Trains at Albany, Oregon in Mid-April 2006

I took these pictures from my car on Interstate 5 near Albany, Oregon. First, on April 11, 2006, I photographed this northbound Union Pacific freight train, with Union Pacific #4277 as the trailing locomotive. It is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, and delivered on December 20, 2000.

I took this photograph of a southbound Union Pacific freight train on April 14, 2006. The lead locomotive is Union Pacific #3926, a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario in March 2003, and was delivered on April 26, 2003. The second locomotive is Union Pacific #4426, another 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was assembled for the General Motors Locomotive Group by Bombardier in Mexico and was delivered on July 22, 2001. The trailing locomotive appears to be a Union Pacific 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric, but I can’t make out the road number.

On April 18, 2006, I photographed Amtrak’s southbound Coast Starlight, powered by 4,250-horsepower P42DCs #118 & #113, which were built by General Electric in September & August 1997.

Finally, on April 20, 2006, I photographed this southbound Union Pacific freight train, led by Union Pacific #4522, a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was assembled for the General Motors Locomotive Group by Bombardier in Mexico and was delivered on December 12, 2001. The second locomotive is CSX #7858, a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40CW that was built by General Electric in January 1993.

Railfanning at Interbay Yard in Seattle in 1994

While visiting Seattle in early June of 1994, my dad and I visited Burlington Northern's Interbay Yard. In those days, a man and his 12-year-old son could freely wander around Interbay as long as they stopped in the office to sign waivers, borrow hard hats, and promise not to go in the inspection pits. (Note: This is NOT the case today.) Originally a Great Northern facility, Interbay was Burlington Northern's main engine terminal on the west coast, and is still used today by the BNSF Railway.

Burlington Northern #2834 was the first locomotive I photographed here. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1962 as Union Pacific GP30 #874. It was originally powered by a 2,250-horsepower turbocharged 16-cylinder 567 engine. It was retired by Union Pacific in 1989 and sold to a dealer, who traded it to Burlington Northern. It was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho, in April 1990 as a 2,300-horsepower GP39M.

In the yard across the turntable sat a Burlington Northern crane. I believe this is Burlington Northern D-258, a 250-ton crane that was built by Bucyrus-Erie in August 1944 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #204376 and was originally assigned to Galesburg, Illinois. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern S-258. It was converted from steam to diesel power sometime in the 1980s and was renumbered to D-258. It was typically accompanied by Burlington Northern boom car #966026.

Burlington Northern #6198 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1957 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #451. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #6198.

Burlington Northern #6142 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1954 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #340. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #6142. Note that it has white diagonal stripes on the end of the long hood.

Montana Rail Link #360 is a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1971 as Burlington Northern #6513. It was retired in June 1986, and was sold to the New York, Susquehanna & Western in January 1987, becoming NYSW #3624. It was later sold to Montana Rail Link where it operated for a time in Susquehanna colors as seen here.

CSX Transportation #5866 is a B36-7 that was originally built by General Electric in 1985 as Seaboard System #5866. When the Seaboard System merged with the Chessie System to form CSX in 1986, it kept its original number, becoming CSX #5866.

Grand Trunk Western #5917 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1970.

Here is another picture of Burlington Northern SD9 #6142. This picture shows that it has diagonal white stripes on the end of the short hood, as well as on the end of the long-hood as seen in the other picture. Burlington Northern typically only painted the white diagonal stripes on the front end of its locomotives, which in this case would have been the short hood, but on some locomotives that were operated in both directions in branch line service, the stripes were painted on both ends for improved visibility at grade crossings. This idea was apparently suggested by a Burlington Northern locomotive engineer in 1973.

Riding the Interbay turntable is Burlington Northern #7813, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1977 as Colorado & Southern #943. Colorado & Southern was a subsidiary of Burlington Northern, and its locomotives were painted in Burlington Northern colors, but they had their own numbering system. These locomotives began to be renumbered into the Burlington Northern's main numbering system in December 1978, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #7813.

Photo by Cliff West

Meanwhile, parked with its nose in one of the roundhouse stalls is Burlington Northern #2286, a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as St. Louis-San Francisco (SLSF, also known as the Frisco) #431. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern SD40-2 #7813 is pushed off the turntable and into one of the stalls of the Interbay roundhouse for maintenance.

Serving as the Interbay shop switcher is Burlington Northern SW12 #193, which had the honor of pushing SD40-2 #7813 into its roundhouse stall.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #193 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1956 as Northern Pacific #134. After Northern Pacific was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #193 and was classified as an SW12.

Rotary Snowplows for the mountain passes of the Washington Cascades are maintained at Interbay. Rotary Snowplow #972561 was originally built by American Locomotive Company's Brooks Works in November 1927 as Great Northern X-1510. It was converted from steam to electric power in 1961. After Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #972561.

Photo by Cliff West

The rotary snowplow cannot operate by itself. The electric motors that power the blade need a power supply. The power supply comes from another locomotive that is coupled to it. Originally, any available locomotive was used, but eventually retired locomotives were converted into dedicated Rotary Snowplow Power Plants.

Photo by Cliff West

The diesel engine of the Rotary Snowplow Power Plant is used to supply power to the electric motors in the rotary snowplow. The Rotary Snowplow Power Plant no longer has traction motors, so additional locomotives are required to move the rotary snowplow along the track.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #972577 is a Rotary Snowplow Power Plant that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1956 as 1,750-horsepower F9B Northern Pacific #7013C. It was renumbered to #6705B, then became Burlington Northern #9811, and finally Burlington Northern #777. It was retired in June 1982, and was subsequently rebuilt as a Rotary Snowplow Power Plant.

Photo by Cliff West

Here is another picture of Burlington Northern SD40-2 #7813 inside the Interbay roundhouse. Yes, we walked through the roundhouse, and nobody questioned it. Also in the roundhouse was another high-hood SD9 that had been repainted in the "white face" paint scheme, but its nose was so close to the back wall of the roundhouse that a picture wasn't possible.

WC Chicago Sub in Fall 2001: Mukwonago, WI

These pictures were originally posted on the website of the Society of Model Engineers model railroad club at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The website is no longer online, so I am posting them here.

…Continued from Waukesha, WI.

The new layout for the Society of Model Engineers at the Milwaukee School of Engineering was to be based on the Wisconsin Central’s Chicago Subdivision between Burlington and Cedar Lake, Wisconsin, with staging yards representing Chicago, Illinois and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In November 2001, fellow SOME member Stuart Baker and I explored the route, taking pictures with a digital camera of interesting things along the line to model.

Here are the pictures from Mukwonago, Wisconsin, taken on November 20, 2001.

The village of Mukwonago was incorporated in 1905. It was originally the tribal seat of the Bear Clan of the Potawatomi, who ceded their lands in 1832. The name Mukwonago comes from the Potawatomi word for “bear’s den.”

Mukwonago - Bridge over State Highway 83/South Rochester Street

The Wisconsin Central Railroad completed the line through Mukwonago between Chicago and Waukesha in 1885, and this trestle over Wisconsin State Highway 83/South Rochester Street was built in 1920. The Wisconsin Central Railroad was reorganized as the Wisconsin Central Railway in 1897 and was leased in 1909 by the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, which itself was controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway. On September 1, 1944, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway was reorganized as the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. The Wisconsin Central Railroad entered receivership in 1932, declared bankruptcy in 1944, and was reorganized as the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company in 1954. On January 1, 1961, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad and the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company were merged with the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad to form the Soo Line Railroad. On October 11, 1987, the Soo Line spun off the former Wisconsin Central line to the new independent Wisconsin Central, Ltd. The Wisconsin Central was purchased by the Canadian National Railway on October 9, 2001. This bridge was the last known rail-related historical resource in Mukwonago. It was replaced by a through plate girder bridge by 2007.

Mukwonago - Bridge over the Mukwonago River

Just south of the bridge over Wisconsin State Highway 83/South Rochester Street is a deck plate girder bridge over the Mukwonago River.

Mukwonago - Bridges

Mukwonago - Mukwonago River Bridge Footings

Mukwonago - County Highway ES/Fox Street Overpass from the North

This modern concrete overpass that carries County Highway ES/Fox Street over the Wisconsin Central was built in 1995.

Mukwonago - County Highway ES/Fox Street Overpass from the South

Mukwonago - Brittingham & Hixon Lumber Company Small Building - Oakland Avenue Side

The W.S. Heddles Lumber Company was established on this site at 616 Grand Avenue in 1897. It was the third lumberyard to open in Mukwonago within 10 years. It was purchased by the Alexander Lumber Company of Chicago, Illinois in December 1924. Their first manager at this location was Peter Christisen. John Alexander was the youngest of the Alexander family who came to Wisconsin from Scotland in the 1870s. In the 1880s he was hired by the Stewart family of Wausau, Wisconsin, to open a lumberyard in Aurora, Illinois. In 1891, John Alexander opened his own lumberyard in Aurora, the Alexander Lumber Co., with the help of partners Tom Brittingham and Joe Hixon and a $5,000 loan from the Continental Illinois Bank of Chicago. The company continued to expand and by the 1920s Alexander operated more than 100 lumberyards. In 1929, he bought out his partners and acquired the Brittingham & Hixon lumberyards in Wisconsin, which he continued to operate using the Brittingham & Hixon name as a subsidiary. During the Great Depression, Alexander continued to expand by purchasing additional lumberyards. His son, John Alexander, Jr., was named president of the company in 1932, and starting in 1940 the day-to-day operations were managed by vice-president Otto Unteed. John Alexander, Sr. died in 1944 and his son assumed full control of the company. Following the retirement of Otto Unteed in 1966, control was passed on to the third generation as Walter Alexander became company president, a position he would hold for 45 years until his retirement in 2014. This lumberyard closed between May and September of 2008.

Mukwonago - Brittingham & Hixon Lumber Company Large Building - Oakland Avenue Side

Mukwonago - Brittingham & Hixon Lumber Company Sign

Mukwonago - Brittingham & Hixon Lumber Company Small Building - Track Side

Mukwonago - Brittingham & Hixon Lumber Company Large Building - Track Side

Mukwonago - Brittingham & Hixon Lumber Company Large Building - Track Side

The Soo Line passenger train depot was located next to the lumberyard at 610 Grand Avenue. It was demolished after the Soo Line discontinued passenger service on the line in 1961, and the lumberyard appears to have expanded onto the former depot property.

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary from the North East

This grain handling facility at 728 Clarendon Avenue was built around the turn-of-the-century adjacent to the Wisconsin Central Railroad tracks, providing farmers with a method to ship their products to distant markets. It was originally operated by Buell & Goodman. It has been Horn Feeds, Inc. since 1978.

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Trackside

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Trackside

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Trackside

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Trackside

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Small Building from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Small Bins from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Fuel Station from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary from the South

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Tall Bins from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Office from Clarendon Avenue

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. Granary Sign

Mukwonago - Horn Feeds, Inc. 1986-1991 Volvo FE6 Box Truck

Based on the Volvo FL first introduced in the summer of 1985, the Volvo FE6 was introduced for North America in 1986. Usually powered by a Volvo TD63 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, they were also available with a lower-priced 6.6-liter Caterpillar 3116. Also available was the FE7 model, with a larger 7-liter Volvo TD73 diesel engine for heavy-duty applications. The Volvo FE received a minor facelift for 1992, with the front turn signals moving to the corners of the bumper, and continued to be offered in North America through 1998.

Mukwonago - Great Lakes Western Rail Tours Sleeping-Lounge-Buffet Car #3225

Mukwonago-based Great Lakes Western Rail Tours, Inc. was founded in mid-1990 by a group of private railcar owners to operate their cars for excursions and business conferences. The cars themselves remained owned by the individuals in limited partnerships, but were all painted in this Chicago & North Western-inspired paint scheme. Great Lakes Western ran their first excursion on Memorial Day in 1992, operating on the Wisconsin Central. Great Lakes Western Rail Tours seems to have ceased operating after 1994. This lone car remaining on a Mukwonago siding seemed to have been sitting for some time. It was built by American Car & Foundry in 1949 as Atlantic Coast Line Ponte Vedra Beach. It had 6 Double Bedrooms, a Lounge, and a Buffet, and originally had fluted sides. The Atlantic Coast Line was merged into the Seaboard Coast Line on July 1, 1967, and this car became Seaboard Coast Line #6605, retaining its name. After Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971, it became Amtrak #3225. It was off the Amtrak roster by 1979.

Mukwonago - CSX Freight Train

This CSX through freight train passing through Mukwonago at County Highway NN/East Veterans Way is powered by a pair of 3,000-horsepower 6-axle diesel-electric locomotives built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. It appears the lead locomotive is an SD40 while the trailing unit is an SD40-2 trailing. On CSX, SD40s were numbered from 8300 to 8438, and SD40-2s were numbered from 8000 to 8261. CSX acquired all of these locomotives from its predecessors when it was formed in 1986. Of the 138 SD40s, which were built between June 1966 and September 1971, the largest number, 63, came from the Chesapeake & Ohio, with others from Louisville & Nashville, Clinchfield, Western Maryland, Baltimore & Ohio, and Gainesville Midland. Of the 263 SD40-2s, which were built between October 1974 and October 1981, the vast majority, 202, came from the Louisville & Nashville with the rest coming from Seaboard Coast Line, Baltimore & Ohio, and Clinchfield. The majority of the Louisville and Nashville SD40-s along with all of those from Seaboard Coast Line and Clinchfield were delivered in the Family Lines paint scheme, while the Baltimore & Ohio SD40-2s were painted for Chessie System. CSX rebuilt many of its SD40s to SD40-2 standards, making these locomotives essentially identical from an operational and maintenance perspective, but the earlier model still lacks the longer frame, front and rear “porches” and the water level sight glass of the later model.

Mukwonago - North Water Tower

This Water Tower at County Highway NN/East Veterans Way on the north side of town is one of Mukwonago’s two water towers and has a capacity of 500,000 gallons.

Mukwonago - East Troy Electric Railroad Connection

This line was built by The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company as part of a line from East Troy to Milwaukee. In 1939, the rest of the line to Hales Corners was abandoned, but the village of East Troy purchased the segment from the connection with the Soo Line at Mukwanago to East Troy. Under the terms of the purchase, The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company continued to operate the line for ten years, but declined to renew the agreement in 1949 and the village of East operated the line itself as the Municipality of East Troy Wisconsin Railroad. In 1967 The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society relocated from North Freedom to East Troy and began operating its collection of historic electric railway equipment on the line using a trackage rights agreement with the village of East Troy. In 1984 the trackage rights agreement ended as the village of East Troy made an agreement with the Wisconsin Trolley Museum to operate the line as the East Troy Electric Railroad. The Friends of East Troy Railroad Museum, Inc. has since purchased the line from the village of East Troy. The East Troy Electric Railroad is a common carrier that retains the ability to carry freight to and from East Troy.

Mukwonago - Near East Troy Electric Railroad

Mukwonago - South Water Tower

This Water Tower near Interstate 43 on the south side of town is one of Mukwonago’s two water towers and has a capacity of 500,000 gallons.

Continue to Honey Creek & Burlington, WI…