1997 MSOE Society of Model Engineers New Member Orientation Program

These pictures were taken at various locations in the Milwaukee area during the Milwaukee School of Engineering Society of Model Engineers New Member Orientation Program in December 1997, and were saved from the SOME files. All of these locations have some connection to trains.

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory

The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, more commonly known as the Mitchell Park Domes, consists of three glass conoidal domes designed by Donald L. Grieb Associates and built between 1959 and 1967, covering 45,000 square feet. During the winter, one of the domes features a garden railway display.

Southridge Mall Train Ride

This train ride operated inside the Southridge Mall in the Milwaukee suburb of Greendale, Wisconsin. The Southridge Mall opened in 1970. This train (later repainted to resemble Thomas the Tank Engine) apparently operated until 2012 before being replaced by a trackless train in 2013.

Watertown Plank Road Overpass

This bridge in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, was built in 1910 by the Cleary-White Construction Company of Chicago for the Milwaukee, Sparta & Northwestern Railroad, as part of a 9-mile double track line that opened in 1911 from West Allis north to Butler, location of a 21-track yard with a capacity of 1500 freight cars intended to relieve congestion from the yards in downtown Milwaukee. The 175-foot 7-panel riveted Parker through truss main span was built by the Pennsylvania Steel Company of Steelton, Pennsylvania, and carried the railroad over the route completed in 1855 by the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad, a predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Four approach spans built by the American Bridge Company of New York extend the bridge to a total length of 490 feet, crossing Underwood Creek and Watertown Plank Road, which began as a toll road in the 1830s. In 1912, the Milwaukee, Sparta & Northwestern Railroad was taken over by the Chicago & North Western Railway, which was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995. Meanwhile, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad was purchased by the Soo Line Railroad in 1985, which was subsequently absorbed by its parent company Canadian Pacific in 1992.

Trains in the Twin Cities in September 2003

I took these pictures in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the morning of September 6, 2003, while traveling on Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder. St. Paul was a highlight for me, as the Minnesota Commercial and Soo Line equipment visible from the train seemed exotic to an Oregonian like me.

Switching at Amtrak’s Midway Station in St. Paul during the Empire Builder’s service stop, Minnesota Commercial #83 is an 1,800-horsepower RS18u that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in April 1958 as Canadian Pacific RS18 #8785. In 1987 it was rebuilt as RS18u #1837. On July 16, 1998, it was sold to Minnesota Commercial as #83.

Bringing up the rear of the Empire Builder, Amtrak Superliner I Sleeping Car #32009 was completed by Pullman-Standard on May 22, 1981. It was the last Superliner I and the last passenger car built by Pullman-Standard. As a result, it was named George M. Pullman in honor of Pullman-Standard’s founder in a ceremony at its completion, before being delivered to Amtrak in July 1981. It is one of only two Superliner I cars to have a name applied.

Parked at Midway Station, Amtrak (AMTZ) #462113 is a 53' Duraplate-van RoadRailer trailer built by the Wabash National Corporation. It is the 10,000th RoadRailer trailer built. RoadRailer trailers could be operated on rails without the use of flatcars, supported by a specialized railcar truck between trailers. Amtrak began purchasing RoadRailer trailers in May 1998 to carry mail and express shipments.

Minnesota Commercial #35 is a 2,000-horsepower M420W that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in December 1976 as Canadian National #2574. It was renumbered to #3574 in 1986-1987. 

After being retired on February 5, 1998, it was sold to National Railway Equipment in Illinois in June 1998 and subsequently resold to Minnesota Commercial as #35.

Minnesota Commercial #35 is seen here alongside the Empire Builder's motive power.

Leading the Empire Builder, Amtrak P42DC #80 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in April 1997.

The Empire Builder's second unit, Amtrak P42DC #206 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in October 2001.

Also part of the Empire Builder's consist, Amtrak Superliner II Sightseer Lounge #33034 was built by Bombardier in 1994. It was involved in an accident in Nodaway, Iowa, in March 2001 and returned to service on August 27, 2003, as one of the first Superliner cars to wear Amtrak’s new paint scheme, with the new logo and red sill stripe.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes Minnesota Commercial’s nearby roundhouse in Minneapolis. Minnesota Commercial #68 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in March 1979 as Conrail #1972. It was retired in 1999 and sold to the Quincy Bay Terminal, where it became #22. It was resold to the Minnesota Commercial Railway, where it became #68.

Minnesota Commercial #316 is a 2,400-horsepower RS-27 that was built by Alco Products in March 1962 as Chicago & North Western Railway #903. Only 27 examples of the RS-27 were produced; the Chicago & North Western owned four, which were returned to Alco in 1966 in trade for C-424s. Alco leased them to various railroads in 1967 and 1968. This unit was sold to the Green Bay & Western in 1968 and became #316. It was later joined by two of the others. On August 27, 1993, the Green Bay & Western was merged with the Fox River Valley Railroad to form the Fox River & Western, a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Central, and this locomotive was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad.

Conrail #1998 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in July 1979. It was retired by Conrail in 1999 and was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, but has yet to be placed in service and still wears full Conrail paint and lettering.

Conrail #2002 is another 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in August 1979. It was retired by Conrail in 1999 and was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, but has yet to be placed in service and still wears full Conrail paint and lettering.

Minnesota Commercial #80 is a 1,000-horsepower RS23 that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in September 1959 as Canadian Pacific #8031. It was retired in March 1999 and ended up with the Minnesota Commercial as #80.

Northern States Power Company (NSPX) #501 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200RS that was built by General Motors Diesel Limited in February 1956 as Canadian National #1576 and was renumbered by the end of the year to #1205. It was retired in 1991. It was acquired by the Northern States Power Company and was used at the High Bridge Generating Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, where is it pictured here. This coal-fired power plant at 501 Shepard Road was completed in 1941.

Canadian Pacific #4611 is a 3,000-horsepower GP40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1966 as Milwaukee Road #180. In 1968 it was renumbered to Milwaukee Road #2025. The Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee Road in February 1985, and this locomotive became Soo Line #2025. The Soo Line was consolidated into owner CP Rail in 1991, and in October 1997 it was rebuilt by Canadian Pacific and became Canadian Pacific #4611.

Trains in Vancouver ,Washington, in December 2001

I took these pictures at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, on December 23, 2001, after arriving on the Portland Section of Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder. Union Pacific #3161 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1972.

 
Canadian Pacific #9124 is a 4,300-horsepower SD9043MAC that was built in December 1998 by General Motors Locomotive Group and assembled at Canadian Pacific’s Ogden Shops in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

 
Canadian Pacific #5954 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada, Ltd. In London, Ontario, in October 1980.

Canadian Pacific SD40-2F #9009 built by the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada, Ltd. in 1988 in London, Ontario. It is one of only 25 built, all for Canadian Pacific. Nicknamed “red barns,” they were the only cowl-body diesels on the Canadian Pacific. They were built to SD40-2 specifications at Canadian Pacific’s request, despite the fact that regular SD40-2 production had ended several years earlier and competitor Canadian National had already purchased SD50Fs.

Train Pictures from Fall 1999

Photo by Cliff West

  
These pictures were taken by my dad, Cliff West, around October of 1999. First, we start at the Amtrak station in Vancouver, Washington.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #1600 is a 1,750-horsepower GP9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1954 as Northern Pacific #202. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #1702. In early 1976, Burlington Northern #1702 derailed on the Camas Prairie Railroad near Lewiston, Idaho, and rolled into the Clearwater River. Considered 70% destroyed, after recovery it was sent to Burlington Northern's Hillyard diesel shop in Spokane, Washington. A low priority, Burlington Northern #1702 had to wait 3 years for a rebuild incorporating the latest modifications. It was finally completed on June 30, 1979, emerging with a low short hood and an anticlimber pilot, and considered a better locomotive than it was when it was new. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in 1996, it became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #1600 on April 3, 1998.

Photo by Cliff West

Moving on to Union Pacific's Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon, we find Union Pacific #3285, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1974.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #6632 is a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in June 1997.

Photo by Cliff West

CP Rail #5808 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the General Motors Diesel Division in London, Ontario, in January 1974.

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific #9821 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in August 1994.

Photo by Cliff West

Here is another picture of Southern Pacific #9821.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #5524 is a 3,500-horsepower GP50 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1980 as Chicago & North Western #5068. Following the merger of the Chicago & North Western into the Union Pacific on April 24, 1995, this locomotive became Union Pacific #5524 on June 25, 1997.

Photo by Cliff West

Denver & Rio Grande Western #5405 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40T-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1980.

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific #9823 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in August 1994.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #6044 is a 3,800-horsepower SD60 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1986.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #6003 is a 3,800-horsepower SD60 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1986.

Riding the Eastbound Empire Builder through Montana & North Dakota

July 24, 1999 was the second day of my trip aboard Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That morning, the train stopped alongside Great Northern NW3 #181 in Whitefish, Montana. Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1942 as Great Northern #5406, this 1,000-horsepower diesel locomotive was the last of the only seven NW3s built, all for the Great Northern. It was renumbered to #181 in 1943. On August 30, 1965, the Great Northern sold #181 to Anaconda Aluminum in Columbia Falls, Montana, where it became their #900. When no longer needed, Anaconda Aluminum donated the locomotive to the Stumptown Historical Society in Whitefish, Montana. It was restored to Great Northern colors and placed on permanent static display next to the Whitefish depot on November 19, 1990.

East of Whitefish, Montana, the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder skirts the south edge of Glacier National Park as its parallels the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, as seen here near Nyack, Montana.

In addition to the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, Amtrak's Empire Builder also parallels U.S. Highway 2, which featured red-tinted pavement near Nyack, Montana.

The eastbound Empire Builder is climbing into the Rocky Mountains by this point. Shortly after passing Essex, Montana, the railroad passes through Snowshed #12, the first of a number of structures that protect the railroad from winter slides and avalanches. At the end of Snowshed #12 is this view of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The bridge carrying U.S. Highway 2 Bridge over the river is visible in the background.

The eastbound Empire Builder eventually crosses the Middle Fork of the Flathead River near Nimrod, Montana on Java Trestle, at the point where Java Creek flows into Middle Fork of the Flathead River. This view from Java Trestle shows the clear blue water of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Leaving Glacier Park, the eastbound Empire Builder stops at East Glacier, Montana. Visible from the train during the station stop is the Glacier Park Lodge. The Glacier Park Lodge was built in 1913 by the Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway, and its design was based on the Forestry Building from the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon.

As the eastbound Empire Builder continues out of the Rocky Mountains into eastern Montana. One of the major stops on this part of the trip is Havre, Montana, which is a service stop for the Empire Builder. If the Empire Builder is running on time, it will stop here for about 20 minutes, giving passengers an opportunity to step off the train and stretch their legs.

On static display next to the Amtrak depot in Havre is Great Northern steam locomotive #2584, an S-2 Class 4-8-4 that was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930.

This locomotive is an example of the type of locomotives that pulled passenger trains like the Empire Builder through Montana during the age of steam.

A sign next to the locomotive tells its history:

THIS NORTHERN TYPE LOCOMOTIVE, SURVIVOR OF THE LAST STEAM ENGINES ACQUIRED BY THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY FOR MAIN-LINE PASSENGER SERVICE, WAS PLACED ON PERMANENT EXHIBITION HERE ON MAY 15, 1964.

A POWERFUL AND SPEEDY LOCOMOTIVE, THIS ENGINE NOW LOOKS EVERY BIT THE ARISTOCRAT THAT IT WAS DURING THE YRS. OF ITS PRE-EMINENT ASSOCIATION WITH THE EMPIRE BUILDER AND THE ORIENTAL LIMITED. THE EMPIRE BUILDER WAS INAUGURATED ON JUNE, 1929, AND WAS PULLED BY A MOUNTAIN TYPE LOCOMOTIVE, BUT POPULARITY OF THE TRAIN LED TO ADDITION OF CARS TO THE CONSIST, AND THIS NECESSITATED MORE POWERFUL ENGINES.

IN 1930 GREAT NORTHERN ACQUIRED 14 CLASS S-2 STEAM LOCOMOTIVES FROM BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS FOR SERVICE ON THE EMPIRE BUILDER AND THE FAST MAIL TRAINS. THIS ENGINE - No 2584 - IS THE LAST OF THE 14 ENGINES. SAMUEL VAUCLAIN, PRESIDENT OF BALDWIN DESCRIBED THE CLASS S-2 ENGINES AS "THE FINEST, MOST POWERFUL STEAM PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES EVER BUILT UP TO THIS TIME." THESE ENGINES WERE OPERATED IN FREIGHT SERVICE AFTER THE EMPIRE BUILDER WAS STREAMLINED AND DIESEL POWERED IN 1947, AND WERE RETIRED IN 1955.

LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER ARE 103 FEET 3 INCHES LONG, WEIGHT 764,680 POUNDS, AND HEIGHT FROM RAIL TO TOP OF STACK IS 16 FEET. No 2584 WAS AN OIL BURNER AND DEVELOPED 58,305 POUNDS OF TRACTIVE EFFORT. EACH OF THE 8 DRIVE WHEELS IS 80 INCHES HIGH.

THE TRACK ON WHICH No 2584 STANDS IS LAID TO THE GREAT NORTHERN MAIN LINE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CREOSOTED TIES ARE SUPPORTED ON A SUB-BALLAST CONSISTING OF 6 INCHES OF ROCK CHIPS AND A BALLAST CONSISTING OF SIX INCHES OF CRUSHED PINK QUARTZITE ROCK, BOTH OF WHICH ARE QUARRIED BY THE GREAT NORTHERN IN MONTANA. WELDED RAILS FULLY TIE PLATED AND ANCHORED, WEIGHT 115 POUNDS TO THE YARD.

After departing the Havre depot, the eastbound Empire Builder passes Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Havre yard and engine shop, where Burlington Northern Rotary Snowplow Power Units #972571 & #972570 are pictured. Both were originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as 1,750-horsepower F9A diesel locomotives for freight service. Burlington Northern #972571 was built in September 1954 as Northern Pacific #7003A. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #812. Burlington Northern #972570 was built in March 1956 as Northern Pacific #7011D. On April 11, 1966 it was reassigned to passenger service and renumbered to Northern Pacific #6704C. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #9818. Following the creation of Amtrak in May 1971, it was transferred to freight service and was renumbered to Burlington Northern #784 in July 1973. Both of these locomotives were retired in December 1981 and rebuilt by Burlington Northern as Rotary Snowplow Power Units, or RSPUs. Their traction motors were removed and they were rewired so their diesel engines and main generators could provide power for a rotary snowplow.

Much later in the day, the eastbound Empire Builder reaches another service stop in Minot, North Dakota, where I managed to get a picture of the train's cook in the doorway of the dining car while it was being restocked.

Here are the locomotives for the eastbound Empire Builder being refueled in Minot. Amtrak #817 & #800 are 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BPs that were built by General Electric in 1993.

Just to the west of the Amtrak station in Minot, and visible from its platform, is a crossing of the BNSF Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Seen here leading a westbound freight train, Canadian Pacific #8559 is a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in 1998.