Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

On Saturday March 17. 2007, we decided to get up and explore Wisconsin north of Madison. We started up US 51, I39, and state and county roads, ending in Wausau before returning with a side trip to Wisconsin Rapids. The first railroad shot was of these repowereed switchers assisting the unloading of a unit coal train at the WPL Holdings power plant south of Portage.

At Portage, we explored the railroad yard and discovered some BNSF power, probably from the unit coal train. Note the pile of snow still present. The further north we got, the more snow we saw, in the middle of March! On returning to US51, we discovered this string of power at the overpass. In '99 I saw a herd of 7 deer cross the tracks and head INTO town at this location in the middle of the day as I awaited Amtrak #8.

At the engine terminal area of the CN, former WC, earlier SOO Line, yard, we discover this former WC SW1500 # 1561.

Here we see a CN GP40 #9549 with a North American cab is in desparate need of paint.

The SOO Line heritage is seen in the concrete sidewalk around the display in a park along the north side of the line through town. Also embosed into the concrete are the logos for the WC and CN. The 4-6-2 is being repainted. The caboose 158 is lettered SOO Line on the south side and Minneappolis, St. Paul and Sault Sainte Marie on the other. Note the snow in the shadows.

While Jan is shopping at a craft outlet store, I hear the distinctive sound of EMD 645-engines. I left her to her shopping and went exploring. I discovered this power set yarding its train. Then I noted the number of the second unit. I had recently read Dave Ingles article in Trains special issue "Locomotives" concerning this 42-year locomotive that was the test bed of for the 645-engine in the mid-60s.. Thus I gave chase to get some good broadside shots to show the lack of the characteristic "porches" of the production SD-40s.

After we left Sevens Point, we were in new territory for both of us. We had seen the station in Wausau as the symbol of an insurance company, Wausau Insurance, so we agree to try and find that station and get a picture. The station symbol was first introduced as the symbol of the company in 1954. This turns out to be the C&NW station. The MILW station was used as the model. It is a couple of miles away. Near this station was a lattice truss bridge on a diagonal with a water fall beneath.

As we pass back through Stevens Point, we find a train switching at the east end of the yard with 2 IC engines, one, a SD40-2 in CN colors, sublettered IC, and another, a GP40 in traditional IC black.

Before leaving Stevens Point, we get this shot of the former SOO Line station and division office buildings.

At Wisconsin Rapids, we did not see any rail action but stopped at the rapids to see them. I also saw this beautiful Victorian home overlooking the rapids, dam, and river front industries.

We headed due south when we left Wisconsin Rapids and passed through Adams, WI wherre we crossed the ex-C&NW, now UP. A train sat on the main just west of the crossing but the sun was far too low to shoot it so I had to settle for this view of the terminal/yard office/station, whatever.

As spring sprung this week, we got up to a warm day with no rain and decided to head north and west to LaCrosse and a trip across the Mississippi River into Minnesota. We got off the highway and drove downtown and the station. For a couple of years, the City of Middleton operated a diner train to here with WSOR decorated equipment. The passengers got off the train and walk to the Old Mill Cafe about a block away.

In an attempt to see new country, we took the back roads, turning off US14 just west of Richland Center, heading to the Mississippi River. We discovered this small town in a valley. There was once a branch of the MILW through town. We discovered a Railroad Street.

There had been some fog in Madison when we left but when we got close to the Mississippi River is was covered in a thick fog. We stopped for a few minutes in Ferryville at the wildlife observation platform. We continued our up the river along side of the tracks to La Crosse without seeing any trains. As soon as the highway turned away from the tracks a north bound freight roared through La Crosse.

We discovered this caboose along a siding acting as a billboard.

This is the drawbridge from French Island toward La Crosse, WI across a leg of the Mississippi River.

This CB&Q Hudson sits along side of US53 in La Crosse, WI. The tower that once stood at the crossing has been preserved.

We dropped by the Amtrak station.

While attempting to find the head-end, we discovered the BNSF (ex-CB&Q) yard and several engines within view through openings in the fence with signs announcing the penalty for trespassing. At the top are a pair of GP39Ms in the latest BNSF paint scheme. Next are a pair of remote controlled locomotives, as indicated by signs on the engines and the bright yellow sign on the fence. Then appears another GP39M in the new paint scheme. There was also a leased SD40T-2 in Rio Grande paint sublettered NREX. The last was the real find, a red warbonnet GE. As is so often the case, the air conditioner behind the cab is in orange and the red has faded to pink.

Another find in this time is the late model SD9 #1717.

The former Milwaukee freight house is now the Freighthouse Restaurant, including a couple of former passenger cars, one ex-MILW and one ex-CB&Q..

On our return trip we stopped at the tunnel at Tunnel City where the CP, formerly MILW, and UP, formerly C&NW share a tunnel. Until it collapsed, the C&NW had their own parallel tunnel, just to the right out of this scene.