What is the heritage of these units? Do you foresee them being based around MDSN?
Thx
Always nice to see someone who remembers those little, Wisconsin Shortlines such as the WICT...
It's unfortunate that these MP15ACs will replace the two GP7s and the 2 SD20s that are used as yard/road power, but it is nice to see some Milwaukee Road power back on home rails.
Maybe WSOR could repaint one set of MP15ACs back into Milwaukee Road paint, for railfans' sake...
Phil
I don't believe the 701-702 are being replaced. They were rebuilt/rewired in 1980, so they might be a little fresher than the 1500s in that respect. Also roomier cabs, and easier to get to the toilet.
Only the 2051 is running. 2056 most likely will not run under its own power again. The prime mover is "blowed up", to use the technical term.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
Hi
I saw the primered unit in the Janesville Roaundhouse last night..Monday night.
Any of you WSOR guys run on the Monroe sub on the night shift? I see the Monroe train a lot between 10:20 and 11:00 p.m. on my way home to Juda.
Roger
(the guy in the red Saturn VUE)
The fact that ATSF rebuilt them will probably pro-long their life, but I would have thought the same on the SD20s.
Thankfully, there is still at least 1 running, on the WSOR. Too bad about the 2056, though.
I saw that one of the SD20s headed north via-UP to the St. Paul area, lettered BEBX. According to a railfan up there, there are (2?) SD20s that are lettered BEBX, and one of them might become scrap metal, in his words...
Lineage on the goslings - delivered in late 1975. WSOR 1501 Soo1557 Milw 491WSOR 1502 Soo1541 Milw 475WSOR 1503 Soo1542 Milw 476WSOR 1504 Soo1561 Milw 495WSOR 1505 Soo1549 Milw 483WSOR 1506 Soo1562 Milw 496
Phil - one Goose a L' Orange "heritage" unit would be spectacular.
http://www.wsorrailroad.com/gallery/roster.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP15AC
CGAX 2053 to Ord, NE, and BEBX 2054 to Fairmont, MN Cargill Ag Horizons operations
DBGX 2055 to Mexico operation - DeBruce Grains [KC] also 2052 lettering/loc unknown
Perhaps if we all emailed Bill Gardner and told him that he could make several hundred people on the trains forums happier than a pig in you know what maybe he would paint up one unit in black and orange.
I'm sure he'd love to please.
Seriously it will be sad to see those units painted over. Those units made the CP line to the Twin Cities interesting. There's been a few times I've seen one of those little motors sandwiched between two CP AC4400's. Kind of made you laugh. It would have been even funnier if they put the MP15AC up front with the crew and left all the big power in the back of the consist on a mile long intermodal.
I guess all that's left now to watch on the CP line are the SOO SD60s. I wonder if the WSOR is going to buy those next? I can't even begin to imagine how funny it would be to see one of those monsters rocking and rolling on 90 year old track through Horicon.
Dan
I too would love to see these in WSOR paint. A MILW unit would be the absolute best thing ever, since the re-painting of WWVR's MILW SD10.
Too bad CP couldn't donate one of the MP15ACs to a railroad museum so they could restore it to MILW colors. Off hand, NRM is out of room, it's too new for Mid-Continent, but maybe the Mineral Point Historical Society...there are plans to re-lay the tracks for an outside connection.
Gosling hunter Ryan Kertis shots of 1504 and 1505 at Barr pointed to Clearing Yard. They'll head to Janesville on a CJ, and up to Horicon, completing the WSOR 6-pack.
11 Soo bandit pups operating: 1537, 38, 40, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51 and 1553 1975
Also 8 GP40's: 2010, 2016, 2026, 2032, 2041, 2057, 2064, 2066 1966-68
and GP38-2's 4510 and 4512, vintage 1974
CP also has nee MILW Soo 1532 in red, 1535 & 1555 in white with red cabs, and 9 in CP paint - including 7 beavers. 1536 and 1539 are apparently retired, 1560 just got a new GREY NRE uniform. With the 6 goslings - that's the whole class of 32 rostered 12/1975.
Wiki pup page
solzrules wrote:Seriously it will be sad to see those units painted over. Those units made the CP line to the Twin Cities interesting. There's been a few times I've seen one of those little motors sandwiched between two CP AC4400's. Kind of made you laugh. It would have been even funnier if they put the MP15AC up front with the crew and left all the big power in the back of the consist on a mile long intermodal.
wgnrr wrote:I too would love to see these in WSOR paint. A MILW unit would be the absolute best thing ever, since the re-painting of WWVR's MILW SD10.Too bad CP couldn't donate one of the MP15ACs to a railroad museum so they could restore it to MILW colors. Off hand, NRM is out of room, it's too new for Mid-Continent, but maybe the Mineral Point Historical Society...there are plans to re-lay the tracks for an outside connection.
Personally, I think the SD10, or a GP20 if there's any still around, or one of the FM's would be better representations of Milwaukee Road for a museum. An MP15AC? I'm not so sure about that.
As for Mineral Point, I've heard that the city has said "don't bother" to WSOR. Maybe WSOR will instead re-lay the Mineral Point & Northern to Dodgeville, and start shipping boxcars of Land's End stuff...
Fortunatly, there are SD10s preserved, and the best example is the 532 at the Whitewater Valley Railroad. The City of Prineville Railroad has one or 2 GP20s. And, H10(2)-44s are found in many places, such as NRM, IRM, NKP RR Museum, and there is that one in Broadhead.
You never know about a MP15AC...would make a good museum switcher.
The Mineral Point Railroad Society is trying to acquire the ex-WWR/M&HM/C&H 70t locomotive that is at the Whitewater Valley Railroad (since it's in southern IN, it's notable that it has been mentioned 2 times already for Wisconsin related railroads). It was commonly known as the Blue Ox, and was the last locomotive in Mineral Point.
solzrules wrote: Perhaps if we all emailed Bill Gardner and told him that he could make several hundred people on the trains forums happier than a pig in you know what maybe he would paint up one unit in black and orange. I'm sure he'd love to please.
Count me in among those happier than a pig if this happens, but I doubt it would: unless CP surrendered them, CP owns the rights to the MILW image and I bet they would have some beef with another railroad running around straight up with "their" colors. (Along these lines, I've heard that UP's heritage unit repaintings were done partly to preserve UP's trademark rights of those predecessor railroads.)
The best WSOR could manage would be a knockoff/mimic, similar to what the Bloomer line did with their own version of CB&Q. But with that the case, I echo others in saying that these MP's should look pretty good in full WSOR colors!
The 2051 is no longer running. We had the engine in Madison a couple weeks ago and it was puking oil all over it's self. From what i've heard, the 2051 was washed and pulled from service. The two remaining GP7's on the roster are staying for the time being. They are used in Millwaukee and on the Saukville Sub that runs north out of Millwaukee.
If the Mineral Point line does go back in, it'll only go as far as Shullsburg. Mineral Point said thanks but no thanks. However Shullsburg is very interested getting the rail service back. But even that isn't set in stone yet. I haven't heard much about it in the past year or so.
The MP15AC's were in storage for a few years and they're still trying to work out the bugs in them, but they are getting better. I wouldn't get your hopes up about the Millwaukee paint though. They'll all be in WSOR paint sooner or later.
For all of you wanting to railroad. It sounds like the WSOR will be having a new hire conductor class in March. You can apply at any of the terminals, Janesville, Madison, Horicon, or Millwaukee.
MILW205 wrote: solzrules wrote: Perhaps if we all emailed Bill Gardner and told him that he could make several hundred people on the trains forums happier than a pig in you know what maybe he would paint up one unit in black and orange. I'm sure he'd love to please. Count me in among those happier than a pig if this happens, but I doubt it would: unless CP surrendered them, CP owns the rights to the MILW image and I bet they would have some beef with another railroad running around straight up with "their" colors. (Along these lines, I've heard that UP's heritage unit repaintings were done partly to preserve UP's trademark rights of those predecessor railroads.) The best WSOR could manage would be a knockoff/mimic, similar to what the Bloomer line did with their own version of CB&Q. But with that the case, I echo others in saying that these MP's should look pretty good in full WSOR colors!
I doubt CP would give a rats ***.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
Thought I would jump in to share some more on WSOR 2054. BioFuel Energy purchased the unit for switching of the new ethanol plant at Fairmont. The BEBX reporting mark refers to BioFuel Energy, Buffalo Lake Energy. The only reason the waybill showed the customer as Cargill is simply that the unit was ready to ship... but we did not have our track agreement in place with the UP at the time. Cargill agreed to let us use their elevator agreement for the purposes of a shipping destination.
I had hoped that the W&S lettering would have been covered over with something more classy than the gray spraypaint. The W&S paint job is pretty snazzy, and I have seen other SD20's get better treatment. Ah well, live and learn. In any case, we will have a skunk around the upper midwest for many more years (hopefully!).
Regards.
MILW205 wrote: solzrules wrote: Perhaps if we all emailed Bill Gardner and told him he could make hundreds of trains forum folks happier than a pig in Ships, maybe he'd paint up one in black and orange. I'm sure he'd love to please. Count me among those Happy Pigz if this happens, but I doubt it: unless CP surrendered them, they own the rights to the MILW image, and I bet they'd have a beef with another RR running around straight up with "their" colors. (Along these lines, schemes for UP's heritage SD70ACe's were done partly to preserve trademark rights for UP's predecessor railroads.) Best WSOR could manage would be a knockoff/mimic, similar to what the Bloomer line did with their own version of CB&Q. But with that the case, I echo echo others * these MP's should look pretty good in full WSOR colors!
solzrules wrote: Perhaps if we all emailed Bill Gardner and told him he could make hundreds of trains forum folks happier than a pig in Ships, maybe he'd paint up one in black and orange. I'm sure he'd love to please.
Perhaps if we all emailed Bill Gardner and told him he could make hundreds of trains forum folks happier than a pig in Ships, maybe he'd paint up one in black and orange. I'm sure he'd love to please.
Count me among those Happy Pigz if this happens, but I doubt it: unless CP surrendered them, they own the rights to the MILW image, and I bet they'd have a beef with another RR running around straight up with "their" colors. (Along these lines, schemes for UP's heritage SD70ACe's were done partly to preserve trademark rights for UP's predecessor railroads.)
Best WSOR could manage would be a knockoff/mimic, similar to what the Bloomer line did with their own version of CB&Q. But with that the case, I echo echo others * these MP's should look pretty good in full WSOR colors!
coborn35 wrote: I doubt CP would give a Rat's aspirin.
Coburn35, I believe CP would fail to profer da Beaver's Buttock!
From the semicircular office at 5 points: 17:20 2/7/2008
Fervent spotters honk da news: goslings 1504 + 1505 arrived at the historic Janesville roundhouse today. WSOR celebrated the centennial of this hub of railroad activity a couple years back. Da goslings are in da HOUSE!
Actually - past it. Likely somewhere in Waukesha county by now. Today's JH power lineup (Janesville-Horicon - not as cryptic as Uncle Pete ciphers) is 4006-4025-1505-1504. 2 SD40-2's leading the final pair of goslings to Horicon.
Perhaps the RR gods will hatch a HERITAGE gosling from John Smet's talented artisans. Horicon just completed thisChicago SouthShore and South Bend loco within the past 6 weeks - so we know they can paint orange and black!
da Milwaukee beerNut wrote: From the semicircular office at 5 points: 17:20 2/7/2008 Fervent spotters honk da news: goslings 1504 + 1505 arrived at the historic Janesville roundhouse today. WSOR celebrated the centennial of this hub of railroad activity a couple years back. Da goslings are in da HOUSE! Actually - past it. Likely somewhere in Waukesha county by now. Today's JH power lineup (Janesville-Horicon - not as cryptic as Uncle Pete ciphers) is 4006-4025-1505-1504. 2 SD40-2's leading the final pair of goslings to Horicon.Perhaps the RR gods will hatch a HERITAGE gosling from John Smet's talented artisans. Horicon just completed thisChicago SouthShore and South Bend loco within the past 6 weeks - so we know they can paint orange and black!
That's orange and MAROON, South Shore equipment never had black trim.
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote: da Milwaukee beerNut wrote: From the semicircular office at 5 points: 17:20 2/7/2008 Perhaps a HERITAGE gosling from John Smet's talented artisans. Horicon just completed Chicago SouthShore and South Bend loco within the past 6 weeks - so we know they can paint orange and black! That's orange and MAROON, South Shore equipment never had black trim.
da Milwaukee beerNut wrote: From the semicircular office at 5 points: 17:20 2/7/2008 Perhaps a HERITAGE gosling from John Smet's talented artisans. Horicon just completed Chicago SouthShore and South Bend loco within the past 6 weeks - so we know they can paint orange and black!
Here is the latest CSS engine released from the paint shop.
Trucks and underframe are black.
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