Need some direction on a very old prototype

[Anonymous]

I'm finally getting started on the benchwork for my full-basement layout. I did a layout with my dad when I was around six years old and now that I have my own house it's time to get back into the hobby.

My layout will be semi-prototypical, based on actual yards and lines but I'll be connecting towns in areas of the country that have some special significance to me, towns that wouldn't otherwise have connections.

I'm trying to find some information and am coming up with nothing, I thought maybe some people here might be able to point my nose in the right direction.

I was speaking with my grandmother yesterday. She related to me how she has a special connection to trains, how she would spend her summers at her grandmother's farm about three miles south of Cameron, WI west right off of Hwy 53. Every night she would fall asleep to the sound of a steam engine's whistle.

I have family ties to the lumber industry in the area and am wanting to model this. What I'm wanting to do is surprise my grandmother with a model steam loco that would have been the very same one she often heard as a little girl, and would occassionally run with her brothers over to the track to see. The track she would have seen runs north and south (not sure which direction the engine she heard would have been travelling), would have been about three miles south of Cameron and run nearly parallel with Hwy 53 on it's east side.

As near as I can figure the year would have been 1925 or '26, the time would have been around 9pm-10pm (not entirely certain, but she typically heard the train right after dark).

I plan on modeling the family farm (I'm actually in Bismarck, ND but have visited a few times) and would love to run some sessions with this loco passing by about that time of night, imagining my grandmother as a young girl falling asleep to the sound of that whistle.

Any help or direction would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

You're apparently talking about C&NW's Eau Claire - Duluth line. The train may have been No. 406, the Fast Mail passing through nearby Rice Lake around 11:00 pm running southbound. Power could have been a ten wheeler (4-6-0). Another train, the Arrowhead Limited ran southbound around 7:30 pm. Northbound the Duluth-Superior Limited came through around 4:30 am and the Fast Mail about 8:30 am. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

That's absolutely awesome...exactly what I'm looking for. How did you come by this information? How can I verify the engine and number? Thank you so much for your help!

[Anonymous]

I also think the engine could well have been a ten wheeler. They were the most numerous of the C&NW's steamers, and also the most numerous type found on its subsidiary Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha ("the Omaha road"). The North Western had 325 Class R-1 ten wheelers; the Omaha had 96 ten wheelers in Classes I-1 and K-1. All of these engines were used in passenger and freight service during the '20s.

Another possible type of engine in passenger and mail and express service at the time would be a Pacific (4-6-2). Both the C&NW and the Omaha had Pacifics (a few of which weren't built until the early '30s).

Cameron was on one of the lines operated by the Omaha Road, so it's likely the engines were Omaha, rather than North Western locos.

[Anonymous]

"Cameron was on one of the lines operated by the Omaha Road, so it's likely the engines were Omaha, rather than North Western locos."

Woudn't NorthWestern have had track rights in that area as well though? I'm asking because I honestly don't know. I wish I knew more about the history of this area...I'm woefully lacking though, which is why I'm here. I sincerely appreciate all the help, guys. They say you learn something new every day, but I've been lurking on these forums for a while I learn at least three new things a day...either I'm above average or the knowledge you guys have is awesome, and I know I'm not above average. :)

[Anonymous]

The general practice during the steam era was for engines to be changed on through trains at Elroy: North Western power was used betwen Chicago and Elroy; Omaha engines between Elroy and the Twin Cities or the Lake Superior terminals.

[Anonymous]

In terms of model engines (in HO) you couldn't beat Bachmann's Spectrum 4-6-0. It comes factory painted & lettered for the Omaha Road. Bachmann catalogs it as a C&NW ten wheler, but it's sublettered CStPM&O, and is in the Omaha number series for these locos. Bears a very good resemblance to the real engines (wouldn't be so close for a C&NW R-1).

[Anonymous]

I appreciate you saying so, that's exactly the model I was looking at. Thanks for the confirmation, I know what I'll be getting now.

[Anonymous]

Actionplant:

A follow-up on your questions: The train information is from the Official Guide, a publication containing all railroad (and some ship and airline schedules). It used to come out monthly back in the days of when passenger trains were king. Locomotives were changed quite often back then due to the requirement for frequent servicing and maintenance for steamers. So it's unlikely the same locomotive was always on your train. A ten wheeler still exists. I believe No. 1385 still resides at the Mid Continent Train Museum near North Freedom WI. Got to see it running live in Omaha during the 1980's. Don't know if it's still running. Also looked in an older Official Guide and found there was a third passenger train, No. 512 running southbound, stopping at Cameron about 9:00 pm.

[Anonymous]

There's lots of information online about these engines--including in-service photos of them on the line in question. Just do a Google search using "Omaha 4-6-0" as your search term.

None of the Omaha ten wheelers survive, but there still are 3 C&NW R-1s to be found: the 1385 at Mid-Continent (currently undergoing major restoration); the 444 at the Forney Museum in Denver; and the 175 in Upper Michigan.

The 1385 has been extensively photographed.

[Anonymous]

Again, I really appreciate all the help guys. Now that I've got the info I need it's time to start modeling!

[BRJN]

QUOTE: Originally posted by johnwbaie

A ten wheeler still exists. I believe No. 1385 still resides at the Mid Continent Train Museum near North Freedom WI. Don't know if it's still running.

I was on vacation in the Madison / Wisconsin Dells area last August and there were no steam engines running out of North Freedom at the time. [:(]
The rest of the displays were realy neat; my kids (9 and 3) liked them too. My wife liked the train ride because it was sunny and quiet and relaxing. A good thing after visiting the Circus Museum at Baraboo, which was loud and noisy and rainy.