March 2015 Local Action

by Dave Ingles

What few photos I took over the winter were slides, as I had decided the trusty D70 was just becoming too unreliable. Nick Tharalson of Iowa came over on his twice-yearly visit to our local slide-show group on March 17, so I broke my digital embargo and took the D70 along as he and I headed for Sturtevant, where host Greg Mross lives. We had marginal luck on CP’s, C&M Division, getting only the 3 expected Amtrak trains. First was Hiawatha #339 at Caledonia, NPCU 90200 (converted to the non-power cab or control unit from the first-ever F40PH, Amtrak 200) with the usual 6 cars but two, not one, P42 power units on the Milwaukee end, 47 and 51, on time at 3:18 pm.

Empire Builder #7, 199/183 with 10 cars, was next, by Franksville about on-time at 3:21 pm, but I took only a slide. We then sat until Hiawatha #337 came by our Kraut Road site at 4:18 pm, on-time with 58, only 5 cars (1 fewer than normal), and 90413 trailing. CP freights were non-existent, so that was it for photos this day. The Amfleet car at each end of #337 is a preferred normal winter consist because the Horizon coaches can have icing problems in the vestibules next to the engine or cab control unit.

The next day I caught this southbound CN train of tank cars at Weyer Road, toward the north end of Duplainville siding, units 2823/2936 up front and DPUs 5617/5746 mid-train. The new 2800/2900-series GE ES44ACs became the normal power in our area as they were delivered.

On March 21 at 2:25 pm, here is CN’s northbound train off NS, which I think had been (may still be?) symboled 445, crossing the Spring Creek bridge along Duplainville siding, with 2856/2304 on a short 50-car consist, which included a string of a half dozen or more newly in-service gondolas with white covers. These are ore cars (empty going north), with MWCX initials in the 200000 series, from a Michigan Upper Peninsula mine.

Returning to Duplainville crossing, I just missed a loaded tank-car train on the CP with a solo CEFX leaser, 1058, up front, so just for fun and a change, I raced it on I-94 into Milwaukee, getting it at Grand Avenue at 3 pm with the Miller brewery as a backdrop. I was also shooting slides, and as I turned around, there came a westbound short Herzog ballast train with CP 8710/CSX 974 as power, so I shot slides of the engines meeting, took a “blocked” going-away digital view of the westbound, got back on I-94, and barely beat him back the 16 or so miles to Pewaukee. He thundered by, approaching me so quickly that I could shoot only a slide and not a telephoto digital, so I took a going-away diesel view as a consolation. He made it out there in 23 minutes, which is almost Amtrak’s best possible time!

Next up were both Empire Builders, #7 on-time at 4:11 pm at Brookfield and late-running #8 5 minutes later, each with 10 cars. Power on #7: 71/47, and on #8, 135/9. Just normal stuff, except #8 had no baggage car. These would be the last images I’d shoot, at least for a while, with the ancient D70.

On March 24, I drove to Western Springs, Ill., on the BNSF Chicago–Aurora “Raceway” to take possession of, and try out, my “new” D700 Nikon, purchased from NW Indiana friend Randy Olson, who upgraded to a D750. Since they are not truly “local” Waukesha-Milwaukee area photos, see my separate file for the photos this day (New Camera Debut). March 27 was the first day I was out locally with the D700, and my first train was CN 2868/2928 South at Weyer Road toward the north end of Duplainville siding, at 11 a.m.

Waiting on the main for him to pass was the 2832/2580 North.

Twenty minutes later, at 11:28, came another northbound, by the looks of it the NS connection (had been #445, not sure of current number), at Green Road at Duplainville diamond, units 8907/BCOL 4609 with 94 cars.

Thirteen minutes later, the fleet continued as 2904/2845 North clattered through with 58 loaded trilevels among its 90 cars. Finally, 2868 South left with its 103 cars, which concluded my day’s photography.

A busy March 28 afternoon locally started with this southbound CN at 2:13 pm at the Weyer Road crossing. The units are 3031/2916, two of the new ES44ACs CN has been getting; pairs of them in the 2800- and 2900-series have been common. So what’s with the 3031? Apparently GE muffed the numbers on about 10 of these, putting them in the 3000s instead of the 2900s; as they could, CN renumbered them back to the proper 2900s, keeping the same last 2 digits; they are in the 2920s and 2930s.  I beat him to Duplainville for a close-up shot of 3031’s nose.

A couple of hours later, the Empire Builders met just east of Duplainville, where I was, late No. 8 passing at 4:12 with 176/131/151 and 12 cars, and on-time No. 7 at 4:13 with 150/77 and 11 cars, amidst the usual throng of  “admirers.”

A southbound CN I heard identified as #392 was next, having held for the Amtraks, and the middle unit is unusual: GECX 2039, from a group of leasers I had not seen before. It’s between 2858 and ex-Oakway 5463, and the train started up at 4:19. DPU 2943 was 93rd spot in the train, with 29 more cars behind him, a sort of usual position in a train on the Waukesha Sub when CN has a DPU. I shot across the Quad/Graphics parking lot to emphasize the middle unit.

Advance word was out on the train behind 392, with the first known freshly repainted (from Conrail blue) former LMS leaser, IC 2458, leading 2343 on a 147-car train. I intercepted him at Weyer Road at 5:19 and then again at Duplainville 4 minutes later to conclude my March 2015 local photography.

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