I'm from a really small town in the western part of the state. Right across the St. Croix River, about 45 minutes from down town Minneapolis/St. Paul. I live along a UP line that gets about 4-5 trains a day. Usually 2 are the Triple Crown train and then a few of the locals running from the cities to Eau Claire/Altoona yard. I live 3 blocks from the track through town. I can just go down to one of the crossings and watch or up by the high school baseball field is a great wide open space behind a tree line. It was always cool watching the trains go past during a game or practice. Also the fields at one of the parks face the tracks which is pretty cool, but distracting.
I have Hobby Junction in Eau Claire that is a great place to go and pick up stuff. Otherwise it's just shows up in the cities that I go to.
I also go to school in Winona, MN. Right along the Canadian Pacific main line heading south. My apartment is right next to the tracks and my bedroom window faces the tracks. Who would have thought I would have chosen that room, even if it's the smallest in the apartment. Down there we have a small hardware store/hobby isle that has some decent stuff.
Go look at the book, Mike Guss is a huge contributor. The cover is a shot of a coal train leaving New Brighton (Not his shot, but its my stomping grounds).
Alec
wctransfer wrote: Go look at the book, Mike Guss is a huge contributor. The cover is a shot of a coal train leaving New Brighton (Not his shot, but its my stomping grounds).Alec
That's where I heard the Name! I was going to say the book but.....That's pretty cool.
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JR7582 My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcfan/
Oh may Garsh! All these midwesterners in one place, don't ya know. Makes me want to ask Marge to whip up a little hot dish for you fellas.
Really like the pictures of that Canadian equipment, there. Looks like it was bit nippy. I hope you remembered to put on your sweater!
So how about them Brewers, eh?
Lee
(Sounds like life is pretty good out there on the prairie, but this time of year it's nice being less than an hour from the beach!)
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
North Fondy checking in!
I'mmostly an armchair modeler now, after most of my HO stuff was stolenback in '98. I originally started modeling the CNW set in the '60's,then switched to WC when they started up. Before the break-in, I hadabout 10 WC models(SW's, SD's, even the SW-1), some left over CNW, a BNSD-60, and was working on some model contest entries(D&RG SD-9 andGP40-2) Got a few model contest certificates(a 2nd and 2 3rds) plus aphoto contest winner(best color prototype and popular vote) for a shotof 2 GP-40's and an SDL-39 on Byron Hill in the snow.
LatelyI've cut back on my modeling/railfanning due to a promotion at work,but I get out to check action at Shops(a half mile from my house),Byron Hill, and occasionally action on the WSOR near my job sites(Iwork construction)
wm3798 wrote: Oh may Garsh! All these midwesterners in one place, don't ya know. Makes me want to ask Marge to whip up a little hot dish for you fellas.Really like the pictures of that Canadian equipment, there. Looks like it was bit nippy. I hope you remembered to put on your sweater!So how about them Brewers, eh?Lee(Sounds like life is pretty good out there on the prairie, but this time of year it's nice being less than an hour from the beach!)
Are you kidding? Man it hot up here! Brewers are doing really good this year. They where the top team for a while. Now there like 4th or 5th.
Also ShopsYardMaster, where did you get your SDL39. Or did you scratch it? I would really like to see a picture of it. Sad to hear that you got robed. Do you still have that Winning picture. I would really like to see it.
No, I didn't do an SDL-39, but I did do a SW-1 from an old ModelPower unit, and decals from the SOO Line Historical society(#1, the"Francis J. Wiener", who happened to be a friend of mine before hedied). The SD45's, the SW1200's and a GP35 were stock Athearn blueboxes with Kadee couplers and additional detail added(and in the caseof the GP35, the dynamic brake blister removed.)
If I can dig up the negative for the GP/SDL pic, I'll try to scan it and post it.
ShopsYardMaster wrote: No, I didn't do an SDL-39, but I did do a SW-1 from an old ModelPower unit, and decals from the SOO Line Historical society(#1, the"Francis J. Wiener", who happened to be a friend of mine before hedied). The SD45's, the SW1200's and a GP35 were stock Athearn blueboxes with Kadee couplers and additional detail added(and in the caseof the GP35, the dynamic brake blister removed.) If I can dig up the negative for the GP/SDL pic, I'll try to scan it and post it.
That would be great.
Hey, so I found out why I haven't seen the bandit around Tosa this summer.
I was down in the Third Ward today having dinenr with the girlfriend (sadly without my camera) and there on the head of the Jones Island job was the bandit! Now there used to be a SOO hockey stick GP38-2 on this job, and I would hate to see that one get repainted CP as well but thankfully the bandit (a former Milwaukee Road patched GP40-2) is still working and still orange!
So if anyone wants to see it, try looking at either the yard or down at Jones Island, happy hunting!
Cheers!
~METRO
I don't have a chance to go there. That's why I'm believing in you METRO to get me a picture!
Hey guys! I'm a Wisconsin modeler in Wisconsin too. I live in Reedsburg (over near the Dells), at the end of WSOR's Reedsburg sub. I do a lot of railfanning all over the state, but especially over on the BNSF and CP though too around La Crosse (which, IMHO, is the best railfanning to be had anywhere in the upper midwest between the scenery and trains, although I haven't seen it all....). I model the WSOR, and I hope at some point to make a model of the Reedsburg sub (although it will probably be a few years from now before I get the space to model it).
I'm also a member of a local model railroad club out of Madison that's only a few years old. I have a module that I display with the club's layout at local shows, and I also am working on building a website for us. The club is where I've learned a lot of model railroading skills, and I really enjoy it.
MilwaukeeRoad, you've got a good chance of seeing a Bandit if you hang around Muskego yard enough. Even though I only get to Milwaukee once or twice a year, I've seen a bandit at Muskego two out of the last three times I've been there. It seems like there is usually one hanging around the engine facility or deep in the yard. The Viaduct (27th street?), offers a good view of the goings-on in the yard.
And there is a chance you could see the WSOR at Muskego too. They acquired trackage rights on the CP to Chicago via Muskego begining May 9, although as of yet I haven't heard of anything running down the CP. The restriction though is that the trains can be unit grain trains only, so it will probably be fall before we start seeing to many WSOR trains on the CP (if there ever are).
Noah
Hi, I am Joe, im in Middleton which has a WSOR track going through. I model BNSF and Amtrak(all on a 4x8).
I am going to summer fest(Milwaukee) on Jully 2nd(monday) and was wondering what are some good hobby shops I should go to while in the area?
Joe
Do any of the Wisconsin Modelers know if there are mass produced models of the Griswold Rotating STOP Banner Signals available for those who would like to recreate scenes on the Soo Line's Wisconsin and Minnesota lines?
Andrew, across Lake Michigan.
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
mj5890 wrote: Hi, I am Joe, im in Middleton which has a WSOR track going through. I model BNSF and Amtrak(all on a 4x8).I am going to summer fest(Milwaukee) on Jully 2nd(monday) and was wondering what are some good hobby shops I should go to while in the area?Joe
Well, no other than the giant Walthers shop downtown.
What are you going to see at Summerfest?
MilwaukeeRoad wrote:Well, no other than the giant Walthers shop downtown.
Is that a good place to go to?? what is there
MilwaukeeRoad wrote:What are you going to see at Summerfest?
I am not sure, im going on July 2nd which is kids day, we usually get some food watch the bands while we eat and then walk around to see what we can find. Were probably going to be there from about 11AM to 3PM so we probably wont see any major band because they usualy play later at night
Walthers is a great store, but not much to look at, it's not downtown but on the north side in a rather rough part of town.
If you are going to Summerfest and are an Amtrak fan however, go check out the railfanning along the Milwaukee River, viewed best from the Riverwalk on Water Street just a few blocks west of the Summerfest grounds.
There are the Hiawathas and the Empire Builder to watch for as well as CP freight traffic.
Walthers has everything that is on it's site..
www.walthers.com
Hi from Cameron WI, small town in far west central WI (Barron Co). I'm in the process of building a freelance layout dated in the early 1930's, my layout is 13 1/2' by 23' around the wall shelf with a 6 track staging yard that goes through the wall into my ajoining modeling shop. My local hobby shop (Grampa's Train Store) is in Rice Lake WI., just up the road, it's a small store and they will order anything for you that they don't stock, their prices are right out of the Walters catalog. I'm retired and a transplant from Minnesota and I bleed Purple "Go Vikes" sorry all you Green Bay fellas.
"The Harven"
Yes, when the Packers had Ryan Longwell they always beat the Vikes by a field goal, now the Vikings have Longwell they still can beat the Packers. OH WELL.
Hello gentlemen.. Am new to HO model rainroading. Total rookie but learning. I've gotten most of my things from Greenfield Hobby on 68 and Layton, or Walthers on 55 in Milw.
Pat at Greenfield has been extremely helpfull.
Need someone to stop by and give me "help" on how to wire my layout. Am useing the Backman E-Z track system. By "help" I mean advice !!! Me and electricty and circuity are complete strangers.
My layout is a long table top with 2 u shaped ends. The table top is 13 ft long. and the two u ends are 54x 48, and 48 x 48; the front center section is 38 inches deep. Have two side by side tracks with a reversing loop on the right side. All my radius are either 18 or 22. Intend to model Milw. Rd. and CNW in late 70's. Right now layout is roughed in, elevations are in and track is placed to test layout. have grades of 2% and 4%.
Intend to use two MCR1370's for my power source, so I can run 2 or more trains and supply all my switches and other needs.
Want to "copy " the look of the grain operation that use to be on 43 and Mitchell, Burhamn.
Intend it to be a all disel operation.
Hope to meet some of you !! Thanks. Mike
"keep on rolling"
I used to live near Oconto Falls...Good ol ELS I used to go and see all the time there...I got a TRAINZ layout based on that...It goes from Green Bay all the way to Pembine and then over to Escanaba and then I got the lines from Stiles Jct to Oconto Falls the line from Crivitz to Marinette and then I got the interchange with the WC at Pembine and the trackage rights over the WC to Escanaba.....I now live in Wausau do any of you guys have AOL, YAHOO or MSN Messangers???
WCL wrote: I used to live near Oconto Falls...Good ol ELS I used to go and see all the time there...I got a TRAINZ layout based on that...It goes from Green Bay all the way to Pembine and then over to Escanaba and then I got the lines from Stiles Jct to Oconto Falls the line from Crivitz to Marinette and then I got the interchange with the WC at Pembine and the trackage rights over the WC to Escanaba.....I now live in Wausau do any of you guys have AOL, YAHOO or MSN Messangers???
I got MSN. MilwaukeeRoad has AIM.
WCL wrote:So MilwaukeeRoad is your AIM...Whats your MSN name like something@hotmail.com???
No, MilwaukeeRoad, The fourm user, has AIM. And MSN is like whatever@hotmail.com. But I also have the messenger(i.e IM)