Fall 2010 Farewell
October Local Action

Photos by J. David Ingles

The extra move showed up at Duplainville, making a good 35 mph at least, at 1:10 p.m. The Soo and Milwaukee Road cabooses in tow are privately owned and usually travel with the 1003 to various events. The Soo car has been on the charter photo freights, and the Milwaukee car has been on the annual Santa Claus train.

Clearing the CP mainline diamonds at Duplainville, looking south.

Traffic wasn't all THAT bad, but making 35 mph or so, the 1003 easily beat us to the south Waukesha passing siding switch in town; we look east from the red light at Highways 18 and F.

Skillful navigating, a little speeding, and luck on green lights got us to Grand Avenue just as the extra cleared the CN main line. I had time only for a slide coming-on; this is going-away. Here we are opposite La Estacion Mexican restaurant in the old C&NW depot in Waukesha, which still uses, to a limited degree, the ex-GM&O coaches on a piece of the old C&NW station track.

At Dunbar Street, the train paused for 1003 to take water from a city hydrant. The diesel then uncoupled and moved ahead into the siding toward the industrial park, no longer in regular use but intact, so as to re-position itself behind the 1003 for the move west on the WSOR. It's about 1:30 p.m. here.

The MP15AC moves ahead, crossing over the Fox River.

West of Waukesha along Sunset Drive, we set up at a county park private crossing, where a 1922 car owner had posed his vehicle. Alas, we got clouded when the 1003 came along.

We had better luck with the sunlight just east of Genesee Depot. The man standing beyond the road crossing was the only other train-watcher here.

Best shot of the day was at North Prairie, where the ex-MILW depot has been an ice-cream shop; it is still a business of some kind.

At the east edge of downtown Eagle, the 1003 stopped for an inspection, and drew a crowd of local people, including some kids.

When she whistled off, we got back to our original downtown Eagle vantage point for a final sequence. Photos by Carol Ingles as I had set up off to the right to shoot slides. By now it is almost 4 p.m. The "corral" is where the bar behind the locomotive asks customers to park their horses.

Back in Waukesha after following Soo 1003, we encountered a CN southbound, but I had time to shoot only a slide -- but what a train it was, #340, engines 2306/NS 9901 up front, then 122 cars, mid-train DPU's 2270/8862, then 49 more cars, for a total of 171 cars, at 4:40 p.m. I dropped Carol off at home, having heard of an upcoming meet in town, so I went back and set up just north of the depot.

First is #335 with 2425/5368 and 103 cars, at 5:14 p.m.

Thirteen minutes later came #342, 2564/8010 and 100 cars even, 5:27 p.m.

The next day, Friday Oct. 22, was again sunny, so I went out in the afternoon and got 8 trains in 2 hours flat! First, at the Pewaukee Lakefront, was CP #280, 8822/8829, at 2:17 p.m.

He was soon followed by local G67 returning to Milwaukee, still with Soo 4434 but only 4 cars, at 2:32; this is Forest Grove Road, just south of daughter Suzy's apartment and the end of double track from Milwaukee.

Over on the CN, #335 was getting re-crewed up at Weyer Road along the north end of Duplainville siding, at 3:20 p.m.

While re-crewing, he was overtaken by #347, 2127/IC 1012, with 134 cars, at 3:20. The lead unit is one of the 85 GE Dash 8's of Santa Fe and Chicago & North Western heritage recently purchased by CN, and these two northbounds were the first time I'd seen any in the lead. CN is having them repainted at the Centralia, Ill., shop and slowly releasing them into general service.

Only a few of the IC SD70's have been repainted from IC black.

Meantime, #335 has made a set-out and the units are returning to their train.

And here comes #789, a coal or coke train whose details are unknown to me, behind another Dash 8, 2118/2660 trailing, with 128 cars, at 3:42.

I returned to Duplainville proper, and learned i'd missed CP #488 led by white Soo SD60 6024 and 2 CP units! That was a fair trade for two CN 2100's in the lead -- I've been shooting Soo SD60's since they were new. It's 3:54, and next up right away was this CP #801, a coal train, and I include this blown shot (taken after telephoto slides) only to compare the reds on new GE 8811 and Soo SD60 6050; the train had 75 cars.

Meantime, CP #282 had arrived on Track 2 and was holding at Duplainville, because still to come was Amtrak #7 on Track 1, and #488 was ahead on Track 2. The coal train would go to Nashotah, the next passing siding, to duck in to let #7 overtake him.

It's 4:14, and #282 starts up as Amtrak hits the diamond.

And for once I'm in perfect position for a meet shot -- and it's digital, as I'm out of slide film for the moment.

Two of the Duplainville regulars are Mike Carlson, at left, and Ron Wischer, in center; i don't know the man at right. The time is 4:18, and I head for home.

Finishing up local action for October, on the 28th, was this southbound coal train from Green Bay, bound back to the Powder River Basin, at 3 p.m. at Milepost 98 in Waukesha, with BNSF 9224/6008 up front and DPU 6401, coincidentally the same number as our then- assigned local engine for CN job L504, GTW 6401, one of three ex-DT&I GP40's still in service on CN.

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