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I wrote earlier about the 100th birthday celebration for Little River #110 (http://yardgoatimages.com/birthday-bash-for-little-river-110). Now that the event is behind us, it might be good to tell you about it.

Being at the Little River Railroad Birthday Celebration

Of course I was there with our video cameras to record this one-time event that took place over three days between Coldwater and Hillsdale, MI. Little River Railroad normally operates between Coldwater and Quincy, but for this special occasion #110 pulled longer trips all the way to Hillsdale.

Besides #110, there were four other steam locomotives in operation, all tank engines. These included Little River #1, Viscose Company #6, Flagg Coal #75, and Lehigh Valley Coal #126. This was the first time #126 operated in revenue service since being rescued and restored by Gramling Locomotive.

The first two days had identical schedules, with four round-trips between Coldwater and Quincy, and one round trip Coldwater-Hillsdale. The tank engines took turns powering  the Quincy trips. It was quite a scene at the Coldwater depot each morning as engines arrived from the shops located near the edge of town. Passenger cars were switched and deposited at the station platform for the first three trips, leaving at 15 minute intervals! Train watchers had a good vantage point at Quincy too, as the Hillsdale train passed through while the “local” was on the siding.

On the third day, there were just two Quincy trips, but the slim schedule was compensated by the sight, sound and smoke of FIVE steam locomotives leading the long train, which included the entire car fleet! The two trips were spectacular with a solid block of five black coal fired locomotives giving there all with tremendous plumes of smoke, and lots of steam whistles.

Each day, there was an afternoon singing of Happy Birthday and five “cakes” made from log circles and butter-creme icing. A cake was delivered to the crew of each locomotive, where it was promptly tossed into the firebox!

Some of my favorite moments were not available to the general public. I made it a point to be at the shop building well before the engines departed so I could record the early morning activities as the crews prepared for the day. The low sun angles lit the glorious scene of locomotives, smoke, and steam. 

I really appreciate having been a part of this and I’m grateful to Travis Bloom and all of the Little River Railroad volunteers who made everything work in spite of the uncomfortable heat and humidity. The owners and crews of the visiting locomotives deserve big thanks as well. 

Our program about this amazing event is finished! You can see it all on the Steamin' Summer Volume 1 DVD.

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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Soo Line 2719 is a steam locomotive that may not be as widely known as Union Pacific  844 or 3985, Southern Pacific 4449, Nickel Plate 765, or many of the “big” locomotives operating today. It hasn’t been out on mainline excursions for many years, and is lucky to pull some trips each year between Duluth and Two Harbors, MN on the North Shore Scenic Railroad (former DM&IR) owned by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. 

About Soo Line 2719

Soo Line 2719 is a 4-6-2, built for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, commonly called the Soo Line. It was constructed in Schenectady, NY by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1923, one of an order of six locomotives.  Four of these have been scrapped but one, 2718, is on display at the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI. 

Soo Line 2719 continued in operation until the mid-1950’s as the railroad replaced steam with diesels. It had the honor of being pulled out of retirement to power the last steam train on the Soo Line on June 21, 1959, a round-trip excursion between Minneapolis and Ladysmith, WI.

After traveling over 3 million miles in service, the engine was donated to the city of Eau Claire, WI and displayed in a city park.

In the mid-1990’s, a group called the Locomotive and Tower Preservation Fund, Ltd was formed to restore Soo Line 2719 to operation. Following a fast paced schedule, the locomotive made its inaugural run on September 19, 1998. It’s home in the early years was the Altoona, WI roundhouse, and it ran many excursions, primarily on the Wisconsin Central.

Times changed quickly and the Wisconsin Central was absorbed into Canadian National  and the engine made its last run in 2003. The Altoona roundhouse was raised in 2004, and Soo Line 2719 was forced to stay outdoors until late 2006, when it was moved to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. The engine would not run again until August, 2007.

Currently Soo Line 2719 is in good hands in Duluth, with the museum leasing it from the Locomotive and Tower Preservation Fund. The railroad, which has a regular schedule of trips during the warm months of the year using many diesels from their collection, brings out Soo Line 2719 only for several weekends in autumn. The steam locomotive is much more expensive to operate than the diesels, however the fares are considerably higher to help make up the difference. 

The next hurdle facing Soo Line 2719 is the expiration of its 15 year boiler certificate in 2013. Will its owners raise and spend the great deal of money needed to accomplish this? What is the museum’s stake in operating Soo Line 2719 in the future? I hope there has been some discussion between the parties regarding fund raising efforts that will be necessary to pull this off. 

I have been disappointed to see Soo Line 2719 pulling trains that have lots of empty seats. Granted, Duluth is not a huge population center, and a bit out of the way for much of the  US and Canada, but look at the success of Durango & Silverton. Duluth has developed a thriving year-round tourist industry, powered in summer by family friendly attractions, camping, cabins, hiking trails, boat trips, and Lake Superior beauty. In winter there is downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. 

The museum has a large collection of operating heritage diesels, passenger equipment, plus an attractive depot and magnificent indoor museum. It is one of the premier railroad museums in North America. With a new approach to advertising and publicity, I believe the museum should be able to expand its train ride business, both steam and diesel, perhaps even on winter weekends. More traffic would make any decisions about restoring Soo Line 2719 much easier. If anything, I think the railroad would benefit if it could acquire a second steam locomotive! With two steam engines and their already great collection of heritage diesels, this could become a true railroad destination.

But, life is uncertain. If you want to see this great locomotive in operation, better get there soon. In the meantime, consider becoming a member like me (lsrm.org), send a donation, or volunteer. In the meantime, I will continue to record Soo Line 2719 in operation as much as possible.

We have two DVDs featuring Soo Line 2719 in action, Midwest Steam 2009 Part 2 and Steam: Trackside & Inside. 

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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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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In the Fall of 2010 I had the pleasure of following Union Pacific Challenger 3985 as it made its way through Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and back again to Nebraska.

Due to other commitments I chose to start on September 30 at North Platte, although it began its journey in Cheyenne on September 28. I arrived in North Platte to see the locomotive and its short train arrive at Bailey Yard.

Riding with UP 3985

It has been a few years since I had seen UP 3985, and it was great to see an

old friend again. The big Challenger Class 4-6-6-4 was built for the UP in 1943 by American Locomotive Works, one of a total of 105 ordered, and the only operating

survivor. Although the Challenger was not the largest steam engine ever built, it is the largest still operating in the world.

The crowds of people who stood along the tracks, or visited the engine during stops were both amazing and yet understandable. It is an all too rare event to see mainline steam, and rarer still to see the likes of this beast. Word gets out, and the local folks join the long distance chasers to revel in the noise and earth shaking as the train flies by.

The first full day of my journey with UP 3985 began on Friday, October 1 as the special departed North Platte for Marysville, KS, with a servicing stop at Kearney NE. Following the train on US 30 (the Lincoln Highway - my favorite Nebraska road) was magnificent, as it passed UP freights in both directions on the triple track. I found it difficult to get ahead as traffic slowed through the small towns that were born of the first transcontinental railroad. If I could see the headlight in my rear view mirror, I knew there was not enough time to stop the car and set up my cameras. If no light could be seen in the mirror, I would start looking for a spot.

Then things got difficult as the route UP 3985 was taking to Marysville diverged from the triple line and headed southeast. There are few or no parallel roads, so as the train proceeded on a more direct route, I had to "stair step" south and east, with little chance of catching it.

The next day, Marysville, KS to to Kansas City, MO was similar in terms of the road vs. rail route. This day the train stopped in Topeka for servicing. All along the way there were people and vehicles gathered at grade crossings. At Kansas City, traffic was streaming into the lot behind the massive Union Station complex, where, the following day it stood on display with large crowds.

Next it was on to Jefferson City, the capitol of Missouri, with a service stop at Marshall. The special was on display in the shadow of the state capitol building the following day. I really enjoyed my stay in Jefferson City. If you ever get there, order the pulled pork sandwich at Bandana’s BBQ.

On October 6, UP 3985 and its train made a short trip to St. Louis, with a whistle stop at Washington, MO. In St. Louis the train was parked in a remote industrial section of town. Hard to find? Maybe, but the crowds showed up to climb the stair platform to peer into the large cab.

The following day was a difficult one as everything that could go wrong did. This was a roundtrip to Gorham, IL. I set up for my first shot along the Mississippi River not far from the Gateway Arch. The sun was nearly above the bridge but favorable to the side I chose. There was some sort of delay and the train did not appear as quickly as I expected. I was about to move to the opposite side of the bridge, but then I heard it approaching. Too late to move, I did my best but this shot may not make it into the program.

There was no service stop on the way to or from Gorham, and the roads and rail were not a good match again. Then, a MAJOR detour (sorry UP, but you picked the wrong day for crossing improvements on Highway 3 between Chester and Rockwood) prevented most steam fans from reaching Gorham. The police officer directing traffic on a 16 mile detour said there was no way to make it there before the train turned around to head back to St. Louis. Oh well, that left time to find a good spot for the return trip. The other disaster of the day turned out that one of my two video cameras had malfunctioned and I had lost some great scenes. Oh well again....

After another day on display in St. Louis, UP 3985 and the special headed west, this time to Sedalia, MO, with a whistle stop in Pacific, MO and servicing at Jefferson City. I was able to get some good footage in Jefferson City as the train made its stop in front of the Amtrak station at Jefferson Landing, where a large crowd had gathered. Next, I went west a few blocks to the UP yard to see the train roar out of town.

At Sedalia, UP 3985 and its train was displayed for enthusiastic crowds until 6 PM the following day, when it made a short and fast hop to Kansas City. This was the first evening move of the trip. The sun sets early in October, and a build up of clouds late in the day made for a pretty gloomy departure from town. I was on the west side of the city, perhaps a mile from where departure took place. By the time it reached my location UP 3985 had the train flying. I caught one more shot along the way before complete darkness fell, then I went to KC Union Station to watch it arrive, almost two hours earlier than scheduled. Again, a large crowd gathered ahead of time. The lighting around the parking area was bright so hopefully the video images will be OK. Then I spent some time getting still photos lit only by the station area lights.

After another day on display (it rained for the first time), the train left Kansas City on Tuesday, 10/12/10, for Marysville, KS with servicing in Topeka. Happily, the rain had stopped by morning. This is the same route that was difficult going east, and it was equally difficult going west. Got some nice shots at Bonner Springs, departing Topeka, and arriving at Marysville.

My final day, Marysville to North Platte was again challenging on the way to the transcon connection. I didn’t even catch up at the servicing stop, but managed shots before North Platte as well as arrival there.

Sadly for me, again I had another commitment (a photo special weekend with Soo Line 1003 in Wisconsin) and could not spare the extra days to accompany 3985 on to Cheyenne.

The trip overall was a success in terms of capturing great video and still shots. I also met some very nice people along the way as I passed through beautiful areas of our country.

I heap praise on Union Pacific for their fine steam program and for supporting the communities they serve. I was impressed by all the capacity improvements along the right-of-way in Nebraska since the last time I was there. Even though the economy had still not recovered, I saw a LOT of trains. My only nit - I wish they would have slowed the train occasionally or had longer stops, to allow us photographers a fighting chance to see a little bit more of this beauty. 

If you're interested, the program is featured on our DVD Steam Specials in the Heartland.

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images.

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Recently I had the pleasure of spending a day with the folks at the Laona & Northern Railway in woods of northern Wisconsin. The railway operates the Lumberjack Steam Train to bring passengers from the tiny town of Laona to the Camp 5 Museum.

My day with the Lumberjack Steam Train Crew

They were expecting me as I rolled up to the big green engine house at 7 AM on a hot summer morning. Inside,  #4, the Vulcan 2-6-2, built in 1916, sat over the inspection pit, waiting for another day of work. 

Pete, the engineer, and Davey, the fireman, quickly got started. Davey invited me and my camera into the cab as he began the firing process. First, newspapers, then cardboard entered the firebox, then kindling wood from a pile outside the building. A torch was used to light the newspapers, and soon dark smoke was traveling through the smoke vent on the roof of the building. Davey shoveled the first of the coal into the firebox. As the fire consumed its fuel, the smell changed from paper and wood to the unmistakable smell of coal. 

While waiting for steam pressure to build, Davey continued the morning ritual by greasing and lubricating the engine. Working around the engine, grease was forced into fittings to keep the locomotive’s parts operating efficiently.

Shovel more coal.

Now it’s time to clean the engine. Hoses and brushes were used from top to bottom. The cab was hosed and wiped down. The water being sprayed inside the building onto the the hot locomotive made for a pretty sight through the large open door.

Shovel more coal. Pressure’s coming up.

More lubrication. More wiping.

Time to move out into the sun. Pete slowly backed the engine from the building as my cameras recorded the scene. Back inside the engine house I set my camera at the far end of the pit. The pit, the water on the floor, and the engine just outside in the sun....wow!

As #4 basked in the morning sunlight, more wiping, ash was cleaned, and the first visitors began arriving. Soon a crowd gathered to see the locomotive, pose in front of it, and to the delight of the kids, pull a cord strung outside the engine to blow the whistle.

Riding the Lumberjack Steam Train

Finally, train time. The locomotive pulls a short train of coaches and cabooses to Camp 5. Camp 5 is an interactive museum which interprets the logging industry of Wisconsin. Visitors will see historic logging equipment, railroad equipment, buildings and structures, all relating to what would have existed at a typical logging camp. There are also farm related exhibits, including a former slaughterhouse, because logging camps were largely self sufficient. (Vertically integrated in modern terms). Kids will enjoy the farm animals, tractor pulled wagon rides to the outlying areas of the site, and the food stand. The grown ups will be interested in the museums, exhibits, short film presentations, and some shopping opportunities. 

Meanwhile the Lumberjack Steam Train comes and goes all day, and the sounds contribute to the atmosphere.

Pete and Davey were gracious hosts, and truly love their jobs. The day was very hot, and they were quite covered with soot by the last trip. I set up one of my cameras through the rear door of the engine house to record #4 as it rolled over the pit.

Beautiful!  See a sample from our video here. Our entire adventure with the Lumberjack Steam Train is documented on the Wisconsin Steam Stories DVD.

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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