On Track, with Deano
- Thread starter UP SD40-2
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Jim, the Gas Turbine is BY FAR my favorite engine there:thumb: , though there are so many that come in second:winki::119: . the IRM changes every year, they just keep adding to it, every time i go there is ALWAYS something new:thumb: .
nutbar, i would love to be a tour director there!:mrgreen: really, i didn't give you folks a "tour"
ops: , just put a VERY SMALL number of their engines up:winki: . when i go this year i will take pics of the MANY other neat things they have there besides just engines, THEN i will give you folks the "tour":thumb::mrgreen: .
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ON MY SIDE OF THE TRACKS...
I have been making SOME progress on my GERN:thumb: , and while i have been letting things dry on that project, i have been working on my Y3:thumb: , i hope to have some progress shots up by this coming weekend:winki::mrgreen: .
:deano: -Deano
nutbar, i would love to be a tour director there!:mrgreen: really, i didn't give you folks a "tour"
ops: , just put a VERY SMALL number of their engines up:winki: . when i go this year i will take pics of the MANY other neat things they have there besides just engines, THEN i will give you folks the "tour":thumb::mrgreen: .****************************************************
ON MY SIDE OF THE TRACKS...
I have been making SOME progress on my GERN:thumb: , and while i have been letting things dry on that project, i have been working on my Y3:thumb: , i hope to have some progress shots up by this coming weekend:winki::mrgreen: .
:deano: -Deano
musings
A lot of this is maybe historical-like, but it all stems from and centers around Fairbanks-Morse in Beloit, Wisconsin. A bit of background first. I was born in 1930, moved to Beloit at my ripe old age of 6 weeks. My dad worked at F-M from then on. I will pass on these scribblings as seen thru the eyes of a kid from first memory to 15 years.
Beloit had numerous industries, but F-M was THE one. In '34 & '35, no car, so my dad walked to work. I judge now at several miles. We moved to Shopiere, a little town 6-7 miles out. That made me a country kid, and about as unknowing and naive as they come.
F-M made submarine engines, and during the war years the factory really bloomed. All along Park Ave was workers parking. Then a huge building went up and cut out a bunch of space.
In 1945 (?) there was a diesel locomotive sittin not a hundred feet from the fence, idling. I don't think I had ever seen a diesel loco, and the sheer size and rumbling power was far and beyond what this little kid could ever have imagined. Brand spanking new. Unbelieveable. Like something out of the future. I don't believe I'll ever see a 14-15 year old bug-eyed about anything nowadays as I was about that.
I'll attach a picture of the bridge close to me that I have walked over and played on many a time.
If there is any interest, I can add a bit more musings and nostalgia about Beloit and F-Ms effect on it.
Lynn
A lot of this is maybe historical-like, but it all stems from and centers around Fairbanks-Morse in Beloit, Wisconsin. A bit of background first. I was born in 1930, moved to Beloit at my ripe old age of 6 weeks. My dad worked at F-M from then on. I will pass on these scribblings as seen thru the eyes of a kid from first memory to 15 years.
Beloit had numerous industries, but F-M was THE one. In '34 & '35, no car, so my dad walked to work. I judge now at several miles. We moved to Shopiere, a little town 6-7 miles out. That made me a country kid, and about as unknowing and naive as they come.
F-M made submarine engines, and during the war years the factory really bloomed. All along Park Ave was workers parking. Then a huge building went up and cut out a bunch of space.
In 1945 (?) there was a diesel locomotive sittin not a hundred feet from the fence, idling. I don't think I had ever seen a diesel loco, and the sheer size and rumbling power was far and beyond what this little kid could ever have imagined. Brand spanking new. Unbelieveable. Like something out of the future. I don't believe I'll ever see a 14-15 year old bug-eyed about anything nowadays as I was about that.
I'll attach a picture of the bridge close to me that I have walked over and played on many a time.
If there is any interest, I can add a bit more musings and nostalgia about Beloit and F-Ms effect on it.
Lynn
Attachments
What a great bridge! Do you know if it still stands today?
And yes, I, too, would be interested in more.
George
And yes, I, too, would be interested in more.
George
Hey Deano..!! Great pictures...as always....:thumb:
Love 'em all but that Burlington E5 is really sharp...
But what in tarnations is that plug of an engine #1603, and that double-nose #21..??:cry:
Looking forward to seeing your Y steamer all "decked out"....
Love 'em all but that Burlington E5 is really sharp...
But what in tarnations is that plug of an engine #1603, and that double-nose #21..??:cry:
Looking forward to seeing your Y steamer all "decked out"....
The 21 is a Baldwin DT6-6-2000, I believe, formerly of the Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern. I didn't see a 1603, Gus, but the 1630 is a "Russian" Decapod, formerly from the 'Frisco, I think.
Wayne
Wayne, Thank You! for filling Gus in on the model of Baldwin that was:thumb: , i knew it was a Baldwin:winki: , but didn't know the modelops: .
Gus, THANK YOU!:smilie: , and the Milwaukee Road engine #1603 is an Alco:thumb: , though i don't remember the modelops: ....:119:
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OK FOLKS...most of this is directed to Lynn:winki: , but your interest might be there too:smilie: .
Lynn had PMed me with that bit of history last night, and i asked him if he would Please post it here:winki::mrgreen: , Lynn, i am SO GLAD YOU DID!!!:thumb::mrgreen: I told you there would be interest:winki::mrgreen::mrgreen: . as i mentioned last night in my PM back to you, PLEASE FEEL FREE to post your "musings" HERE, ANYTIME!:thumb::thumb::thumb: .
Lynn, i love the pic you posted of the Tiffany bridge!:thumb: WOW!:eeki: i cant believe there was so much water under it:eeki: , there is barely even a crick under it today:cry: . (Folks, that bridge STILL STANDS, and STILL IS USED:winki: , that was part of the CNW line, now its used by Union Pacific:thumb::mrgreen: ).
What i like best, besides the Old history you are providing, is the fact i know EXACTLY all the areas & streets you mention, since i too am from Beloit, and am back living here again:thumb: .
MANY on my Ma's side of the family worked at Fairbanks-Morse:thumb: , my Great Grandfather, Grandfather, and many of my Great uncles worked there:mrgreen: .
Hey Lynn, my grandpa gave my dad a Fairbanks-Morse "rotary" book, it looks to have every person that worked in the Beloit FM plants name, and dates they worked there:eeki: , if you give me your Dads name, i would be HAPPY to look it up, and post the page this weekend:winki: . i was going to post the page that has MY family members that worked there in it, but i will wait until i check yours, and will post BOTH of them:thumb: , if i can find your Dads name in the book:smilie: .
Lynn, i am working in whats left of the old "Yates American" plant:mrgreen: (now its STE) , do you remember that place?
, it WAS THE FIRST BUILDING across 4th street on the spur right off the CNW line that went down 5th street:winki: . heres how it went, the spur went by Yates American, switched off to the Beloit Corp, went across the bridge to service coal to the Power plant(on 51), and then went up the hill right to Fairbanks-Morse:mrgreen: .
(NOW, the ONLY CNW tracks left in Beloit are on the property of my workplace:eeki::mrgreen: , the rest has been tore up, and is...a bike path:roller: .)
Lynn, you mentioned the Interurbans that ran here in Beloit in your PM to me last night, could you Please expand on that any? the last of the trolley barns burned up when i was around 10/12 from bums that lived there:roller: . i am a little familiar with them, they ran down Kenwood(two blocks from where i grew up:winki: ), my Grandfather grew up on Kenwood when he was just a kid, they went right in front of his childhood house:thumb: . believe it or not, you can STILL see EXACTLY where the tracks ran right down the middle of the street:eeki: , though they have been covered up many times, the cracks where they were just keep coming back:thumb: .
THANKS LYNN!:smilie: I am looking forward to MORE of your "chats":thumb::mrgreen: .
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ON MY SIDE OF THE TRACKS...
After Lynn's PM last night, and his post on here today, i am really wanting to take some shots of the FM plant, and areas we have talked about, so YOU FOLKS have an idea what were saying:winki::smilie: .
Sadly, most of it is long gone:frowns: , at one time Beloit was a BIG train town, the Milwaukee Road, and CNW both had mainlines right through it, both had stations, only about five blocks apart from each other, Interurbans ran the streets, it was really something:winki::mrgreen: , now, the interurbans have been long gone, the CNW line is gone, but the Milwaukee Road line still is here, parts of it is owned by UP, most of it is owned by ICE.
Fairbanks-Morse is still here:thumb: , it still carries the name, but it is now a subsidiary of "Enpro" . they STILL make ship engines, Union Pacific has the contract to service that plant, though the rails that run into the plant are ICE's, UP has rights on them.
I would love to tell you folks I'll have pics of the stuff Lynn and i have been talking about this weekend:mrgreen: , but looking at the forecast...dont hold your breath:frowns: , cross your fingers for good weather:winki: .
Till NEXT time...STAY ON TRACK!:mrgreen:
:deano: -Deano
ops: .Gus, THANK YOU!:smilie: , and the Milwaukee Road engine #1603 is an Alco:thumb: , though i don't remember the model
ops: ....:119:*****************************************************
OK FOLKS...most of this is directed to Lynn:winki: , but your interest might be there too:smilie: .
Lynn had PMed me with that bit of history last night, and i asked him if he would Please post it here:winki::mrgreen: , Lynn, i am SO GLAD YOU DID!!!:thumb::mrgreen: I told you there would be interest:winki::mrgreen::mrgreen: . as i mentioned last night in my PM back to you, PLEASE FEEL FREE to post your "musings" HERE, ANYTIME!:thumb::thumb::thumb: .
Lynn, i love the pic you posted of the Tiffany bridge!:thumb: WOW!:eeki: i cant believe there was so much water under it:eeki: , there is barely even a crick under it today:cry: . (Folks, that bridge STILL STANDS, and STILL IS USED:winki: , that was part of the CNW line, now its used by Union Pacific:thumb::mrgreen: ).
What i like best, besides the Old history you are providing, is the fact i know EXACTLY all the areas & streets you mention, since i too am from Beloit, and am back living here again:thumb: .
MANY on my Ma's side of the family worked at Fairbanks-Morse:thumb: , my Great Grandfather, Grandfather, and many of my Great uncles worked there:mrgreen: .
Hey Lynn, my grandpa gave my dad a Fairbanks-Morse "rotary" book, it looks to have every person that worked in the Beloit FM plants name, and dates they worked there:eeki: , if you give me your Dads name, i would be HAPPY to look it up, and post the page this weekend:winki: . i was going to post the page that has MY family members that worked there in it, but i will wait until i check yours, and will post BOTH of them:thumb: , if i can find your Dads name in the book:smilie: .
Lynn, i am working in whats left of the old "Yates American" plant:mrgreen: (now its STE) , do you remember that place?
, it WAS THE FIRST BUILDING across 4th street on the spur right off the CNW line that went down 5th street:winki: . heres how it went, the spur went by Yates American, switched off to the Beloit Corp, went across the bridge to service coal to the Power plant(on 51), and then went up the hill right to Fairbanks-Morse:mrgreen: . (NOW, the ONLY CNW tracks left in Beloit are on the property of my workplace:eeki::mrgreen: , the rest has been tore up, and is...a bike path:roller: .)
Lynn, you mentioned the Interurbans that ran here in Beloit in your PM to me last night, could you Please expand on that any?
the last of the trolley barns burned up when i was around 10/12 from bums that lived there:roller: . i am a little familiar with them, they ran down Kenwood(two blocks from where i grew up:winki: ), my Grandfather grew up on Kenwood when he was just a kid, they went right in front of his childhood house:thumb: . believe it or not, you can STILL see EXACTLY where the tracks ran right down the middle of the street:eeki: , though they have been covered up many times, the cracks where they were just keep coming back:thumb: .THANKS LYNN!:smilie: I am looking forward to MORE of your "chats":thumb::mrgreen: .
******************************************************
ON MY SIDE OF THE TRACKS...
After Lynn's PM last night, and his post on here today, i am really wanting to take some shots of the FM plant, and areas we have talked about, so YOU FOLKS have an idea what were saying:winki::smilie: .
Sadly, most of it is long gone:frowns: , at one time Beloit was a BIG train town, the Milwaukee Road, and CNW both had mainlines right through it, both had stations, only about five blocks apart from each other, Interurbans ran the streets, it was really something:winki::mrgreen: , now, the interurbans have been long gone, the CNW line is gone, but the Milwaukee Road line still is here, parts of it is owned by UP, most of it is owned by ICE.
Fairbanks-Morse is still here:thumb: , it still carries the name, but it is now a subsidiary of "Enpro" . they STILL make ship engines, Union Pacific has the contract to service that plant, though the rails that run into the plant are ICE's, UP has rights on them.
I would love to tell you folks I'll have pics of the stuff Lynn and i have been talking about this weekend:mrgreen: , but looking at the forecast...dont hold your breath:frowns: , cross your fingers for good weather:winki: .
Till NEXT time...STAY ON TRACK!:mrgreen:
:deano: -Deano
Attachments
Doh! wall1 I was looking for a steamer and completely missed the Milwaukee Road switcher. It's an Alco HH660.
Wayne
An Alco HH660!!:thumb: THANKS WAYNE!:thumb::mrgreen: i couldnt remember what it was
ops::119: .More musings and reminiscing
Things and scenery have changed drastically from my remembrances. Don't take me at my word for distances as I am judging by what it seemed to be to a 5 year old. On Dewey St., our house had only a driveway where the street would eventually be. I would stand on the front porch and watch trains, and the interurban between Janesville and Beloit. Never did understand why the interurbans never blew smoke like the trains did. They were about 3/4 of a mile away, towards the east, and in the mornings I could get perfect silhouettes of them.
Like Deano said, that Tiffany bridge is still standing and in use. There was a dam at Shopiere where I lived from age 5-15. That dam is now gone, and I imagine Turtle Creek up above it is only a stream. Anyway, what I remember, a couple hundred yards west of that bridge was Tiffany, a tiny, tiny town, a bar, store, and Seversons coal and feed. At one time it was a real depot, and lore has it that when the train crossed that bridge it really slowed down. A man on the train, thinking they were about in the station, jumped off the train and fell to his death in the water below. It was told to me as an actual happaning. I faintly recall that it was a soldier returning home from WW1.
The depot at Tiffany was named the Shopiere depot. Now mind you, Shopiere was a mile or two down the road, across the creek from Tiffany, and nowhere near the RR. I'm enclosing a picture of the depot.
Another thing, Henry Ave was on the north end of F-M, went down a hill and dead ended at Hwy 51 (Riverside Drive). It now goes across the river as the 4th St bridge. There was at one time a RR bridge across that very spot. I remember us walking to church, going across that bridge, and my dad carrying me on his shoulders . A 5YO was scared of falling between the ties and into the river. That must have been removed very shortly thereafter. I cannot now understand why it was there since it would have a hill to go up in order to get to Fairbanks, or turn north, and just parallel a track on the west side of the river.
F-M was instrumental in civic things. The park ftom Henry Ave south along the river, and paralleling F-M factory, down past the lagoon, was the city dump. It was ghastly. Some time around 1936-37 F-M got the city to cover it all over and it became a park
You young whipper-snappers with your slushbucket Xmissions can't realize the ride of a Model A on gravel roads. The first time I got on a train, at the station by the high school, it eased off and I didn't realize we were moving until I looked out the window. I was dumbfounded to say the least to feel how smooth the ride was. Don't even think about asking me what I had expected. Kids today are so knowledgeable about so many things, but I was a country bumpkin that attended a 2 room schoolhouse where they taught all 8 grades.
That's all for now
Lynn
Things and scenery have changed drastically from my remembrances. Don't take me at my word for distances as I am judging by what it seemed to be to a 5 year old. On Dewey St., our house had only a driveway where the street would eventually be. I would stand on the front porch and watch trains, and the interurban between Janesville and Beloit. Never did understand why the interurbans never blew smoke like the trains did. They were about 3/4 of a mile away, towards the east, and in the mornings I could get perfect silhouettes of them.
Like Deano said, that Tiffany bridge is still standing and in use. There was a dam at Shopiere where I lived from age 5-15. That dam is now gone, and I imagine Turtle Creek up above it is only a stream. Anyway, what I remember, a couple hundred yards west of that bridge was Tiffany, a tiny, tiny town, a bar, store, and Seversons coal and feed. At one time it was a real depot, and lore has it that when the train crossed that bridge it really slowed down. A man on the train, thinking they were about in the station, jumped off the train and fell to his death in the water below. It was told to me as an actual happaning. I faintly recall that it was a soldier returning home from WW1.
The depot at Tiffany was named the Shopiere depot. Now mind you, Shopiere was a mile or two down the road, across the creek from Tiffany, and nowhere near the RR. I'm enclosing a picture of the depot.
Another thing, Henry Ave was on the north end of F-M, went down a hill and dead ended at Hwy 51 (Riverside Drive). It now goes across the river as the 4th St bridge. There was at one time a RR bridge across that very spot. I remember us walking to church, going across that bridge, and my dad carrying me on his shoulders . A 5YO was scared of falling between the ties and into the river. That must have been removed very shortly thereafter. I cannot now understand why it was there since it would have a hill to go up in order to get to Fairbanks, or turn north, and just parallel a track on the west side of the river.
F-M was instrumental in civic things. The park ftom Henry Ave south along the river, and paralleling F-M factory, down past the lagoon, was the city dump. It was ghastly. Some time around 1936-37 F-M got the city to cover it all over and it became a park
You young whipper-snappers with your slushbucket Xmissions can't realize the ride of a Model A on gravel roads. The first time I got on a train, at the station by the high school, it eased off and I didn't realize we were moving until I looked out the window. I was dumbfounded to say the least to feel how smooth the ride was. Don't even think about asking me what I had expected. Kids today are so knowledgeable about so many things, but I was a country bumpkin that attended a 2 room schoolhouse where they taught all 8 grades.
That's all for now
Lynn
Attachments
GREAT STUFF Lynn!:thumb::mrgreen: THANKS for posting it!:mrgreen::mrgreen:
I didn't know the interurbans went to Janesville, i knew they went all over town, but didn't realize they went that far out:eeki: .
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i had planned on getting some recent shots of the Tiffany bridge this weekend since its only a couple miles away, but were supposed to get 4-7'' of snow(will winter ever end?:frowns: )Friday, so i probably wont get any shots till the next weekend:frowns: . if we get the snow they are calling for, looks like I'll be getting more done on my modeling projects, instead of taking pics.
:deano: -Deano
I didn't know the interurbans went to Janesville, i knew they went all over town, but didn't realize they went that far out:eeki: .
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i had planned on getting some recent shots of the Tiffany bridge this weekend since its only a couple miles away, but were supposed to get 4-7'' of snow(will winter ever end?:frowns: )Friday, so i probably wont get any shots till the next weekend:frowns: . if we get the snow they are calling for, looks like I'll be getting more done on my modeling projects, instead of taking pics.
:deano: -Deano
The Baldwin DT6-6-2000 of the IRM is the last existing engine of this type. If anyone is interested to know more about the Baldwin DT6-6-2000, here is an article from a magazine from 1946 about this engine: The Baldwin Diesel Zone - A 2000 hp Workhorse in Action
Deano, looking forward to your tour of the IRM. Looks like they have an amazing collection of old engines. Wish I could go there ....ops:
Deano, looking forward to your tour of the IRM. Looks like they have an amazing collection of old engines. Wish I could go there ....
ops:Hey Kurt...Great info on that B'win ugly-duckling. Got any more on the less-than-popular (or well known) early diesels..?
GERN Progress...some
Kurt:wav: , THANKS!, for posting the link on the Baldwin, GREAT STUFF!!!:thumb::mrgreen: . I think I'll consider that the "Spotlight" for this week:thumb::mrgreen::mrgreen: .
Kurt, thats only one of quite a few "last one left's" the IRM has:winki: , its TRULY a FANTSTIC place:thumb::mrgreen: .
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ON MY SIDE OF THE TRACKS...
Well. i have made SOME progress on MY GERN:mrgreen: , DONT get to excited though:eeki: , i still am so far from being done it aint even funny:119: , and the pics i am posting are ONLY progress shots, no award winning pics hereops: .
I have TONS left to do on the buildings, still have to put signage up, weather the parking lot some more, put in the tanker loading area, paint my liquid Flux holding tanks and weather them, and add a multitude of assorted detail parts around the whole GERN property:winki: .(i really need to come up with a whole NEW backdrop tooops: )
ANYWAYS...like i said, NO award winning shotsops: , just showing SOME progress:winki::119: . Remember folks, "If its GERN, IT'S GOOD!":thumb::mrgreen:
Till next time...stay On Track:winki:
:deano: -Deano
Kurt:wav: , THANKS!, for posting the link on the Baldwin, GREAT STUFF!!!:thumb::mrgreen: . I think I'll consider that the "Spotlight" for this week:thumb::mrgreen::mrgreen: .
Kurt, thats only one of quite a few "last one left's" the IRM has:winki: , its TRULY a FANTSTIC place:thumb::mrgreen: .
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ON MY SIDE OF THE TRACKS...
Well. i have made SOME progress on MY GERN:mrgreen: , DONT get to excited though:eeki: , i still am so far from being done it aint even funny:119: , and the pics i am posting are ONLY progress shots, no award winning pics here
ops: .I have TONS left to do on the buildings, still have to put signage up, weather the parking lot some more, put in the tanker loading area, paint my liquid Flux holding tanks and weather them, and add a multitude of assorted detail parts around the whole GERN property:winki: .(i really need to come up with a whole NEW backdrop too
ops: )ANYWAYS...like i said, NO award winning shots
ops: , just showing SOME progress:winki::119: . Remember folks, "If its GERN, IT'S GOOD!":thumb::mrgreen:Till next time...stay On Track:winki:
:deano: -Deano
Deano, even though these are only progress shots, your GERN plant already looks fantastic :thumb::thumb::thumb:. It was a very good idea to use this old factory for your plant. Can’t wait to see it finished.
Gus, do you know The Yardlimit? It is an interesting site with information on all the switchers from the first boxcab diesels to modern engines. Yard Limit - Diesel Switcher Spotter's Guide
Gus, do you know The Yardlimit? It is an interesting site with information on all the switchers from the first boxcab diesels to modern engines. Yard Limit - Diesel Switcher Spotter's Guide
Deano, your GERN plant progress pics look at least 3% better every time that you post. 
:-D:-D:-D
Wayne
:-D:-D:-DWayne