald (which I found out after I got home was another 70 miles west of Field; I wondered where the 10 miles of railroad inside a mountain was I'd not found).
For what it's worth, I also found Morant's Curve after I was home. It's on the east side of Lake Louise, looking west (meaning any pictures I'd have got would have been looking back at the sun when I was there). Filed for future reference.
Part 2, including the best pictures from the trip, coming soon....
Labels: canada, canadian national, canadian pacific
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