On Saturday September 25, 2010 the Canadian National ran a special train from Gary, IN to Mukwonago, WI with 5 South Shore Interurban Cars in tow. These 5 cars were once the property of National Park Service and were being restored. Apparently that project came to an end and the East Troy Trolley Museum in Wisconsin got the cars. A couple of them are in pretty bad shape. In talking to Museum people they think they can get 2-3 of the cars running again. The others will most likely be “donors” to the others.
Here are some photos from Saturday.
CN #9579 led the South Shore Special from Gary, IN to Wisconsin
Graffiti Side of the 5 South Shore Cars
Diesel Electric Power and Direct Electric Power
Car in probably the best condition of the bunch.
Waiting to depart Mukwonago for East Troy and there new home.
To see more photos from the delivery check out my Flickr Page Click Below
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22338037@N04/sets/72157624909497415/
Keith Schmidt
Nice shots Keith. It was a neat thing to see – as you can see the CN washed its locomotive thoroughly knowing it would show up in lots of photos. To my surprise the train moved at regular track speeds as it approached Mukwanago. Only when the train arrived at the museum’s spur did it become evident that at some point, one of the South Shore trucks had had a wheel replaced – with the wrong sized wheel! (one of the museum guys said :“hey look a maximum traction truck” – you have to be a trolley fan or Brill historian to get the inside joke).
Whether by accident or design, the left side of the train looked pretty good but the right side showed the cars had been rather thoroughly tagged, including the one car that the park service had gotten rather far along on its restoration.
Seeing a clean modern diesel hand off its train to an aged electric freight locomotive (the former TMER&L L-8, built 1935 and the longest freight locomotive the TM built or owned) was fascinating. And the CN engine made that light rail, sharp curve, and steep grade from the CN (former Soo/WCL) main down to the museum tracks really groan and crackle.
Dave Nelson
They can’t be that bad if they were running on their trucks. They just look all colerful is all on the outsides. I’m guessing the insides are pretty mangled though.I’m more surprised to see them as a special, instead of putting them on a manifest or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0hzrwMBR14
The link above is my shot of them in Mundelein, IL
Precious cargo