So, in mid August, I am headed to down town for Milwaukee for a law enforcement convention. Turns out I might have a day or two to fumble around. Coming from Arizona, its going to be one heck of a trip and even though it is Milwaukee, there has to be SOMETHING train related around? (hint hint) Any tours or maybe visiting hours? I will be in a 25’ motor home and a 18 foot trailer in tow so I wont have a lot of flexibility to get around. During the convention, I think I will be staying at the Hilton, which is where the show is. I noted just a few blocks away is a rail yard so if I get the time, I am going to take a stroll and peek around at railroading, mid west style. I know I hear about rust so coming from Arizona, looking forward to seeing some for weathering ideas 
I am not sure how things are going to pan out yet, a lot of issues up in the air but this is a fun to think about so I thought I would toss it out there. Talk to you guys soon. John
Word of advise if you have never been to MKE. It can be a dangerous place if you get off the beaten path. Robbery, murder and carjacking are popular. If you have out of state plates they know you have cash. On a better note, there is some sights to see. I would recommend Kalmbach Publish. Call ahead and get a tour of the M R and T layout.It’s probably 30 mins aways. Maybe you can get Andy or Neil to show you around. Also Walthers is good to check out. I’ve taken the tour there and even seen the club layout in the back.(very dangerous area, especially at night). Have yet to find a place where you can just park and enjoy train watching. The Menominee Valley near the Potawamani Casino offers some action. Some viewing in Butler near Sommerfields Hobby Shop off 45. Some folks on here can probably help you further on places to go. Have fun.
Thank you everyone for the responses. I have had some personal messages and all have been very gracious. I know I am definitely checking out the home of the Model Railroader mag. (So looking forward to that) Here is some extra info. The convention is August 19-22. I am not sure of the exact dates I will be there. There are some things I am still working out and before I get too off in the business end, I wanted get some plans for fun. I am definitely planning on making a stop at the home of the MR and checking out the place. If the timing and logistics permit, I would love to get over to Walther’s and check it out. For what its worth, I am driving a 1995 25’ Class C motor home and will have my vehicle on the trailer. Understand the bad part of town but I am sure they will see this long before they figure out the “out of state” plate. 
But as you can see, its not exactly subtle so I am all for finding “friendly places” to hang with my free time. How much friendlier can you get than fellow modeler’s. Thanks for the info and I will keep this updated as I find out more. I should have solid plans in the next few weeks.
Greenfield News and Hobby is worth a trip to if you have time. You’ll have to google the address, but here is their website. http://greenfieldhobby.home.att.net/ They have a nice selection of trains. I think its the best hobby shop in Milwaukee.
BTW, That dune buggys going to be a hard sell here in the midwest.With no windshield and -20 degree weather here in the midwest, you’ll be a frozen snowcop in no time [:D]
just walk sideways and try to take the bullet in the shoulder.
grizlump
Thanks for the advice on the hobby shop. I plan on stocking up on a few kits so I will have something to work on for a mental break from driving. And I always enjoy hitting up new train stores as Phoenix only has 2 real ones now. We joked about going to the mid west (snow, rain, bugs), it is definitely meant for the southwest as far as weather and heck even mud. I don’t like mud and thankfully, its pretty rare out here. A law enforcement magazine held a contest for “the most unique law enforcement vehicle” and if you won, you got invited out the Fleet Show, which is being held in Milwaukee. The Fleet Show is all about vehicles and everything that goes with them for police and some military. I will be part of 3 or 4 vehicles in a display. At the moment, I do not know what others are going to be in with me. I do know, that I am coming the farthest. I was looking at Google.maps and checking out the hotel and convention center when I saw the railroad tracks. “Ah, I might have to walk down and see if I can check it out…” and then it hit me where I was going to be… Got all excited after that.
If Walthers / Terminal Hobby Shop is still open (I think it is?) I would check that out. They have some good deals there for items that are in perfect shape but they can’t sell because the box or packaging was damaged. Someone I know got some pretty substantial deals on a trip there a few years back.
Canazar, I looked at your weblink.That is one nice looking layout. We don’t do layouts here in Iowa in the garage. Most of us trudge down to the basement to operate our empires.[:)]
I like the BN SD70Mac. I’m guessing that is a Kato? I’ve got one too and I put a soundtraxx decoder in it. Its ok, not as nice as an Atlas QSI sound engine, but what the heck. I noticed that you do not have ballast down, but then I remembered you are renting, so that would be too messy to have to move.
Then it should be easy for them to sell. I wouldn’t call that a dune buggy by any description. For one thing it’s running Mickey Thompson Baja Claws (radial? or bias?), and not to mention there is no rear room, which means the engines in the front. Your typical ‘dune buggy’ is a little piece that almost always has an IRS using an VW box 4 and crummy transaxle. My guess that thing’s using a V6 or small V8. It’s also leaf suspension all round, even in front, which probably means it’s 4WD, your buggys are only 2. Them look like older Mustang headlights. The tires are kind of small too, looks to be 33x12.5’s. I was going to call it a Rock buggy untill I saw the smaller tires. I should have mentioned that the Baja Claws are designed for more aggresive rough-terrain driving with some civility (paved) kept in mind. They’re great tires, if you can afford them.
Now with that all said I think that OHV is pretty cool looking. I wouldn’t mind spanking the underbelly on a few high spots on a trail. Green Bay is only a couple more hours north [:-^] and I know we have at least one 4WD club. Oh yea, and we have that train museum.
Big John.
Not sure on the Hilton if its the one on Moorland Rd start this in reverse. if its the one in downtown start this way. Head north on hwy 43 to Sliverspring west on Sliversping to 60th right on 60th about 4blocks to Florist take a right and your at the gates of Walthers showroom ask for tour. Check out bargain shelf never know what maybe found! Full price on shelfs but ask for latest monthly guide and save some big bucks.
Next stop Happyhobby about 81st and Burleigh Dennis is the owner, wil deal if pressed [:-^] blow off dust and dog hair but its worth it because you never know what you may find, used stuff up the a##. Walk the whole store because there’s detail parts everywhere, just take your thinking cap.
Now west to Sommerfields on 125th and Hampton right in between Sliverspring and Burleigh. In the town of Butler two blocks from the UP’s Butler yard you can stand on the bridge over the yard thoat there. Good area, no one well bug you there.
The area around Walthers is ok in the day time never had problems there. same with these others.Walthers has a huge parking lot. Happy hobby is on a main street.
Grew up there now live about 4hrs west this is my route of stops when ever I get home. GreenField new’s is good but there are no deals what’s in the Walthers cal. is what you’ll pay.
Dave
its a tough one to describe. Out here, it is more on what you would call a"rock buggy". Chevy 350 V-8, 1/2 ton axles and those are 37" tires, Pro-Comp X Terrains. Its built to abuse and hail bootie with a load. I can carry up to 1.500 pounds if needed. 4 guys, all of our gear, (rifles, armor, water, etc) and we are over 1,200 pounds. I built a few years ago and have been working on it quite a bit this past year, which is why I haven’t been on the Trains.com much. Heck, I haven’t even had much chance to get out in the garage, been too much time in the shop. But things have settled and I have been tinkering and running trains again. Thanks for the comments on my layout. Yeah, in Arizona, basements are rare indeed. Garages are your cheapest space to use.
There are at least 2 Happy Hobbys. One on 76th Good Hope, roughly (near the WSOR Milwaukee Sub), and one on 82nd and National (along the UP Milwaukee Sub, south of Butler). Both have many out-of-production and old stock kits, etc. The club that was in the Walthers (56th and Florist) building is gone now.
Greenfield News and Hobby is on 68th and Layton, about 3-4 miles from the airport. The magazine and book collection is quite good, the actual train stuff I find is a bit lacking.
While out in Waukesha touring Kalmbach, head a couple miles west to Jetco’s Hiawatha Hobbies. http://www.hiawathahobbies.com/ Good selection, usually discounts, also does a lot of Net sales.
I was still pretty close. I also should have looked closer at the pic. If I had, I would have guessed 37’s or 38’s. I still would have guessed M/T’s though. For anyone who cares you can tel if it’s a Pro Comp or a Baja Claw by the tread. Baja’s have a sharper angled V compared to the X Terrains. I wouldn’t trust the 1/2 axles too much though. Even if your rig is only around a ton fully weighted, still running 37’s and a 350. I’m hoping/assuming you’re using chrome moly axles and lockers. With the small axles I personally would back off on the gearing a bit limiting it to 4.56’s.
My dream rig would have Rock Crusher Dana 60’s for the axles, hydraulic steering, 5.38 gears with spools, An Atlas 4-speed T-case with 10.4:1 low-low gearing, and a 700R4. I would only run a Chevy engine and an auto (I think the best for rock crawling) so that kind of limits it, but yes I know I could go out and find the right Saginaw and get something around 6.45:1 gears for first gear. And then to top it all off, a nice two-tone Milwaukee Road paint job and custom plates that read “AC4400”. Just to keep the train thing gonig, that way I won’t get yelled at too much for being so off topic. A mural of an F7 MU consist screaming across a tailgate panel would look cool to. Oh, and a train horn, no more than a single-chime, just enough to scare the bejisuz out of someone walking buy.
Welcome to Milwaukee in August from a fellow L.E.O. here in Milwaukee. Some of the responses seem to make Milwaukee sound like Detroit. Well staying away from certain areas is recommended but the Downtown area is very nice.
As a Deputy here in Milwaukee County I can agree with visiting Kalmbach, they give a nice tour and ask to see the MRT layout. If you are looking for a place to sit and watch trains, I can usually be found on the southside near the airport at Waterford Ave on Friday evenings. Another Southeast Wisconsin hotspot is Dulpainville. The Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have a diamond and 30-40 trains a day pound through there.
Hobby Shops in the area I would have to agree with Greenfield News and Hobby and Hiawatha Hobby in Waukesha. Great Selection at both locations. Also Terminal Hobby Shop is open at Walthers and always worth a look in the “bargain bin” for deals.
Feel free to contact me as the time gets closer I work dayshift so I could possibly be a tour guide if needed.
Keith Schmidt
Perhaps I should have chimed in a bit more on the post rather than the rock buggy. What Keith said is true, there are bad parts, but not as bad as what’s been sounded like. I drove through a Mil. ghetto area once, nothing happened. Oh sure I had a crap load of people very carefully watching us drive down the street, but that’s it. Down town is a pretty area. Down Marquette St. (? is it a St. or Ave?) is where I’ve usually been down. They have a really nice looking convention center that holds the Greater Milwaukee Auto Show in late winter/early spring that I’ve gone too. Also gone down a little further to Eagle’s Ball Room for a Godsmack concert once, an added tour date on their Faceless Tour, which I also saw them at the Milwaukee Amphitheater. I would recommend not driving around with the trailer behind the truck though, that might get a little tough. Normally I’d say who better to go on a tour with than a cop, but since you already are a cop…I just got what L.E.O. stands for. I’m not to quick with the acronyms sometimes.
Keith,
Thank you for the offer! I really dont know yet what the schedule will be like for me. Still working out all the arrangements and budgets. I know that in the middle of all this I am going to need some “train therapy” to get my mind on vaction. In all likely hood, I will hit up Kalmbach and maybe Walther’s on the my last day on the “way out of town.”
I will be in touch for sure. Thank you again.[:D]
Well, I made it back!
I was in Milwaukee for almost a week and half. Granted, most of it was tied up with work related stuff I did get a chance to get out and some of the great rail road related stuff. Thanks to two of the locals, Kieth and Dave, I got a godo chance to check out some railfanning, which being from the south west, was an incredible change of scenery. And big shout of thanks goes to Dave who gave me a full tour of the city, a couple local hobby shops, a trip to Walther’s.
And with Dave’s directions, my partner on the trip (who flew in later) grabbed the rental car and we went and got a tour of Kalmbach and Model Railroader. Holy cow do they have A LOT OF STUFF. I admit, I was floored when I saw the library of train books and resources. I could have stayed in there for hours by itself.
Great trip, thanks guys!
John it was great to meet you and show you around and railfan. I think Keith and the rest of the Duplainville gang gave us a good flavor of CP, CN and UP railfanning in this area.
I hope you can make it back to these parts some day. There is still tons of stuff to do and show you. You’d really enjoy Trainfest in November – maybe the only thing about Wisconsin a person can enjoy in November.
We’ll stay in touch.
Dave Nelson