Railfanning on the WC

[AndyWS]

A couple pictures my mother took of me videotaping an eastbound freight train at Junction City, Wisconsin on October 11, 2003. One of these days I'll get the video online.

WC #6550 is an SD45. All told there were four locomotives and almost 100 cars.

 

[kf4jqd]

Been there!:thumb: When I lived in Edgar, WI, my ex and I would go to Wisconsin Rapids for a doctors appointment. We went that way! Have you tried the Stevens Point Yard? Also Wisconsin Rapids has both WC and UP rail traffic! Also if you go to Rothschild, on business 51, you will railtraffic alot! Coal cars going to Weston Power Plant. Paper cars at Wheyerhouser Paper Mill. AND here's a BIG bonous! Across the street is the Hobby Connection model railroad store! Tell Ted I say hi!!!!!

Check out my website. I have some pictures in Juction City during a snow storm!announce1

Andy

 

[AndyWS]

Hey Andy, Andy here! I was only in the area because I was looking at UW-Stevens Point as a possible place to go to college (eventually settled on UW-Green Bay) and we were coming to Stevens Point from Eau Claire after touring the campus there as well.

We first encountered the train at a crossing a few miles west of Milladore and since it was going the same way we were, we played tag with it all the way to Stevens Point. I believe I filmed three runbys of it at different crossings, as well as shots of it out the window of the car as we drove past it to get in position for another runby. Also a Union Pacific ballast train westbound out of Junction City on the other track was thrown in for good measure, plus a train parked idling in the Stevens Point Yard and the Soo Line 4-6-2 on display near the Stevens Point depot.

 

[AndyWS]

Finally got a chance to grab some frames from the video I was taking. I'm working on getting the entire video on YouTube, but it's causing me a lot of problems right now. :curse:

Our first view of the train, about 3 miles west of Milladore. There wasn't time to get out of the car before the train arrived at the crossing.

Some of the lettering on one side of the third locomotive is worn off:

The train had around 100 cars of all different types (I get a different number each time I count while watching the video, but it's always in the range of 100 +/- 3).

Weird thing I noticed...some of the CN boxcars spelled it properly ("Canadian") like this one, but others said "Canadien" National.

Pulling ahead of #6550 to get in position for the next runby at Junction City:

As we approached Junction City, we spotted a Union Pacific hopper train westbound on the other track. #8001 is an SD90MAC, and the second locomotive appears to be one of the GE Dash 9 types although my camcorder didn't focus on it well enough to capture its number.

The tail end of the UP train as we arrive in Junction City:

The rear of the receding UP ballast train is on the right-hand track, while the approaching #6550 and the WC (technically CN, although you wouldn't know it by the livery on any of the locomotives) train is on the left.

#6550 crests the hill. It had alternately flashing ditch lights which were kind of cool.

Getting closer.

Closer

Almost there

The locomotives on this train, in order, were:

Wisconsin Central #6550-SD45
Illinois Central #3103-GP40
WC #7511-SD45
WC #2005-GP38

I have heard that CN is scrapping the former WC SD45s, so Nos. 6550 and 7511 may no longer exist.

#7511's lettering is in somewhat better shape on this side.

Some interesting graffiti.

This Railbox boxcar was the last car on the train.

I videotaped one more runby, at a gated crossing somewhere between Junction City and Stevens Point. Haven't gotten that one captured yet.

 

[Chessie6459]

Great Photo's.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[Dave Flinn]

My guess is the boxcars say CanadiAn on one side and CanadiEn on the other, as the latter is the French spelling.

Alternate flashing ditch lights are pretty standard, and the engineer can turn them off and on as needed. I don't know the rules, but I think they usually alternate when approaching a crossing or station. Perhaps someone else can fill us in more here.

 

[AndyWS]

That's interesting, I thought the flashing ditch lights were noteworthy. I'm used to first spotting approaching trains by a steady "triangle" of light formed by the main headlight and the two ditch lights.

Anyway, I've finally got the complete video online.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbDLOaN2Eqs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CHM9foqDNI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi0NGa8Plbw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EhJLJ814Bw

Plus video of a different train:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSAYmlPStUI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSwz6aqX8bs

 

[Triplex]

I'm used to first spotting approaching trains by a steady "triangle" of light formed by the main headlight and the two ditch lights.

So am I. CP engines don't flash ditch lights when approaching crossings, as far as I've noticed.