Author: Richard Hopfensperger
Photos of the Union Pacific in Wisconsin.
Union Pacific local on the North track at Clyman Jct. This track ends and becomes the Wild Goose Trail and was the original roadbed of the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac. This later became the CNW.(Steam and Cinders;Lorenzsonn)
Union Pacific local at Clyman Jct.
A pleasant winter day brought this train thru Dalton, WI. The view is from the west side of the track on Sunny Knoll Road, a dead end that you can be trapped on by the train for a while.
Empty Union Pacific coal train waiting for clearance from the old CNW right of way to the old Soo Line right of way on the current CN in Neenah.
There were numerous units and cars stored in the Janesville yard during the early part of 2013. This is just one of many units that were there along with dozens of auto carriers.
Overview of the UP yard at Janesville showing the numerous units and auto racks in storage here.
What would appear to be the lead unit of a UP train is actually the lead unit of a CN manifest in Oshkosh. The track it is on was once a part of the CNW system, but was sold off to the FRVRR long before the UP took control of the CNW. The line here became part of the regional Wisconsin Central and then the CN.
A Union Pacjfic manifest passes the Dalton Lumber and Supply Co. on the former CNW Adams sub between Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St.Paul.
Just about to cross Sunny Knoll Road at Dalton, the UP train is starting to slow. Dalton has a long passimg siding on the former CNW Adams sub.
Though the units are not on the passing siding, the train is going to come to a stop between the turnouts on the former CNW Adams qub main. Once stopped, the crew is going to have a long wait. Not known to me at the time, but another train was ahead of this one at Oxford, also waiting. The wait would be for at least two hours. I never did see them move again that day. It is unknown to me the reason why the delay.
This ethanol plant served by the Union Pacific on former CNW right of way near Friesland.
A view from the Highway 33 overpass of the Union Pacific tracks at the United Wisconsin Grain Producers facility at Friesland.
A UP coal train headed for Green Bay passes through Shawano Junction as it crosses over from former Soo tracks to former CNW. The train is just short of the Towmen Road grade crossing.
The passing siding at Oxford on the former CNW Adams Subdivision. At approximately the lowest spot on the right of way a crew was doing some welding on the rails just a few feet west of the State Highway 82 grade crossing.
An old feed mill/elevator at Oxford on Depot Street.
A cut of covered hoppers in front of the feed mill at Oxford. This is former Chicago and Northwestern territory on the Adams Sub.
A local heads east from Adams with four cars on the former Chicago and Northwestern Adams Sub.
Looking west into the former CNW yard at Adams from the S. Main Street crossing.
Looking west into the former CNW yard at Adams. This line was built in the 1880's and was to be located 2 miles to the north in Friendship. Local land owners in Friendship decided to use this as an opportunity to inflate the prices they wanted for the right of way. In return, the railroad built here instead. Originally the railroad named this location Friendship but it was confusing because there were two Friendship's on the line. The citizens of the city were given a voice in the change and a vote was taken. There were two choices, Adams, for President Adams and Nottingham. Obviously Adams won out. This is a fairly important yard on this former "Route of the 400". A concrete coal tower of CNW heritage still stands tall here as well. For as many trains as are seen here in the yard, activity on the line between here and Milwaukee is rather hit and miss.
Working the west end of the former CNW yard at Adams.
Looking into the former CNW yard from the west end. Small piles of sand abound along the tracks.
A UP train heading east through Grand Marsh in front of the site of where the depot once stood.
A Union Pacific trio pulls an empty unit coal train back to home rails from the Pulliam Generating Station in Green Bay. The set is speeding along the CN rails at the Sherman Road grade crossing.
A Summer morning thunder shower rolled in just ahead of this train led by UP 5177 at Black River Falls on former Chicago & Northwestern track. The train is approaching the Bauer Road grade crossing from the north.
A trio of UP units aren't deterred by a pop up summer thunder storm as they head south at Black River Falls on former Chicago and Northwestern rails.
A UP train awaits for authority to exercise Union Pacific's trackage rights over the Canadian National to Necedah. The South Itasca facility is to the trains rear about a mile back. The view is from the south side of the County Road Z grade crossing.
A UP train is lined up to leave the Twin Ports area and head to Chicago over the Canadian National. It will follow former CNW (CMO) right of way to Gordon. From Gordon the right of way is former Soo Line (original WC) through Owen to Junction City where it will diverge and travel the former Milwaukee Road Valley Line to Necedah. At Necedah it will find its home rails of former CNW heritage and run to Chicago.
A UP engine waits near$the station for its next local work. This is on the old Chicago & Northwestern Lakeshore Line that ran between Milwaukee and Green Bay througi communities on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
It appears that somewhere along the way vandals started to do their work to this locomotive. It is at rest here in Sheboygan by the local yard office. It will be at work shortly.
A near head on look at the 1474 from the Union Avenue grade crossing.
Sorting cars in the former Chicago and Northwestern yard in Sheboygan.
After getting their cars sorted in the yard, the UP's Sheboygan local starts heading to the north side of town to service some industry. The train is still in the yard at this point.
The UP 1474 leads its short train north out of a former Chicago & Northwestern yard on its way to service some industry on the north side of Sheboygan.
A Union Pacific coal trail hurries along north through Lomira. The train is on its way the the Pulliam Generating Station in Green Bay. The 6691 is emerging from behind the Cole Oil and Propane Company. The heavy duty barrier consisting of the "dragon tooth", cable and structural steel is in place to protect the local businesses located here from derailment.
Coal for the Pulliam Generating Station in Green Bay heads north through Lomira behind Union Pacific power. The line is actually a CN right of way. (formerly Wisconsin Central and Soo Line) Unit coal trains heading to Green Bay have been a common sight over the years, but are becoming less frequent. Coal power is becoming more and more frowned upon and the word on the street is that Pulliam will be shutting down one of its burners within a year or two.
A short train heads toward Adams on the former CNW Adams line at MP 246. The train has just passed under the wooden Inglehart Road bridge. Also visible before the curve in the track, is the masonry arch bridge that takes the railroad over Kowald Road.
Working the Adams sub at Dalton, this Union Pacific train is heading west over State Highway 44.
Union Pacific 1460 leads a train across County Highway FF at Dalton. The view is from the State Highway 44, County FF junction, looking north into Dalton.
Looking west along the former CNW (now Union Pacific) connection track. The view is from County Road M and shows a neat old station sign marking the location.
Looking east along the curve of the connecting track to the original alignment of the CNW line at Tunnel City. The branch comes from Wyeville to the east. This is now Union Pacific property. The fact that it is jointed rail shows it is not as major a line as the welded rail of the CP through town.
Road power lays over while a local crew does some work near the yard office at Union Avenue. The CNW was the prior operator of this line before being absorbed by the UP.
Road power lays over while the local crew works in Sheboygan. The UP took operations over in Sheboygan when it absorbed the CNW. The Edgewater Generating Station is a large customer consuming Powder River Basin Coal located in town.
Union Pacific power as seen from Union Avenue in Sheboygan.
Working the former CNW yard in Sheboygan from the south side.
A UP train hauls sand west under Inglehart Road on the former CNW Adams Sub. There are a quite a few old wooden road bridges across the right of way in this part of Wisconsin.
UP 5320 leads a solid train of sand through the cut at Ingle. Ingle is located between Freisland and Dalton on the former CNW Adams Sub and is the location of a historic country church built in 1867.
A unit train of sand rolls through the cut at Ingle on the former CNW Adams Sub. The wooden bridge spanning the cut carries Inglehart Road across the right of way. The spot on the map that is Ingle is the home of St. Johns Church (commonly known as Inglehart Church) which was built in 1867. James Inglehart first homesteaded in the vicinity in 1846.
Looking railroad east toward Friesland from atop the wooden Inglehart Road bridge. A solid train of sand pulled by two locomotives rolls by at about 45 mph.
The tail end of a unit sand train on the Union Pacific's former CNW Adams Sub.