Wisconsin Railroads
In early July Anita and I travelled to Wisconsin to visit family and attend a high school class reunion. Being a railfan, I did my best to find trains wherever I could but unfortunately, the Canadian National doesn't run a lot of traffic down the Minneapolis sub. When I wasn't looking for CN or UP trains, I hunted the Wisconsin Northern.
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
	Wednesday's 406 crests the hill at Boyd, Wisconsin, crossing county hiway D behind a pair of SD40-3's. This was the first CN train I saw this trip. Naturally this east-bound train is running late in the day, so the picture winds up being badly backlit. I need to find a better spot. I found a photographic WC roster (click here) that might be of interest to some viewers.
Thursday, July 6, 2006
	I zipped over to CF yard, in Chippewa Falls, early and found this pulp load in the west yard.
	By the time Thursday's 406 showed up, I'd had time to find a marginally better place to shoot him, just east of Boyd. Only problem is he's got a roll on after cresting the hill, and once he's by there's not much chance of catching him again without a lot of driving. No, thanks, not with this light.
	WCL 6004, in original Wisconsin Central paint, is second out, and CN-IC 6122 is third. Nice to see three SD-40's of one variety or another, even if not in matching paint. It would be great if Train 406's west-bound counterpart would come through in this light; would make a nice pic.
	I was interested to find that they had picked up the pulp load that I saw this morning in CF. I was in Fifield the next week, and saw a lot of these articulated log haulers being loaded there.
Friday, July 7, 2006
	With nothing happening in Chippewa Falls, I took a drive to Altoona to see what was shaking there. Not much. As I drove up, I saw this guy drifting east with a cut of lumber racks. Stopping to grab a pic, I notice an absense of noise from the engine. "Aha," says I, "they're pushing him from the other end." Directly they uncouple the mute engine and pull back west to a switch.
	This is the lad who was pushing. and a track crew was working over in the west end of the yard.
	Once the cut of cars was spotted where they wanted it, the crew took the engine back and coupled onto the 909, then tied up and went on into the yard office. That was the last engine movement I saw there that day.
	Well, the trains weren't running but a rail inspector was given clearance to do his thing on the Chippewa Falls Sub. So I headed out to Hallie to wait for him. I waited.... and waited.... and waited. Finally he showed up. Whoopee!
	Coming back to CF Yard, I find this guy working up in the west yard.
	Working, working, working...
	When he finally gets down to where I'm waiting, I find an IC "Deathstar" in charge of the train.
	With 3107's crew making up their minds about when to leave CF Yard, I decide to see if anything has happened up at Norma. I find all three of the WN locos tied up in the wye there.
	Hearing that 3107 has to set some cars out at the warehouse east of CF, I head out of town and catch him at the Wissota Hydro grade crossing.
	With his work done he approached the grade crossing and I noticed the specialty number plates 3107 carries.
	406 had to follow IC3107 east, account the local was short on hours and needed to get home. I waited for 406 just west of Cadott, catching this going-away shot.
Saturday, July 8, 2006
	Train 406 on Saturday evening, just east of Boyd.
	Third unit out was WC SD40-2 # 6004. I saw this guy a number of times on this run.
Sunday, July 9, 2006
	Here's the 406 from Sunday evening, caught again just east of Boyd. The IC 6013, like the WC 6004, seemed to be permanently assigned to this run.
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