Brian's WSOR

After a weekend of touring the WSOR system, the business train returns to Madison. In a city of mostly small-time, localized railroading, it&feels great to witness vintage equipment in regular operation. Scenes like these are rare, and I'm certainly glad that I got out to fan the WSOR today!

WSOR 913 blocks Charter St. on a snowy April afternoon as it switches the UW-Madison coal-fired heating plant

WSOR 913 switches coal loads for the University of Wisconsin's coal heating plant across W. Dayton St. on a snowy April afternoon

WSOR GP38 3801 negotiates the curve as it takes the connector to the Prairie Sub. No cars today- this is probably just a run to the UW Heater coal burning plant to spot loads/retrieve empties

WSOR 1201 continues SE after having crossed Dennett Dr. on its way out the Cottage Grove spur

WSOR 1201 approaches the switch at the end of the Watertown sub on a warm May afternoon

WSOR 1201 quietly ambles down the rickety track on the Cottage Grove sub, a former CNW line

A close look at an aging beauty... WSOR 1201 ventures through the suburbs of Madison on her way towards Cottage Grove, WI

WSOR 1201 switches cars around from the south end of the E. Johnson St. yard on a pleasant August afternoon

WSOR 2003 approaches E. Johnson st as it returns to WSOR's main yard in Madison with cars from the Prairie sub

WSOR 3801 shoves towards the capitol on a beautiful September evening.

The 3801 returns from the Central Soya spur and passes over MX crossing, a diamond that's located in the middle of Monona Bay. I got really lucky with the timing and light in the shot, and why the hell not? It was my birthday! I'll also consider it a birthday present that I was not phoned in for tresspassing, but the throngs of die-hard tresspassing fisherman provide a good cover for a foamer.

WSOR 4493 and 2002 take WB cars along Campus drive and underneath a suspension pedestrian bridge. The second track here is dubbed the "Long John" and, at the time of this photo, was used to store coal loads for the UW-Madison coal heating plant

3803 backs down the only active portion of what once was the IC's Madison-Freeport line. The short stub is about 4 blocks in length and is in detestable condition. The UW Heater plant stores empties there until the WSOR crews come to retrieve them. Also, remaining loyal to the seemingly idiotic city planning in Madison, the 3803 crosses one of MANY grade crossings that pass diagonally through a 4-or-more-way intersection

Crews have to deal with dangerous pedestrian traffic issues on a daily basis here at the UW-Heater. It's a miracle that nobody has been killed yet, and the unknowing pedestrians have no clue how grateful they should be to the cautious crews of the WSOR

Many frustrated students gather and walk around 3803 as it manuevers the tight curves of the spur into the UW-Heater plant

4490 sits with a passenger extra at the Mid-Continent Railway museum in North Freedom. The excursion took passengers down to the beautiful cliffs and shores of Devil's Lake

The 3802 and 4492 lead a short string of coal loads destined for the UW-Madison Heater plant. They're traveling through the isthmus right now and will have to take the connector track to get onto the PDC line to access the plant

WSOR 2002 powers a WB freight on the Prairie sub. The train now passes the small staging yard used for the UW-Madison Heating plant

The MALAM crew heads down the spur for the MG&E plant to grab some empties before their day is done

The 3803 and crew use the back leg of the wye today, and that means wig-wag action!

2053 passes a traffic jam on Campus drive as she's about to pass underneath the pedestrian suspension bridge with some WB cars

The 2053 scoots past the UW-Heater plant on a mild April afternoon. Train crews must be on edge here every day as thousands of UW-Madison students pass by here with little or no regard for passing trains

3802 shuffles around coal hoppers at the small 3-track yard near the UW-Heater plant on Dayton St.

3802 runs light out the Prairie sub along Locust drive

WSOR 2002 leads a WB local through the community of Shorewood Hills, on Madison's west side

WSOR 2002 passes Broom St, Lake Monona, and a dog park on its way towards the Prairie sub

2056 approaches Commercial st., the northern boundary of the WSOR's Johnson St. yard.

The 2052 kicks up dust and turns some heads as it powers loads into the back door of the UW-Heating plant

2052 pulls a WB train past the Kohl Center, home to the UW-Badgers basketball and hockey teams

2051 heads light out the PDC line

4493 and 2002 switch cars at the north switch of the "Long John" siding on the PDC sub, blocking Highland Ave. in the process. Parts of the enormous UW-Madison hospital complex can be seen at the left of the photo

WSOR 2002 and 4493 move cars around for the UW heater as they pass a WSOR Hi-rail truck, parked on the Freeport spur

WSOR 2002 and 4493 rest on the UW-Madison coal heating plant's spur

A side view of 4493 at the UW heater plant. The tall building in the distance (just above 4493's horn) is the Van Hise building and the large building above the dynamic brakes is the Chem building, both characteristic of UW-Madison's many large buildings

Here's a side view of the 2002 as it sits at the UW-Heater plant. The 2002 is dwarfed by the Noland Zoology building in the background

A view of the engineer's side of the 4493 as it pauses, along with the 2002, while the UW-Heater plant looms in the background

3807 exits the rear entrance to the UW Heater plant on a depressing November day

After a long return trip on the MAPDC train, the 3802 and crew pass the UW-Madison engineering buildings along W. Johnson St. on a freezing February day.

2051 pokes her head into the service entrace to UW-Madison's Union South (not in picture)

WSOR 2051 finishes up switching the UW heater before heading west on the Prairie sub

The 3802 and crew head down the Cottage Grove spur with a couple of cars on a nice spring day

3807 heads back to the Johnson St. yard after switching Madison Gas & Electric's coal power plant on a dreary March day

WSOR 2056 approaches W. Washington avenue with 5 empty coal hoppers that were retrieved from the UW-Madison coal heating plant. To the left of the 2056, the Kohl Center, home of the UW-Madison basketball and hockey teams, can be seen. To the right of the 2056 sits the MILW 35A, now on static display in front of the former MILW passenger depot. The 35A and train set house retail shops, but the depot lives on as a bicycle sales and repair center

The 3802 and crew stop traffic on Dayton street as they complete their switching duties at the UW-Heater plant (behind me in photo).

2052, power for the MABLT today, pulls hard on a long cut of WB cars. There's a whistle ban in Madison, but many of the crossings in the community of Shorewood Hills have only crossbuck protection. The WSOR crews lay on the horn to announce their presence along Locust drive, keeping the community's children safe

The 3802 and crew head west through campus out the PDC line

The 3802 and crew stop at the "Long John" siding alongside Campus drive to make some switching moves

The 3801 pulls a long string of UW-Heater bound coal loads, creating traffic problems as it crosses Blair St. The old CNW Blair St. station is just out of view to the left. The train parallels Lake Monona (right) and slowly approaches the "tunnel" underneath the famous Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace.