January 2011 Photos
Local Action

Photos by Dave Ingles

Beginning either on January 1, 2011, or before, an empty ethanol train with Southern Pacific power sat on the CP main line by the "crew-change stairway" right at Milepost 104 in Pewaukee, just east of the end of double track. It wound up sitting there for several days; the stretch is a convenient parking place for westward trains when the yard at Portage, Wis., gets bottled up. The first time I visited, on Jan. 1st, the clouds were playing tease-the-railfan, but when the 108 detector went off, I went over to Forest Grove Road to photo the eastbound, which turned out to be CP #276, "the DM&E train," with DM&E power: ICE 6421/CEFX 2804 UP colors/ICE 6454, at 12:29 p.m. As you can see, as 2010 turned to 2011, we had two days of way-above-freezing temperatures, and all the snow melted. It would be a narrrow, and soon-to-be-forgotten, window!

The sun came out for a minute, not even time to climb the stairs!

CN #341 or #441, the NS run-thru, in Waukesha on Jan. 2, 66 cars, 10:21 a.m.

And again at Duplainville, 10:45

He'll take the siding to meet CN #342.

Here's #342 with ho-hum power, 5664/2628, 74 cars including 14 grain hoppers and 60 Herzog ballast hoppers, 10:50 a.m.

I did not know that the Northwestern Oklahoma had joined the CN family!

MN&S went into Soo Line in, I think, 1984!

Example of the Herzog section.

Finally, with clear skies and the ethanol empty still parked, I was able to climb the stairs and get it in full sunlight, dark-nose or not!

Continuing the DM&E luck, here's CP #277 at 11:33 in Pewaukee, behind CITX 3058/3055/DME 6071/ICE 6214, at 11:33.

Perhaps the "best leaser scheme" going?

I'm including this only because it may have been 8918's first run; I had the lens setting on the D70 screwed up, sorry. This is CN #346 at Dupy at 11:56 a.m, 8918/2448, DPU's 5752/8851, 159 cars total. The telephoto slides will be better, I trust.

The DPU's

CN #336 in Waukesha at Grand Ave., IC 1035/CN 8882/IC 6203, 12:21 p.m. With a Packer game on tap, this was all the photography for the day. Jeff Hampton had alerted me to this one, which is why I went out in the first place.

Got three trains on late afternoon of Jan. 6th, showing evidence of one or two of the numerous 1-inch to 3-inch "dustings" of snow we would keep getting prior to the Great Blizzard of Groundhog Day 2011. This is CN #347, IC 2709/CN 8005/2246, at 3:20 p.m. at Milepost 103 just north of Duplainville diamond. That's the Captiol Drive overpass above the CN and Duplainville Road. The old barn was an antiques place, think it's Quad/Graphics storage or something now?

BNSF lost the coal contract for power plants at Weston (Wausau) and Green Bay to UP effective 1/1/11, so this would be the last CN unit train we'd see for a while with BNSF power, too bad. Train #702, BN 5961/6333, no DPU's, empties at Weyer Rd., North Duplainville, 3:41 p.m., on the siding to meet #347.

Here comes #347.

The IC initials on this series aren't real obvious.

Coal empties under Capitol Drive

And another northbound, #341, 2343/8019, 4:14 p.m.

#341 again, up by MP 104.25, passing cars on the "set out" (3rd) track, which basically replaced the Main St. yard in Waukesha a few years back.

Two days later, Jan. 8, a Saturday, I was out and got 8 trains, all only in digital images. This is Amtrak #8 at MP 103 in PEwaukee, engines 9/81/25, 12 cars, Engineer Craig Willett, 2:54 p.m., about 1:15 late, not bad for him this long winter. First car is a deadhead Superliner.

CN #336 at Weyer Road., 2634/BCOL 4606, 74 cars, 3:06 p.m.

Meeting #341, 8941/2320/BCOL 4646, 105 cars, 3:08 p.m.

Could be the lead unit's first northbound trip, assuming delivery to Winnipeg?

I collect slides of the Alberta grain hoppers with town names, so figured might as well shoot a digital since I had no slide camera along.

CN #347, MP 104.25 (a private driveway, now just a dead-end spur to the track, that's a favorite railfan photo spot) 5674/5650, 117 cars, 3:21 p.m. About  as ho-hum power as CN provides.

Finding a non-graffiti'ed WC boxcar is getting to ge difficult.

CN #335, MP 103, 5799.5617, 3:34 p.m.

CP 8870 East, w/ 8761/4602, Duplainville, 3:33 p.m.

What's more interesting, the power or the railfan vehicles?

CN #336 again, Waukesha depot, 3:54 p.m.

Most UP coal power is boring, but here's a leader that is not, ex-C&NW patched UP 6707/7031, northbound at Spring Creek bridge, MP 103.5 or so, 2:23 p.m. on Jan. 10. Again no slide camera along, alas.

Worth pacing up Duplainville Road. I'm driving AND shooting.

The "magic car" was in the consist.

No pictures for 12 days, but on Jan. 22 I was out for Amtrak #7 at Duplainville, engines 115/124/3, on-time at 4:14 p.m.

It's never too dark for digital ... is it? CN 5797 North with 5761, 4:29 p.m. on the 22nd.

Alerted by Terry Norton who lives trackside in Grayslake, Ill., I went out for an empty ore-train northbound, bound back for the Mesabi Range on CN's DM&IR, with engine 2230 all by itself and 224 empty jennies. This is in Waukesha by the site of the former Main St. Yard (and WC shops a century ago), at 12:03 p.m.

At the back end were cars from a higher number series.

This was so unusual, when I heard he would stop at Duplainville to add an engine, I went home and got the N90 and loaded  a roll of slide film. I went to Duplainville and found the train parked, lights off, no crew, and no other engine. I later found out that 2230's sanders were plugged, and CN finally sent out a rescue locomotive, back to back 2400's, with a relief crew that late afternoon, which meant it would be dark up here. The first crew got cabbed out from Duplainville while I was home changing cameras.

Later in the day, at 4:02, a CN southbound came through just as I drove out of the Trackside Car Wash, so i pulled up to the gate at Main St. and rolled the window down. I didn't get a car count but despite the DPU it was a short train, perhaps 80 cars, 2235 on front and 2676 mid-train.

The next 7 trains were shot on Jan. 26, my 70th birthday, which turned out to be just another day. We'd planned to go out of town for visiting, and dining at a special place TBD, but an increasingly crummy weather forecast and Carol catching what turned out to be a bronchial infection (like a cold and cough) scotched that. Here is CP #288 at Duplainville, 8811/8501, 55 cars, at 12:51 p.m. Fresh snow kicking up was one attraction to go to out.

CP #288 met this guy, #299, just east of Duplainville: 8753/9766, 101 cars, 12:54 p.m.

CN #336, 2507/5675, 123 cars, at 1:13 p.m. at North Duplainville's Weyer Road crossing.

The Omaha Road lives! Spring Creek bridge, #336.

Friend Craig Willett is at the throttle as Amtrak #8, engines 153/124/3 with 11 cars, hits Duplainville at 1:49, only about 10 minutes late.

CN #341, 5721/5632, which waited for #8, hits the Dupy diamonds with 128 cars at 1:53 and passes the waiting #336.

Amtrak #7, engines 19/23/25, rolls past the old Pewaukee depot site near the lakefront at 4:18, right on-time.

"A mood shot sequence" of GTW 4905 heading to tie-up by the Waukesha depot, passing the Whiterock Avenue crossing, finished the day at 4:51.

Thursday, Jan. 27th, also netted 7 trains, some in much nicer sunlight, and again with snow again kicking up. First is Amtrak #8 at Duplainville at 1:50 p.m. about 15 minutes late.

CN #341, 8915/2275, MP 103, 1:59 p.m. Had to shoot here as a CP was coming, having hit the 108 detector as I was driving up here from Duplainville.

Here it is, #280, 8878/8725, 72 cars, at 2:07 p.m.

I do not understand CP's signals, especially the 4-light ones, but this one at the Pewaukee switch where double track begins, indicates an approaching eastbound train, as they are approach-lit and usually dark.

It's the local, or "patrol" in old Milwaukee Road lingo, G-67, with GP40 4611, an ex-MILW unit, and 7 cars at 2:34. This is twice as long as this train usually is. Choose your font on the "rear" numberboards. I am at the Forest Grove Road crossing, just a few blocks from where daughter Suzy lives.

So, do we or don't we?

At MP 104.25 on the CN, while waiting for a southbound, I was "inspected" by this resident from one of the two homes across the tracks.

CN #446, 2567/2301, 108 cars, at 3:41 p.m.

CP #277, DME 6084/DME 6095/ICE 6430, Duplainville 4:01 p.m. He would hold at Pewaukee for Amtrak #7 to go by, on-time, but I was caught yakking with a friend and missed the shot of #7, nothing special.

Then quickly over to Green Road just north of the diamonds for CN #340, 8931/NS 8436, with DPU's BCOL 4621/IC 2721 and 154 total cars, 4:19, to finish the day.

Only one train on Friday Jan. 28th, Amtrak #8 at Pewaukee lakefront with 4 units, 1/56/503/115, at 2:09, only about a half hour late.

When the Packers won the NFC championship, suddently souvenir tents would sprout up here and there. Never underestimate American entrepreneurship!

Jan. 29th, I heard UP's MPRSS (Chicago-St. Paul) get a warrant out of Butler Yard in Milwaukee, and knowing a CN northbound was lined up, I went up to Sussex for a possible two-train over/under view. Didn't happen, not even close, as the CN fell way back. In the process, I missed a CP grain train westbound thru Duplainville with CSX power. Serves me right for photographing a UP train, which I usually ignore (there aren't very many). This one had about 8 units, I'm not even sure. 4213 is the leader, I know that. It's 3:07 p.m. as he crosses the CN (ex-WC).

With the CSX holding at Pewaukee, it was doubtful I could go out and overtake him, so I settled for this eastbound, #282, at Duplainville, Soo 6023/CITX 3055, with 99 cars, at 3:31.

Finishing the day was the laggard CN train, #347 on Spring Creek bridge with 8934/2330 at 3:44 p.m.

Jeff Hampton alerted me to two southbounds on Sunday morning, Jan. 30, and it would turn out to be another 7-train day, but on three separate forays from home. First was CN #336 with NS 8436/BCOL 4621 with 123 cars at 12:32 at Grand Avenue in Waukesha. On weekends, this Carroll University parking lot is empty, making for better shots.

Next was #446 about 15 minutes later, at the Waukesha depot with 2453/2426 and 75 cars.

These GE's are still common, and most of them still have the "zebra stripes" they were painted with when built.

The second trip netted Amtrak #8 at 2:26, about 45 minutes late, at Dupy with 19/23/25 and 10 cars, about the 3rd time I'd seen that set of power.

Soon the CP detector went off, and it was #276, the DM&E train, with DME 6090/CITX 3093/DME 6360 and 128 cars at 2:41. Note the lease unit is an ex SDP40 or such, with a squared-off back end.

Waiting for him to clear was CN #198, the stack train from Vancouver, at 2:30 p.m. with 2203/5745 and 120 wells.

Home from that foray, I happened to check my Yahoo chat groups for the first time in a few days and lo, someone reported a loaded ore train confirmed on the road, heading thru Oshkosh at noon bound for Fond du Lac. No telling how much delay, if any, it would take at Shops Yard, but "the network" lit up, and Jeff Hampton and others out in search of it kept up with their O.S. reports. So we headed out again, and waited at Weyer Road for it to appear. It had four units, 2294/2407 up front, 200 loaded ore jennies -- pretty much mostly the same set of cars I'd shot empty on Wednesday -- and IC 2703/5613 on the rear as DPU's. Here it is at 4:18 pm, just about the exact same time Amtrak #7, on time, was going thru Duplainville, probably pretty much ignored by photographers.

The ore train met #347 at Duplainville, with engines 5646/2440, which passed Green Road about the time we did, headed for Waukesha in case we could get another ore-train shot. Behind #347 was this guy, #341, which would meet the ore train at Waukesha passing siding, so we got to Whiterock Avenue in town just in time for this shot at 4:36 p.m. Engines 5710/2297, 99 cars.

The signal at Waukesha South, Moreland Blvd. crossing, indicates #341 will take siding.

We set up at the Waukesha depot for another ore-train runby in last sunlight. It's 4:50 p.m. here, and was 4:55 when the DPU's passed.

I'd blown one full roll of slides this day, finishing with the ore train at Weyer Road, so this sequence was digital only.

This seeming study of graffiti was made essentially to show how close the adjacent cars' wheels are on these jennies -- I didn't even see the artwork at the time.

With yet more fresh snow, the last day of January netted 5 trains, beginning with local L504 with GTW 4905 returning from Burlington, Wis., passing the Waukesha depot at 2:18 pm with 3 cars.

Up at Weyer Road, CN #336, 2291/NS 9430 South cruises by on the main line, passing 5763/2438 North, which had arrived at 3:18 pm and had a 12-car set-out to make.

Here is the northbound, 5763/2438.

Another southbound #446, tripped the detector and breezes by at 3:44, 2402/2247 with 119 cars.

The northbound's conductor gives #446 a rollby.

Back to Duplainville to await Amtrak #7, since it's getting close to time, I got out of the way of a City of Pewaukee street plow. A light snow had fallen off and on all morning, and was back in force now, though it's hard to discern.

Well before #7, CN #446 got the light, at 3:56.

Right on-time at 4:15 comes Amtrak #7, engines 19/23/25 again.

A CN coal empty with UP power went next, but my shot didn't work, and he met this northbound at Waukesha siding, so I went back to Duplainville for a final shot of January, #347 with 2597 leading.

That was the last photo of January, but since we had the national-news blizzard on the night of Feb. 1-2, here are a few farewell shots from our front room looking west to our street. We got 10 inches or so of new snow atop the 3 or 4 from the previous couple of days. That's my across-the-street neighbor snowblowing his house and his neighbor to the north; our plow service came at 10:15 a.m. and noon to clear our driveway and sidewalks. The city essentially was closed Wednesday, but Milwaukee had nothing as bad as Chicago's Lake Shore Drive debacle.

That is our mailbox at right; after the city plow went by another time or two, the black mailbox itself is just above the top of the snow pile!

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