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Lake Michigan has a surface area of 22,400 square miles. This large body of water separating the East from a large chunk of the Midwest has always posed a challenge to railroads, which were forced to go around it. In the early days of rail transportation, freight was unloaded from railcars onto boats, shipped across the lake, then loaded back into rail cars. In the late 1800’s, railroads began constructing large boats to haul entire railroad cars. These vessels needed to be built strong to haul ever increasing numbers of freight cars and for all-weather service, including the ability to smash through ice in the winter. The railroad car ferries also provided passenger service across the lake, and in later years carried automobiles as well.

The story of the SS Badger

In 1952-1953, the C&O Railroad http://www.cohs.org commissioned the SS Badger http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx and its sister SS Spartan. These would not only be the final additions to the Lake Michigan railroad car ferry fleet, but were also the largest ever built, at a cost of 5 million dollars each. The two vessels were constructed by the Christy Company of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. They each burned coal and were powered by Skinner Unaflow steam engines http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5496.pdf. They were designed to carry rail cars, automobiles, and provide first class passenger accommodations, including staterooms, dining facilities, and recreation. 

By the 1970‘s the railroad industry had changed, and the Interstate Commerce Commission (remember regulation?) allowed the C&O to exit the car ferry business in 1983, selling its last three ferries to the Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company. That company struggled along until November 1990, when the SS Badger made its final trip.

The next year, entrepreneur Charles Conrad committed resources to reinvent the SS Badger to carry passengers and their vehicles. It returned to service in May 1992, between Ludington Michigan and Manitowoc Wisconsin. The SS Spartan is tied up in Ludington and occasionally provides replacement parts for the SS Badger.

The SS Badger is the last coal burning steamship in the United States and is one of the last vessels in service on the Great Lakes to be powered by Skinner Unaflow engines, a unique propulsion system that has been designated as a national mechanical engineering landmark. 

The SS Badger offers a fun and relaxing transportation option. She completes the 60 mile trip across Lake Michigan to connect US Highway 10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_10 in about four hours. This saves about three and a half hours compared to driving 411 miles between Manitowoc and Ludington via Chicago. While onboard, travelers can take advantage of entertainment, food, or even staterooms equipped with sleeping berths. 

The Future of the SS Badger

The SS Badger has drawn fire from the EPA and environmental groups due to the release of coal ash from its boilers directly into the waters of Lake Michigan. This has historically been the practice with the SS Badger and coal burning ships in general. Now that the SS Badger is the last one, is the coal ash much of a problem?

As this issue is unresolved and uncertain, the choices may be to convert the boilers to fuel oil, junk the boilers and the historic Skinner engines and convert to diesel engines, or, worse, mothball the vessel.

If you think you may want to see and ride this great ship, better plan to do it soon, just in case.....

Why is the SS Badger important?

It is the last example of an operating large railroad-built Great Lakes car ferry. It still has railroad tracks buried in pavement on the automobile deck. It has the original engines, boilers, and it still burns coal. At its ports, there are still visible artifacts connecting the boat to railroads. The company celebrates the history of the SS Badger and SS Spartan and car ferries in general on its website and in its small museum onboard. 

It is a viable means of transportation now and in the foreseeable future. It employs a large number of people in many trades and professions, which supports business in the communities it serves, as well as further employment. It brings in large numbers of passengers, bringing business to restaurants, lodging, and retail in the two ports. It makes sense, especially in these economic times, to continue to use this valuable resource for as long as practicable.

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Grand Scale Steam - I’m always looking for opportunities to cover steam locomotives in operation. Big steam locomotives, narrow gauge steam locomotives, even the two foot gauge steam locomotives of Maine.

But steam locomotives in the Grand Scale size? Will this be interesting to our audience? I was skeptical. But, the Riverside & Great Northern was close to home in Wisconsin Dells. Their web site www.randgn.com is interesting, with lots of information about the museum and its history. 

About Grand Scale Steam and the R&GN

The site also has a great story to tell about the Sandley Light Railway Equipment Company. Sandley was started by a father and son in Janesville, WI in the 1940’s, moved to Wisconsin Dells in the 50’s, and lasted until the early 80’s. They built grand scale steam and diesel locomotives, rolling stock, and everything needed to supply the railroad requirements of zoos and amusement parks around the country. Many of these Sandley grand scale steam locomotives still exist and are operational. The R&GN has done a good job of restoring and interpreting the Sandley machines, factory buildings, and railroad park. The Sandleys used the park to entertain local and vacationing visitors (Wisconsin Dells has long been a popular vacation destination for the Upper Midwest) as well as a testing bed and demonstration site for potential customers.

So, the Sandley story is very interesting, but will there be enough visually to be of interest to our steam audience? I arranged with museum president Jim Hagen to spend a day at R&GN in July, arriving in time for a pre opening tour of the line by diesel. I learned that the line occupies the former right of way of the Milwaukee Railroad. The original line was built in the late 1850’s, linking Milwaukee and LaCrosse. The Milwaukee constructed a new line a few hundred feet west in the early 1900’s to eliminate grades and curves. The reconstruction was the largest railroad earth moving project in Wisconsin history, largely carried out with horse, mule, and manpower. Wow!

Jim also showed me the huge steel bridge, built after a massive flash flood in 2004 washed out an earthen fill. The bridge is believed to be the highest and longest existing in the US for a miniature railroad. I was also impressed by the 150 year old rock cuts created for the original roadbed which the tiny trains now pass through on the two mile route.

The museum owns four Sandley-built engines and operates two right now. Number 98 was the engine in service when I visited, and 82 was in the shop, having just completed a new paint job and not quite ready be steamed up. The engines are kept in impeccable shape thanks to volunteers such as Gil, a retired machinist. The Sandleys probably never dreamed their creations would still be steaming more than a half century later. Modern refinements and interest by future enthusiastic volunteers will keep them running for years to come.

The operations during a typical summer day were very interesting and involved the teamwork of engineer Bernie Hotzel and conductor Gene Van Roy. All the volunteers I met were genuinely in love with the little railroad, and I have to confess, now that I’ve witnessed this unique operation, I’m a bit smitten too.

More Grand Scale Steam in Wisconsin

But that’s not the end of the story. There are also two other fine examples of grand scale steam railroads in Wisconsin, both with historic and modern connections to Sandley.

The Milwaukee Zoo www.milwaukeezoo.org owns two large Sandley engines, 1916 & 1924. These grand scale steam engines are capable of carrying much longer and heavier trains than R&GN’s locomotives. Engineer Ken Ristow, who is a Milwaukee County employee, is also a rail enthusiast. He’s operated big steam, such as Milwaukee Road 261, Iowa Interstate’s two Chinese built QJ’s, and Soo Line 1003. Ken has improved the performance of the Sandley engines since he joined the staff. I was impressed by the long train he was pulling on the loop around the large zoo complex.

The trains have been operating at the zoo since 1958 and the tracks take riders through wooded and open areas, past a small lake, and across a few grade crossings on a seven minute ride. This train also moved a bit speedier than the R&GN. The line is capable of operating two trains in the same direction when crowds are heavy. In fact, Ken was very apologetic since he was planning to have the second locomotive running for our visit, but an employee called in sick. Maybe next time.

The other example of grand scale steam is the Whiskey River Railway in Marshall. It’s based in the Little Amerricka Amusement Park, but departs from the noise of the thrill rides when it passes the facade of a western town, through a “tunnel”, and out into the countryside. Here riders enjoy seeing animals like sheep, cows, and mules, amid rolling hills. 

Whiskey River is slightly larger scale, with 16” track vs. 15” at R&GN and the zoo. The for-profit operation also builds locomotives and equipment in its Merrick Light Railway Equipment Works, http://emerald.jvlnet.com/~gardyloo/. Here is the modern connection to Sandley, headed by Darrell Klompmaker, another lifetime rail enthusiast. Merrick does much of the same type of work that Sandley did, creating locomotives for private individuals as well as zoos and parks. They also restore and repair light railway equipment, including Sandley machines owned by R&GN and the zoo.

So, it all ties together. All three grand scale steam venues have much to see, hear, and smell. Other than the size, these are real steam locomotives. They operate in settings similar to their bigger cousins. I believe anyone who loves big steam will enjoy seeing these fine locomotives in operation.

I know you will agree after you watch our story Grand Scale Steam In Wisconsin. It is the first chapter on our DVD Wisconsin Steam Stories. You can see a preview of the DVD here. 

I also encourage you to check out these operations in person. You will not be disappointed!

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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Royal Rajasthan on wheels is a fantastic luxury train which is modeled after the famous Palace on Wheels. The stellar success of Palace on Wheels prompted the Rajasthan tourism and Government of India to launch another luxury train on similar lines. It is a well-known fact that Indian royalty was obsessed with luxury trains. And Royal Rajasthan on wheels takes its inspiration from the former royals. The moment you would get on the train, you feel overwhelmed by the exquisite luxury and royal ambience.   Amidst royal extravaganza, you go on a trip which would let you explore the regal heritage of Rajasthan.

Abroad the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels train, you would discover various fabulous destinations like Mehrangarh, Amber Fort, Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, City palace and Saheliyon-ki –Bari in Udaipur,  etc. The journey presents you quintessential Indian way of life.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels India offers remarkable facilities which are comparable to the best five star hotels. The fabulous restaurants offer you wide varieties of Rajasthan cuisines.  You can chill out at the fabulously appointed bars.  Savor the regal Rajasthan travel destinations sitting in the comfort of your train.     The train has a fantastic spa called Amatra where you can rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. The train was inaugurated on 11 Jan, 2009 and it is running wonderfully ever since.      

Welcome to an imperial journey, a journey across the magical world of Rajasthan aboard the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels. A trip across the princely state was never known to be as spectacular as it appears to the guests aboard this luxury train. And why not? With 3 fascinating itineraries, host of modern amenities and comfort, and a range of personalized services, what less can one expect other than sheer luxury and fun? While 2 journeys of this train are each for 7 nights and 8 days, a shorter sojourn of 4 days has successfully run across Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Bharatpur. The 3 distinct itineraries operate during different months so that guests could capture the different moods of the places, in the different seasons. The new itinerary of 7 nights and 8 days is an ethereal sojourn across the erstwhile lands of the Maharajas as well as central and eastern India. The destinations that this train traverses through include Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bharatpur, Khajuraho, and Varanasi.
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels offers you a memorable experience to cherish forever. This luxury train is today a foremost travel alternative that is equipped with all the modern luxuries and comforts that are required by the contemporary traveler. A painstaking effort by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Rajasthan Railways, this train truly facilitates its guests to feast on Rajputana heritage from very close quarters.
Besides the destinations and the services onboard, what also fascinates the guests aboard the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is the classic interior décor. The 13 salons of this train are entirely air conditioned luxurious coaches, fully carpeted and adorned with rich silk and linen furnishings that bring alive the royalty and opulence. Gorgeous paintings and period furniture make the ambience all the more magnificent.
Royals Rajasthan on Wheels also houses two restro-bars namely Sheesh Mahal and the Swarn Mahal. Traditional Indian, Rajasthani, Continental and Chinese culinary delights are especially served in these in house eateries. A separate lounge is attached to each coach that offers passengers a cozy comfortable place to relax in. The lounge is also an ideal place from where one can admire the fascinating countryside of India passing by. 

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