Mid-Continent Railroad Museum-North Freedom, WI

[AndyWS]

Visited the Mid-Continent Railroad Museum the weekend before last. Posted a sort of "photographic tour" up on my blog:

http://ayaredubya.blogspot.com/2006/08/saturday-august-19-in-sauk-county.html

 

[UP SD40-2]

Andy, THANKS for the link:thumb: , real NICE picture tour you have done:thumb: . i think the last time i was there, i was about 10(31yrs ago). THANKS! -Deano

 

[AndyWS]

Glad you liked 'em Deano. It had been awhile since I'd been there too (12 years), which is why I thought we ought to stop by. I modified the post a bit, fixed some typos and added another picture that I'd forgotten to upload (of #1385's smokebox cover).

As a fellow Wisconsinite and UP fan, perhaps you can shed some light on why the UP locomotives I see on Wisconsin & Southern and Wisconsin Central LTD tracks always seem to be pulling M.O.W./ballast trains? I don't ever see UP locomotives on other trains, nor WSOR/WC engines on ballast trains. I have been wondering about this for awhile.

Here is such a train in the yard at Madison, with one of your namesake locomotives.

 

[UP SD40-2]

Andy, not sure what the deal is up there , but i can tell you this, UP has trackage rights with IC&E HERE IN BELOIT!(UP also has there own tracks here):thumb:...AND, in Janesville UP and WSOR share the rails in spots. i have seen UP engines at the WSOR roundhouse in Janesville MANY TIMES!:thumb: the WSOR roundhouse is just 50yds from the hobby shop i go to! UP, WSOR and IC&E have interchange tracks in Janesville. UP also has the "Harvard Sub" yard in Janesville. and last, but NOT least, UP services GM in Janesville, and Fairbanks-Morse here in Beloit . i know it dont help you with your neck of the woods, but gives you insight to mine . funny you see WC engines?, they were bought out by the SOO. BTW, NICE PIC!!! -Deano

 

[kf4jqd]

Hi Andy. This is also Andy! I was in North Freedom in March 2005. I have some pictures of my trip on my web site: http://www.geocities.com/andystrains/ Did you see that old Rock Island wooden caboose? I was very impressed with their operations. During that time I was there, I went to Madison. WI model railroad fair.

Andy

 

[kf4jqd]

The UP also has trackage in Wisconsin Rapids. It feeds the paper mill there. The WC/CN has tracks near that goes to the Stevens Point yard. I use to live in Edgar (near Wausau), Wisconsin.

Andy

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I don't know anything about your area to be able to give you an authorative answer, but since the U.P. is a much bigger system than the W.C., I wonder if the ballast is quarried somewhere else on the U.P. system and then imported to the W.C. by the U.P.?