Western Railroad Discussion > LaCrosse area tour by The Dean

A highlight of the lengthy trip I took in June, segments of which have been posted here and on the Eastern Board, was the highly-anticipated tour of the Lacrosse, WI environs by none other than the premier fan of the area, well-known TO contributor rrartist. He and his family were most accommodating, gee he also drove me all over the place, fed me including a barbeque, and topped it all off with an original watercolor of UP 6900's! Be still my heart, I am not used to being treated so well! It was a most welcome mental break to be guided about after being on the road alone nearly a month. I owe him big time when he comes to Colorado. Hounded by rain, the weather was not ideal and the gnats were numerous, but I still had a blast. Along with his great art we get to see here on TO, he has train chasing there down to an art! I never had much luck on two previous visits throughout the years, just one of those places where you can get turned around too easily, and the good shots seem to elude you. I could not get good shots next to the Mississippi River, this tour solved that, I got the best shots I have ever done. I can not even hope to outdo rrartist's great continuing coverage of this area we get to see regularly, but here is some of what I did get:

Photo 1 - On 6-26, this CP eastbound is at Grand Crossing in Lacrosse, WI in the driving rain, and I am staying dry under the Gillette St. overpass built over the diamond.

Photo 2 - CP westbound clatters over the Grand Crossing diamond in Lacrosse in the rain.

Photo 3 - The same CP westbound has eased to a stop at the Black River Bridge in Lacrosse to meet this CP 6230 eastbound in the rain.

There's mooore...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/14 12:59 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 4 - The CP 6230 east is at track speed rolling through Bangor, WI, still raining.

Photo 5 - BNSF convertible-axle 6634 leads an eastbound at Grand Crossing as a westbound CP waits for a signal in the distance.

Photo 6 - CP 6225 curves along the swollen Mississippi River near Minneska, MN eastbound. This is the best photo I have ever taken of a train along the Mississippi, photo 18 is a close second due to the consist. The river was a torrent, the highest I have ever seen, even the river boat navigation locks were wide open with river water flowing straight-line right through them.

There's mooore...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/14 18:49 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 7 - At Minnesota City, MN, CP 6225 east awaits this CP 8617 westbound.

Photo 8 - After the two trains meet, CP 6225 leaves the siding at Minnesota City. Both this CP 6225 and the earlier 6230 are both former Soo Line SD60's built in 1989.

Photo 9 - Farther down the line, CP 6225 leads on a curve near Lamoille, MN.

There's mooore...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/14 19:28 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 10 - Back in Lacrosse and still on June 26, this CP eastbound local is at the Black River Bridge led by still-Soo Line and dual-flag-painted geeps.

Photo 11 - The Lacrosse Amtrak depot watches as this CP westbound stacker mortgage-lifter indifferently hurries past.

Photo 12 - Then it was time for the eastbound Amtrak Empire Builder to slide to a stop at the Lacrosse Amtrak depot for passengers disembarking and boarding.

There's mooore...

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Photo 13 - The afternoon grows long and the final shot of June 26 is this westbound auto-rack train led by UP 5125 and a patched SP GE making their way along the monstrous-flowing Mississippi River at Dakota, MN.

Photo 14 - In the morning of June 27, at breakfast on the go, we awake to this fine display of 4-6-4 CB&Q 4000 along with the old refurbished Grand Crossing tower moved here from its original location at the diamond. Recall that 4000 was the one fitted with a stainless-steel streamlined shell and named "Aeolus" for backup to diesels on Zephyr passenger trains, and nicknamed "Big Alice the goon".

Photo 15 - Rebuild CP 5310 eastbound rolls through Dresbach, MN.

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/14 13:01 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 16 - CP 6242 eastbound rolls past the Tower CK location in Winona, MN with a nice mixed consist. Tower CK was a manned tower which protected the crossing of the Milwaukee Road and Chicago & North Western.

Photo 17 - The same eastbound rolling through an S-curve at Dakota, MN.

Photo 18 - The second-best photo I ever got along the Mississippi, the nice mixed consist of CP 6242 east wider at Dakota, MN. This also was originally a Soo Line SD60 built in 1989.

There's mooore...

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Photo 19 - NS gets into the act next to the swollen Mississippi rolling westbound with a manifest at Dakota, MN.

Photo 20 - CEFX 1054 is either westbound or northbound at La Crescent, MN leading a second GE AC4400CW with fresh red paint.

Photo 21 - Still on June 27, and back in La Crosse, this BNSF westbound hotshot clatters over Grand Crossing under the Gillette St. Bridge.

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/14 19:52 by highgreengraphics.

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Outstanding bunch from an outstanding area with an outstanding host! Just outstanding!
JB

Photo 22 - A KCS Southern Belle westbound unit frac sand load is just about to leave Wisconsin at the west end of the Black River Bridge in Lacrosse, WI, ahead is the Mississippi River Bridge.

Photo 23 - On 6-28, this manifest is led by UP wings south out of La Crescent, MN. This line is former Milwaukee Road, now CP. It was closed during the Milwaukee Road bankruptcy. It was reopened to avoid routing St. Paul to Kansas City traffic via Milwaukee and Chicago.

Photo 24 - Rolling over a low trestle crossing Miller Pond farther south out of La Crescent.

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/14 13:01 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 25 - UP 5549 then rumbles over the low trusses of the bridge over the Root River.

Photo 26 - Rolling southward past Milepost 47 south of Brownsville, MN at Brown's Island with the rampaging Mississippi in the background.

Photo 27 - The many low-lying areas along the Mississippi act as relief during periods of high water, and form miles of swamps that normally are dry, such as this at Clear Creek south of Reno, MN.

Only 3 mooore...

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Those guided tours are the best!!

Great stuff!!

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Outstanding bunch from an outstanding area with an
> outstanding host! Just outstanding!
> JB


I'll second that! Very entertaining bunch

PQM

Photo 28 - Here is the southbound barely entering Iowa at New Albin, shaking the windows of the small but well-kept depot there. A truly nasty weather squall right on the edge of the sunshine here made me turn around to get away from it.

Photo 29 - An NS-UP combo takes a westbound out of Wisconsin and into Minnesota over the Mississippi River swing bridge under dark skies from the weather front.

Photo 30 - Some time after the NS-led westbound went by, this tugboat passes the Mississippi River swing bridge that is open, shoving barges with the river current, riding very high and the road under the bridge is deeply inundated.

Corrections are welcome, half of the time I didn't know where the heck I was and these were hard to label, hope I got these right. I wanted to go down to the Quad Cities next after this, but on the following day the weather became so ridiculous I turned west instead to get away from it.

Happy relaxing railfanning with a good friend whom I owe big-time! === === = === JLH



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/14 00:35 by highgreengraphics.

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highgreengraphics Wrote:
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> just one of those places where
> you can get turned around too easily, and the good
> shots seem to elude you. I could not get good
> shots next to the Mississippi River

I found this exact same fact out during my visit back there in October and is doesn't help that the CP trains haul butt!
Seems like it would be an easy place to shoot but it definitely takes some work and having a Great guide sure would help:}
Fantastic series there HGG!

Photo 24 location name is Miller Pond.

The CB&Q steam engine is a 4-6-4 not a 4-6-2

Photo #14 is my favorite ... and to think I was about to flame spray you for visiting LaCrosse and not posting a shot of Big Alice!!! Great stuff, all .....

Regards,
Burlington John

Thanks - Any idea as to the lineage of the caboose behind 4000? === === = === JLH

Been awhile since I've been in that neck of the woods. Your interesting tour brought back many memories, Thanks!

Larry

highgreengraphics Wrote:
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> A highlight of the lengthy trip I took in June,
> segments of which have been posted here and on the
> Eastern Board, was the highly-anticipated tour of
> the Lacrosse, WI environs by none other than the
> premier fan of the area, well-known TO contributor
> rrartist. He and his family were most
> accommodating, gee he also drove me all over the
> place, fed me including a barbeque, and topped it
> all off with an original watercolor of UP 6900's!
> Be still my heart, I am not used to being treated
> so well! It was a most welcome mental break to be
> guided about after being on the road alone nearly
> a month. I owe him big time when he comes to
> Colorado. Hounded by rain, the weather was not
> ideal and the gnats were numerous, but I still had
> a blast. Along with his great art we get to see
> here on TO, he has train chasing there down to an
> art! I never had much luck on two previous visits
> throughout the years, just one of those places
> where you can get turned around too easily, and
> the good shots seem to elude you. I could not get
> good shots next to the Mississippi River, this
> tour solved that, I got the best shots I have ever
> done. I can not even hope to outdo rrartist's
> great continuing coverage of this area we get to
> see regularly, but here is some of what I did
> get:
>
> Photo 1 - On 6-26, this CP westbound is at Grand
> Crossing in Lacrosse, WI in the driving rain, and
> I am staying dry under the Gillette St. overpass
> built over the diamond.
>
> Photo 2 - CP eastbound clatters over the Grand
> Crossing diamond in Lacrosse in the rain.
>
> Photo 3 - The same CP eastbound has eased to a
> stop at the Black River Bridge in Lacrosse to meet
> this CP 6230 westbound in the rain.
>
> There's mooore...

Nice stuff, thanks for posting.

I think you've got your directions backwards in this part, should
be eastbound and westbound unless they've massively reworked the
trackage since the last time I was there.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA