What a surprise at Stevens Point, WI

[eolafan]

Tonight I am in Stevens Point, WI on business (my old stomping ground from my very first sales territory back in the seventies).  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop by the old SOO/WC/now CN shops and yard to see what is going on.  I used to see lots of power at the shops area but tonight not even one unit idling at the shops, but lots of activity in the yard...switching and the like.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a pair of BNSF SD70MAC units hauling a Wisconsin Public Service loaded coal train westbound!  I assume this coal train was headed west to Junction City then north to the WPS plant in Rothschild, WI (near Wausau).  What I am curious about is the routing of such a train from the Powder River basin. Does such a train travel in on the BNSF to Chicago then go north on the CN to FonDuLac then west through Stevens Point and then north at Junction City to the power plant?  If the answer is yes it seems like a rather roundabout route.  If this is not the typical routing, what is?  Anybody know?

By the way, CN  has really upgraded the mainline through Stevens Point and the main track now runs on the southern edge of the yard and it looks like there is quite a bit of "through" traffic. Oh, and also in the yard was yet another WPS loaded coal train with no power on the point and no FRED on the rear end (?????).

[Soo 6604]

Yes, the coal trains come from Chicago area, off the "J". Twin Cities would make more sense but IIRC, there was some things about a curve and upgrading some tracks.

With the other coal train, it was loads left behind for reasons I am assuming that the loop at Westin cant handle the 135 cars. Looked like around 20 or so cars. I just left there and went along the south side of the yard (1055pm).

If your not asleep, M341, M343, A407 are due in Point. There is a train in the yard already (northbound) so that could be the A407. I think that there was a southbound ready to leave.