Wayne's Story Continued....
In the 1920s, the Erie Northshore and the Grand Valley began a joint operation to move coal to a power plant in Mount Forest. For their share of the haul, Erie Northshore used copies of USRA Light Mikados, like the one pictured below.
These soldiered on through the '30s and '40s, joined in the early '50s by MLW FAs, from new parent EG&E.
By the Early '60s, the Mikes had been retired, leaving the task to various FA/FB combinations.
Eventually, the MLWs were supplanted by these big U-boats, from GE:
Last year, a date was set for closure of the outdated power plant. Rumours abound that the big GEs, specially purchased for this service, will be sent to an undisclosed road for testing. If the tests prove successful, a long-term lease may be in the offing. Here's one of the units on the Lowbanks turntable.
Wayne
Most of you that follow the Tales and lore of Union Pacific's "Rock Valley Sub" located in Southern Wisconsin are quite familiar with "Big Ed", he's the crew chief on the Sub, and though his Father worked for Fairbanks-Morse building engines, he had another tie with railroading too....
I remember well when Big Ed used to spend the summers in Lowbanks Canada, Of course, in those days everybody called him Lil' Eddie:winki: . He used to stay at the home of his cousin, Cliff Sjoblom and both he and Cliff used to chum around with Cliff's neighbor, Al Moon. They were all about 6 or 7 years old when this started, and it went on until they were in their teens.
Cliff's Dad fired for Al's Dad on the EG&E, and Al later went on to become Superintendent of Motive Power for the EG&E. As kids, the three spent a lot of time hangin' around the shops in Lowbanks, where Cliff's Dad was assigned at the time. Later, when he was transferred to the EG&E, working out of Hagersville, Ed continued to visit, and all three lads (Al's family had moved too, when Mr. Moon had been re-assigned) managed to get quite a few cab rides or trips in a caboose. Some of Lil' Eddie's fondest memories was of the EG&E's Northern #501 and a 2-6-6-2 that i am sorry i cant recall the number of.
ops:
Even after they had all grown up and gone their separate ways, they always kept in touch.:winki:
When it was announced that the power plant in Mount Forest would be closed, Al knew that he'd need to find a new home for those big U-boats, as their main task was hauling the tri-weekly coal trains out of Port Maitland, up the steep and twisting grades to Mt. Forest. A quick 'phone call to his old buddy "Big Ed" got the ball rolling, and, when the paperwork was settled, it was decided that the three units would be assigned to Union Pacific's "Rock Valley Sub" on a long-term lease.
The First pic is of Big Ed PROUDLY standing in front of the three NEWLY leased EG&E U-36CH's the day they arrived on the Sub. the rest of the pics show the leased units in action on the Rock Valley Sub:winki: .
SIDE NOTES:
I PERSONALLY would like to THANK MY VERY GOOD FRIEND WAYNE for all the Black and White pics he provided, and the history on Big Ed's past with his Canadian Cousins in Lowbanks:winki: ,
THANK YOU WAYNE!:bravo: :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
I have been a BIG FAN of Wayne's EG&E layout:winki: , and when i learned that at one time the U-36CH's were for sale, I knew i had to have them:winki: .
THANK YOU Wayne, for letting me purchase these FANTASTIC works of art:smilie: . These units will NEVER be altered in ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, and will ALWAYS have a happy home here on the Rock Valley Sub:winki::mrgreen: . :deano: -Deano
:mrgreen:
WOW 
