Here the Atlantics Once Rolled.
Dick Gruber did the driving, John offered historical context, while I made notes. We all made photos. I was working with three cameras; my EOS-3 film camera loaded with Provia 100F slide film, my EOS 7D digital camera, and Lumix LX-3.
John Gruber, says as we inspect a grade crossing near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, ‘Passenger trains were allowed 75mph through here. The Hiawatha’s Atlantics worked here towards the end. It was probably the last regular trains they worked. When I saw them they were pretty dirty.’
Visions of high-speed service on this route were revived in recent years (as part of a Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison route) then dashed again when political philosophy interfered with transport reality. Track speed is 10mph, and the only service is Wisconsin & Southern’s (WSOR) local freights.
We drove from DeForest, pausing for lunch near Sun Prairie, to a lightly used grade crossing near Deansville where we intercepted the WSOR local freight. This was hauled by a clean pair of GP38s clattering upgrade with a long string of ballast cars and mixed freight at the back.
WSOR’s burgundy and silver makes for a pleasant contrast with rural scenery. I can only imagine what it was like with a streamlined A1 Atlantic clipping along with light-weight passenger cars at speed. Different worlds.
For more on Wisconsin & Southern locomotives click here.
See yesterday’s popular post on Wisconsin’s DeForest Station.
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If you can find the number on the car, and provide the name of the town, I’m sure there’s a way to find out what the story is on that PCC. I once saw several Philadelphia PCC’s in a field off I70 in eastern Ohio. Later I found out why they were there, although I’ve forgotten what this was now.
Isnt there a town nearby here that has an old philadelphia pcc, complete with graffitti, just sitting there with absolutely no explanation?
The sequence of photos-narrative really adds to the interest. Thanks.