Soo #1003 Photographers Special Oct 2010

Trains Magazine Steam & Preservation
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Got a chance to be a part of a Photo Special featuring the Soo Line 2-8-2 Mikado #1003. The locomotive is stored at the Automobile Museum in Hartford, WI. The Photo Special was running from Hartford, WI to Horicon, WI and then north towards Burnette, Iron Ridge, Brandon and Fairwater. The weather was AWESOME !! Sunny and temps in the upper 60’s. The #1003 also looked great with a short train of hoppers and gondolas. In Horicon a special flat car was added with 3 vintage Allis-Chalmers tractors loaded. It was a great addition. The special was organized through Historic Transportation Preservation. Bill and Mike Raia did most of the arranging. With the #1003 coming up on its 15 year inspection this could be one of the last hurrah’s for the this great steamer. A BIG THANK YOU to all involved in the planning. Also THANK YOU to the Wisconsin & Southern for being such a gracious host railroad. And THANKS to the #1003 crew you guys did an awesome job for the photographers.

To see more shots of the #1003 check out my Flickr Page

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22338037@N04/sets/72157625061573797/

Soo #1003 at Hartford, WI preparing for the trip westbound

Just west of Rubicon, WI along Hwy N

Soo #1003 and 1947 Chevy Grant Road

A Pair of Classics Front Ends

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Nice shots Keith - though, the night time shots are just a bit on the bright side.

Glad John and the crew were able to pull off this event - gotta get myself up there!

Thanks for the view(s)!

/Mitch

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I enjoyed those, thanks! Nice photos.

Crandell

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This was my first experience with this sort of operation – you pay a sum to be part of the group and more or less, the locomotive and train are at your disposal. If someone asked for an additional runby if possible they got it. And things could also be “posed.” It was also a chance to railfan some small towns I never heard of much less visited. I will be going back I suspect. As you can see from Keith’s photos, the skies and weather were all perfect on Saturdayd. They also had a Sunday operation that Keith and I were unable to attend. Weather that day was nice but not so brilliant blue a sky. During the course of the day, six (I think) antique cars were brought in to enhance the photographs.

I heard German and British accents among our fellow photographers so some fellows had quite a bit more invested in this opportunity than we did.

Dave Nelson