Wisconsin Central - Heritage Division

[Lemosteam]

At the risk of not reading all 17 pages to look rfor a track plan, I sincerely hope you are or will be representing the Madison wye crossing on the south lake (cant recall the name of the body of water).

My daughter just moved to Madison for her doctorate in medical Physics and visiting her there (she is just east of the wye), I am finding myself wanting to model that badly.  It's just such an iconic railroad feature to me, every time I drive by.  She live just on the other side, on the hill above the dog park, tennis courts and hears WC locals go by all the time.  What a module that could be.

[w neal]

To the best of my knowledge, the WC never touched Madison. The lake crossing is certainly a very famous railroad feature given it's location. It's well known nationally, and not just locally.

Others have modeled the lake crossing very well. But since the WC never went to town, I will not be. Now if I were modeling the WSOR, it'd be very tempting.

Glad the locale inspires you. Beware, this is how projects get started. Some places just scream "model me!" Everytime I visit Waupaca Wisconsin, it's much the same. I gave the town and it's environs an entire basement wall, it was so inspiring.

My focus is the 56, or so, miles between Neenah and Stevens Point (and a bit more). This was the original Wisconsin Central mainline, hence my son suggesting the name Heritage Division. Sorry there is no layout diagram. I'm not a draftsman. Someday...

[TLOC]

Wow, been living in a suburb of Madison since 2014 and never knew about the wye as described Lemostream. I know very well the area he described as the wife and I at least weekly go by there.

Bill your representation of Neenah to Point is so spot on. Brings back memories of driving on old Hwy 10 and visiting Waupaca and Weyawega plus other towns along my favorite RR the WC.

Thanks for the memories. Even in the Madison area I still model the WC’s Valley Sub from Junction City to Wausau

Tom

[sd45elect2000]

At the risk of not reading all 17 pages to look rfor a track plan, I sincerely hope you are or will be representing the Madison wye crossing on the south lake (cant recall the name of the body of water).

My daughter just moved to Madison for her doctorate in medical Physics and visiting her there (she is just east of the wye), I am finding myself wanting to model that badly.  It's just such an iconic railroad feature to me, every time I drive by.  She live just on the other side, on the hill above the dog park, tennis courts and hears WC locals go by all the time.  What a module that could be.

That is the Wisconsin Southern ex Milwaukee road and CNW. The lake Mendota crossing has long been a favorite.

[w neal]

Here is an example of what helps inspire me. W&LE SD40 leads a northbound ore train at south Neenah yard on this weekend in 2001.







And thanks TLOC. I too share share your fond memories of driving along US-10 (the old version) and watching WC trains.

[w neal]

I couldn't resist posting another one from that trip. Check out this combination of a westbound (southbound) ore train also at Neenah on a "beautiful" but typical Wisconsin day. It's a former SP, (now CEFX SD45), CSX SD40-2, and of course an WC SD45 pulling this train. Ah variety.

[sd45elect2000]

6608 got me in trouble on nasty winter day (much like today in New England). in fact, the memory is so clear I still use 6608 as one of my PIN numbers for things. 6608 was having trouble with ground relay tripping for several weeks. The shop at Stevens Point looked at it, various electricians at N. Fond Du Lac looked at it and soon enough it was my turn to look at it. I really didn't find anything, so I released it back into service and of course it failed.

My next plan was to ride the engine after installing some wires and insulators that I could remove while enroute to isolate the issue. At the time I was working third shift, so I made all of the plans and modifications I needed to quickly isolate the issue during my shift. The train 6608 was placed on was one of the jobs that we interchanged at CSX Barr yard. The train was ready to leave the yard around 9 am so I got a ride to the yard and got on. keep in mind I've been on duty now for 10 hours and awake for much longer.

I settled into the cab, turned the heaters on and away we went. I was in the third engine in the consist and could follow along with the radio. Up Byron hill no issue so I pulled an isolator for number two motor, BANG, immediate ground trip!

I reinstalled the insulators for number two motor when we met a westbound train near Lomira. Off we went again, no issues at all so once again I pulled the insulators from the number two motor circuit BANG !! ground trip again. I knew that the issue was solved or at least isolated to a specific motor circuit. Now I have had about 8 hours left to ride this train to Chicago with not much else to do. A combination of the 20-cylinder EMD and the warm cab heaters soon had me sound asleep. so sound that when the train arrived at Barr yard I was in a deep sleep, I missed the WC crew departing and the CSX crew getting on, so I was interchanged along with the train! When I finally did wake up, I wasn't on the WC anymore I was lost. The CSX train stopped in Indiana someplace and I got off and was promptly taken to the yard office where I had to explain to the terminal super how I got there. He made a call to my boss and then I had to explain why I wasn't going to be at work that night, it was unpleasant. Up to that point it was my fastest trip from hero to zero.

It was decided to return me to the WC the same way I got there so a CSX crew with three WC engines picked me up and off we went towards Chicago but not before the CSX super gave me a map of Chicago railroads. The CSX crew also thought I should have a map. The Barr Yard yardmaster gave me another one, The WC super at Shiller Park gave me a Map of the WC, I even got a nice bunch of maps from Ed Burkhardt's office in Rosemont along with a digital alarm clock.

The number two motor on 6608 was changed in the next couple of days and on its first trip it behaved well so the issue was no more.  It was suggested that I move to the Stevens Point shop to prevent me from wondering off the WC, but the only real conclusion was that I have a massive collection of maps !
Randy

[w neal]

Ha! Wow. What a trek Randy! If I decide to paint up one of my SD45s with that number, I'll have you autograph it. Not a happy memory for you, I realize. But memorable indeed.

Got more LEDs mounted for the lower level. Pardon me. It's a happy moment to go from staring at this scene for 10 plus years...







To seeing this:





Progress. Now some scenery eh?

[sd45elect2000]

Ha! Wow. What a trek Randy! If I decide to paint up one of my SD45s with that number, I'll have you autograph it. Not a happy memory for you, I realize. But memorable indeed.

Got more LEDs mounted for the lower level. Pardon me. It's a happy moment to go from staring at this scene for 10 plus years...







To seeing this:





Progress. Now some scenery eh?

All my WC memories are happy ones, at least this event I couldn't be prosecuted for.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What a story.

My only Neenah story involves an unnecessary trip there in the middle of January to launch Kleenex.com (doing nothing that couldn't have been done remotely) in the middle of the night.

I knew it was trouble when it's 0° and the lady at the hotel desk is talking about the pleasantly warm weather.

Usually I try to work in some railfanning on work trips. Not that time.

[w neal]

Since turning the lights on in the above photo, I have been inspired to indeed get something accomplished on it. In real life, the place is named Amherst Junction. In Soo Line days, it wasn't just a clever name. Here the Green Bay & Western passed over the Soo. Actually, it was the Soo that tunneled under the GB&W. There was a shared depot here and as a result of this tunnelling, the depot had two platforms connected by a stairway and freight elevator. Pictured is the east portal.







Of course in WC days, the depot was long gone, but a cement foundation or two remains. It seems only prudent then to include a version of the crumbling remains. The rail archaeologist in me loves stuff like that. I think a portion of the original GB&W platform railing remains on the upper level of the junction as well, albeit well hidden among some foliage. Here is a view of the remains of the lower level platform of the depot today.







And here is a view of the west face of the tunnel or underpass. Hopefully I can recreate a decent approximation of it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I love "you'd never believe what used to be here" stuff like this.

[keeper]

I have a question or two....
What was formerly the Soo Line, is that now CN trackage?
The tracks/spur for Oldcastle Lawn & Garden Midwest, were they connected to both, Soo and GB&W?

Thomas 

[w neal]

Sorry. I was not clear on that. Yes, Soo Line (now CN) on the lower line. GB&W on the upper line. All industries you see there today formerly served off the GB&W mainline. GB&W was bought out by WC who severed the GB&W mainline around here, (a move that would later come back to bite them). The WC rebuilt the interchange track here to keep service to the industries in town.

[keeper]

Ok, thank you.

Thomas