The WC - CN Connection

[Anonymous]

I am curious as to if Canadian National is planning to repaint the Wisconsin Central equiptment, keep painting WC equiptment as WC, or slowly faze out WC like the UP did to the CNW equiptment. I did notice that all of the WC shops in Fon Du Lac have CN hanging on the buildings and at the switch tower. I also noticed that the WC caboose on US 41 NB is still there.. but in bad condition.
Thanks for any input!
Icemanmike2-Milwaukee

[eolafan]

If history is any indicator, repainting will likely take a while...how about an F45 in CN paint!

[dknelson]

Based on my most recent trip to North Fond du Lac Mike it looks like CN prefers to bring in their own power than repaint WC.
Dave

[Anonymous]

I talked to the track crew, here in Buffalo Grove. They say that CN has no intention as of yet to repaint any equipment. They have plans to gradually get rid of WC engines and bring in there own engines. The track crewmen said that CN uses different engines. Don't ask me what kind the two use, I cannot tell one engine from another. (WC is Maroon and Gold, CN is Black, Red and White) I think WC is made by EMD and CN is made by I would guess Alco??
TIM A

[Anonymous]

From what I have seen in Michigan the CN is sending alot of WC power to roam. NS has had some the last few days and they also have been seen on the GT. CN is probably going to dump WC power as they get more on line. WC had a different attitude in terms of power it bought units other were selling and rebuilding them in kind. I could see CN keeping the 45's if they were rebuilt to SD-40-2 specs. I know some of the oddballs have been sold. My experience with WC units is that they were well maintained and because of that they will go to a lessor. CN got rid of there Alcos a while ago, no big deal. Seems CN uses whatever they got in the U.S.

[Anonymous]

I guess this is a red flag for us rail fans to get off our rears and get as many pics before the dissapear. I already missed out on CNW. I guess you could say im learning from my mistakes!
Icemanmike2-Milwaukee
Ps dont get sick! This sinus stuff suxx!

[Anonymous]

Kinda on the Cn side of the story, I saw an masked racoon/Former Milwaukee Road/Former SOO/Current CN down in Jones Island while passing over on the Hoan Bridge at aprox. 5pm. wed. I could not belive my eyes. Yea she looks a little worn but to see one back on home grounds again was a sight!
Icemanmike2-Milwaukee

[dknelson]

Mr Iceman -- where do you do your Milwaukee railfanning? You are not the Waterford Avenue Mike are you?
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

I have not done too much railfanning lately. Acutualy chasing would more likely be the term. Ill take drives all along St. Paul (No I wont race there), And I'll drop by Jones Island to hide for awhile. If you ever see a blue Chevy Beretta then I'm somewhere near by! So far I found the Milwaukee road passenger car in Jones Island next to the old military switcher. I also found an CNW passenger car in Mukwanago. Im still looking for any other cars that kinda got sidetracked.
Icemanmike-Milwaukee Heres my web page.........
www.hometown.aol.com/tigger2brandi

[dknelson]

nice home page - like the Genesis shot at Wash St
Dave Nelson

[zardoz]

I know the location you write of; however, the CN does not operate there. And the ex-Milw, ex-soo unit is now a CP, not a CN.

[Anonymous]

I live in North Fond du Lac, about three blocks from the Shops. Almost all the smaller power was shipped out of here about three months ago, and the only WC power around are some of the SD45's on through freights. The yard is now switched by CN GP's and slugs, and the locals occasionally get an IC GP40.
HTH

[Anonymous]

Since we are talking about the WC's connection to CN, what is the route CN uses in the Chicago Terminal Area to go from the WC mainline [from Antioch to Franklin Park] to the CN/IC mainline [from Chicago to Markham Yard to New Orleans]?

[Anonymous]

Oops CN/CP I was trying to figure out what it was doing in Jones Is. Im just glad its on home grounds!. Ive seen those CN slugs up in Fon Du Lac...what an odd looking creature Then again so was the cow and calf. I dont know if CN has a map on there web page or not of there routes, I love maps. Its kinda odd though, I see more Wisconsin Southeren, an Wisconsin Central in Illinois then in Wisconsin......I guess I spend too muche time trainspotting in Illinois!:)
Icemanmike-Milwaukee

[Anonymous]

i live in stevens point wisconsin and my dad works on the railroad ther as an engineer. it appears theyve repainted the switchers and a few 45s.

[JoeKoh]

I saw 2 wc units 1 leased unit and 1 IC unit taking an NS train to Fostoria to the auto mixing center.They dropped off some rail at a siding near latty ohio on the old NKP line.Got some pictures before mother nature stepped in.
stay safe
joe

[dknelson]

Last week I was doing some WC/CN railfanning near Duplainville WI. A northbound was stopped at the end of the long passing siding north of Dupy and some other railfans and I ended up there hoping to catch the action as trains ran around this one
A crew member came out of the cab and when he reached our spot he gave us each a chilled cold water (it was a warm sunny day). Talk about a nice guy! Then we chatted for about 20 minutes about the railroad, about scanners, about employment at North Fondy --- a very nice way to spend the time AND we got our shots of the other trains. The CN may have taken over but the WC remains a very friendly railroad.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

I am so glad to hear that! The one thing that realy made WC different was that hometown charm. Its good to see that some things just dont change! I have seen alot of diferent names on the WC that where NEVER seen in wisconsin, I guess that is a good thing for us railfans!

[CShaveRR]

In Chicago, WC still gets into town over its own line, which connects with the B&OCT Altenheim Subdivision at Forest Park. The east end of the Altenheim is out of service due to condemned bridges, so the trains head south over the BRC to Clearing.

One WC train gets on the EJ&E at Leithton, and takes the J to Munger, where it heads east on the IC (ex-CC&P) line to Hawthorne Yard. This round-trip probably would be the one that handles through business between WC and other CN components (that's just a guess).

Of course, WC also has direct runs to the UP at Proviso, and possibly to BNSF as well. Anything for the eastern railroads would probably go over the WC/B&OCT/BRC routing mentioned above.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, not all the news is good for the WC Shops in North Fondy. My friends that work there tell me about a year, then the shops will be shut down, probably permanently.[:(!]

[dknelson]

Yeah the crewman I talked to (see earlier post above) who by the way came out of a WC SD45 cab, said the North Fondy shops were already way down and the trend was obvious. My one chance to tour those shops some years ago ... and my camera totally breaks down! Fortunately it worked OK the day I toured the Stevens Point shops which are also old and historic.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

Dave-
North Fondy has a yearly celebration called "Pride Days), and from '88-'97, they used to give guided tours of the shops and diesel house. The WC would also display a new repainted engine and a few repainted freight cars.

One year, a friend of mine entered the local demo derby and the WC sponsored him. We took the car right into the paint shop, the painter walked over, and gave the car a quick coat of WC maroon! We were also given "do not hump" signs, plus a large WC sticker(the ones they put on the cab sides) for the roof. Unfortunately, my friend stuck it to the roof, even though the railroad wanted it back.[:0][;)] Never did hear how that worked out, but he didn't lose his job over it.[}:)]
I've also been on tours of Stevens Point's shops and dispatching center during NMRA meets back in the late '80's and early '90's.
Ah, the memories of the WC![8D]

[Anonymous]

Stevens Point? I have been looking into train stuff in that area! My great grandparents are buried in the cemetary across the tracks from the trainstation in Point! I guess its a smaller world then you would think!

[Anonymous]

Guy's a little help. The shop at Stevenspoint was that a ex Soo or Milwakee shop?
TIM A
Illinios (Future home of the Hiawatha)

[Anonymous]

Ex-Soo. The station housed the WC dispatch center, and the roundhouse did running repairs on equipment.[8D]

[jtbredow]

I used to live in Stevens Point, WI until 2001 and usually swing by the yard and roundhouse when I go home to visit my parents. Not surprisingly, things have really slowed down since the takeover and a lot of the WC engines have all but disappeared. It's mostly CN engines and the occasional IC. I do believe they may have repainted the Stevens Point switchers as they have disappeared and some CN switchers with very fresh paint have appeared. The last time I was home all the rail overpasses in town now have CN signs, but the WC painted sanding tower was still there.

[Anonymous]

I live in Upper Michigan, near the Baraga line (well I'm currently in California with the Marines but). Within weeks of the take over CN had switched out the Normal SD45-GP35-38-40 power with a WC SD45 & a CN SD40-2 with the white striping. I have a picture somewhere of the unit hangin out north of Green Bay, WI next to an old station, if I remember correctly, the Nestoria Yard In Upper MI. I havn't been home much lately to get pictures of the weekly run of the SD45-SD40-2 team.

From what I understand they wern't going to paint over an WC, just replace it.
Josh

[Anonymous]

many wc box cars continue to come through in bunches on csx and ns
in columbus oh. some lettered wccl. just as grey cars lettered ic and wlo
do also, but fewer than wc. however, power is not as often as it once was.
quite a few dti 86'6 box cars come thru yet not repainted as gt or cn. so
maybe time will remain for wc rolling stock.
theo sommerkamp

[Anonymous]

From what I heard through Trains mag, Railworld (led by Ed Burkhard) has purchased alot of the F45's and SD45's. CN has moved alot of its C44-9W's onto it's Wisconsin Central sub.

As for boxcars and other rollingstock, it could be ages for them to repaint them, I have seen MoPac and NW cars rolling around the place still. :)

[Anonymous]

I was in Stevens Point, Wi in July and SW 1500 #1571 was in CN paint. There were a few SD 45s in WC paint sitting near the shop but all of the road trains had CN power.