Several of you saw Keith Schmidt’s fine photos of the Wisconsin & Southern RR’s big open house at Janesville WI roundhouse two weeks ago.
Be aware that the WSOR is going to do it again – this time at Madison WI and this time featuring train rides (not behind steam, but nonetheless, this will be rare milage opportunities). It’s this Saturday.
Info can be found at the railroad’s website http://www.wsorrailroad.com/
and note the photo of the Soo Line 2-8-2 on the turntable. This was taken from the roof of the roundhouse. I saw Mr Gardner, the WSOR president up there with his camera and I would not be surprised if he took this superb photograph
There is also a slide slow of the Janesville event including a nice photo of Kalmbach’s own Kathi Kube as well as other scenes from the day.
How many other freight railroads feature steam and fan type photos on their websites’ front pages?
Dave Nelson.
SOO 1003, (The Steamer) will be running freight cars down to the MX in Madison all day long as well. Apparently for $50.00 one can get a cab ride in the steamer. The Free rides will be behind one of the E’s 10C. There will be three WSOR Bi-level cars behind it, with the rear one being a cab car for the trip home. I drove by there this weekend, and they already had the sign out. Rides start at 9:00 and go untill 4:00. I’m really looking forward to it, this ones more on my “Home Turf” if you will, since I see this yard more than Janesville.
July 23, 2005:
25 Year Anniversary of the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad
The year 2005 marks the 25th anniversary of the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad. WSOR is celebrating this event on Saturday, July 23, 2005 at the Madison yard office located at 1890 East Johnson Street on Madison’s east side. There will be many activities for people of all ages.
The WSOR will be providing free train rides every hour on the hour. The rides will begin at the south end yards in Madison, WI and take you out to Waunakee and back. The rides begin at 9:00AM sharp and continue till 4:00 PM. The WSOR 10C locomotive will be pulling this train. Wait till you see the newly painted WSOR Bi-level coaches! The rides are free, but you need to pick up your ticket at the ticket table.
The SOO 1003 steamer will make its presents known too. It will be moving some freight cars back and forth between the Madison yards and MX junction over Lake Monona all day. This will be a great photo opportunity for everyone. Cab rides will also be available for $50.00 on a first come, first served basis. Ask at the ticket table. There will be a donation box set up at the ticket table for the SOO 1003. Please be sure to contribute in order to keep the SOO 1003 steam locomotive operating at these events.
On Display in the yard will be the WSOR 4025 25th anniversary commemorative locomotive along with some WSOR freight cars and caboose The WSOR businesses cars along with the 10A locomotive will be there too. There will also be some Maintenance Of Way equipment and historic railroad motorcars on display too.
There will be plenty of refreshments provided by the boy scouts, kiddie train rides in the parking lot and a host of other activities scheduled. The WSOR Company Store will be open with shirts, hats, models and other items available for sale as well.
Download the event flyer. Hope to see everyone there.
Here are my photos from todays celebration. It’s just too bad that it wasn’t sunny all day, It would have made some of my photography turn out a little better. But I did have a fun day all in all, it was a great ride, and great to shoot 1003 running by on the on-the-water crossing (which is known as the MX).
This first shot is the only shot I took all day where a train and sun were in the same photo. Bad part was that it was working against me, making my photo slighly backlit… This was from the Knutson Rd Bridge, in the North Part of Madison:
This second shot is of S00 1003 running over the MX. It was thundering and lighting in the west part of Madison when I took these photos, and my video from this time shows this too:
And this last shot shows where SOO 1003 stopped for a few minutes on the south shore before heading back. If you look close, you can see the capitol in the background. Now if this shot had been against blue sky, you may have actually been able to tell what was back there a little better. But, that’s the breaks.
Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate with the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the WSOR railroad. I hope to post some more pictures of the Soo #1003 and E-unit and bi-levels shortly. However I happened to be watching some digital video that I shot of #1003 during the second round of severe thunderstorms that rolled through Madison during the event. Just happened to catch the shot below.
This shot was taken from the digital video tape. Thank God for the wonders of digital technology. I apologize for the quality of the shot, but it was pouring rain and windy. But to catch a lightning bolt look like it is striking a steam locomotive is a pretty decent catch no matter what.
I will post some better pictures later today after chasing #1003 back to Waukesha.
Noah your shots are remarkable given the conditions that prevailed. By the way Keith and I shot the E unit on that same bridge where you got your overhead shot. Congrats also on getting the 1003 in the same frame as the capitol dome.
The conditions when Keith got his lightening bolt strike shot were among the worst of the day. And I was very nervous about being out on a flat field in a lightening storm. But steam calls …
The rain was a great pity since I am sure it cut down on the crowd and it definitely cut down on the number of pictures I took, compared to Janesville. I just hope I did not damage my camera.
But as with Janesville one could only marvel at the great access the WSOR permitted us to the facility, the interesting display locomotives and cars, the excursion rides on beautifully repainted bi level cars, and at the personal direction of the WSOR’s President Mr Gardner – cab rides were for sale on the steam locomotive! Thanks again to the WSOR for doing their best to roll out the red (and silver) carpet.
Kathi Kube and Jim Wrinn were at the Kalmbach table, looking rather damp from the rain and humidity. A dealer was selling model trains, books, slides, and 8x10 photos and I am sorry to say his inventory was getting wet even under the tent.
To add to the excitement a B-17 was doing low level flyovers!
Dave Nelson
Very nice shots considering like Dave mentioned less the perfect weather conditions. I thought I would add some more photos from July 23rd at the WSOR 25th Anniversary. Unfortunately for the Mr Gardner and the railroad the weather didn’t cooperate. However even in the pouring rain people were standing in line to ride on the bi-level cars. Also #1003 was running in the rain. Got some video (which you see a shot from above) of #1003 from a standing start in a thunderstorm.
Well he we go,
Here is #10C (former Milwaukee Road) E-unit pulling the very cool looking WSOR Bi-Level cars. This consist included a cab car for push-pull running.
Great looking paint job on the bi-levels.
WSOR #10A E-9 is on static display in Madison, WI
WSOR #4025 is also on static display
WSOR #3801 another named locomotive Richard M. Scullion WRRTC Chairman 1980-2002 (Not sure who that is)
WSOR #X103 Transfer Caboose sits in the yard
Soo Line #1003 puts on a great show at Ingersoll Street west of the yard.
#1003 emerges from a tunnel, yes a tunnel on the WSOR along John Nolan Drive in Madison
Keith, That is some great shots! I see you found the Transfer caboose stuck back in the yard tracks. I thought they were planning to display it, it suprised me a little.
Dave, I agree about worring about the lighting, when I was standing for that shot with the Capitol and the steam train, it started to thunder a lighting in the distance pretty good. Thankfully he just made it to where I wanted to get the shot and video before the lighting moved into the area, although the rain had already arrived. I got absolutely soaked in one part, as I was a ways from the car, and I wanted to finnish getting my video, since we were leaving after that. Thankfully I had the extra(and dry) shirt that I bought at the company store to change into.
I had orignally gone to that bridge in hopes of waiting untill the way back, when, with the cab car leading, I could get a nice sunny shot in the clif area on the other side of the road. But when it wasn’t sunny I decided to not bother.
I got to meet Jim Wrinn at the Kalmbach table too, which was a pleasure. I’m looking forward to the October issue now with the WSOR feature in it.
As long as things weren’t great weather wise I shot a lot of Video instead of still shots. I videotaped almost the whole ride from the yard to the end point. It’s perfect as I want to model this line someday, and I’ve got good video of the whole segment.
