Janesville once full of trains, now this is about the only "sign" left.

This trip - unlike past trips - was thought up on a Tuesday. Talked about on Wednesday. Set in stone on Thursday, when hotel reservations were made and a rental car sat in my driveway. I was aiming to leave the next morning at 5am. With planned stops along the way, I was hoping the train count would be high and I would find lots of new and exciting things along the way.

With the sun still 30 minutes from rising, a stop at CP Pig's Eye yard was out of the question. So I headed south on Highway 61 to Hastings for a quick stop to snap a picture of the Milwaukee Road lift bridge over the Mississippi River (a shot for my ever-growing album of railroad bridges and buildings [B&B as it is know in the railroader world]). Back on the road my next stop was Redwing. I hoped at a chance to catch the ADM elevator switcher which has eluded me for years. Today would not be the day again; I was bummed to find the unit, just as I had every other time, well hidden and out of picture range. Down, but not out, I continued south on 61 for several miles until I caught sight of a IC&E (Illinois, Chicago & Eastern) train parked in Goodview, MN. Three SD40-2s rested with a long string of hopper cars. Stopping quickly for my first "real" train of the day, I got my shots and headed back south.

Arriving in La Crosse I made my way to the BNSF yard. I found the tailend of an eastbound stack train just clearing the yard, and a set of two BNSF units idling the morning away. Crossing town to the Canadian Pacific yard for a look, I could only find the local power tied down. After a few shots I was off to the La Crosse depot to sit for a bit.

It did not take long for my second train of they day to arrive. This time, CP-283, headed up by two CP AC44s came and went. Knowing I would be chasing the CP line from Milwaukee in a few days, I hit the highway and headed for my next planned stop in North Freedom, WI and the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

Mid-Continent is a small museum that houses a wide range of motive power. From what I understand it is the largest collection of caboose - 21 by my count. The museum has several railroad buildings: a depot, switchmen hut, locomotive shed, car shop, and steam shop. What's nice, is that visitors are free to roam the grounds and take as many pictures as you like. For me the highlights where the Milwaukee Road Alco RSC-2 and the Soo Line 4-6-0 steam engine. After walking the grounds for an hour, taking in all that the museum had to offer, it was pushing 1 pm. I was starting to get a bit hungry so it was time say goodbye and hit the road.

I drove over to Madison and got a quick bite to eat. My sights now set on Janesville. Again, my hopes were up for a chance to find the Wisconsin Southern (WSOR), and maybe even a few Union Pacfic units in town. As I drove I could see old reminders of railroads from yesteryear. An old right-of-way here, a rundown depot there. I could only imagine what the area looked like way back when.

Pulling into Janesville I snapped back into reality and found my way to the WSOR yard. Seeing a roundhouse I was starting drooling; however, as I turned the corner, I could see that the roundhouse was empty - save for a tackmobile sitting in one of the empty bays. Driving around the block and turning into a few deadends, I found a small yard north of town. Here I was rewarded with six WSOR locomotives. Two crewless GP38s were coupled to a short train. Next to them, a crew was just completing a "crew swap" with their four SD40-2s ready to blast off.

While taking my shots I noticed an oddity with the WSOR's numbering system. Thinking back to and WSOR SD20 I shot in Silvas, IL, my thought was confirmed: The WSOR numbers their units by locomotive type. SD20s are 20XX; GP38s are 38XX units; SD40-2s are 40XX, and so on. This is very helpful to the railfan if your not sure what type of unit you are looking at. Thanks WSOR for the assistance!

After giving the train a "railfan rollby," I crossed town to the UP yard to see what I could find. Stopping in a parking lot along the yard, I could see unit after unit sitting in the yard. The only bad part was most were out of camera-range so I would have to settle for the five or six UPY units lined up long the road. To quote that famous line "Not that there's anything wrong with that," I got my pics and drove around town to see what else I could find.

Janesville, at one time, was a big General Motors-town. However, today the plants are closed. The tracks which once held hundreds of autoracks ready for loading, now hold empty racks which are rusting to the rails. No longer waiting for cars, they await a date with the scrapper. Finding nothing else worth shooting, I made my last push for Rockford, IL and a needed rest and refreshment at the hotel.

After crossing the Wisconsin/Illinois border I found what would be the last train-related photo op for the day. Two UPY and a straight UP Geep were tied down on a siding in Rockton. Another quick stop for some shots, I was back on the move. Arriving in Rockford I was not expecting to find a lot. Sadly my predictions where true. A derailment several weeks prior and some continuous track work likely closed down the Canadian National mainline through town. With the clock showing 6pm I was ok with no more trains and headed off in search of my hotel. Tonight I needed to rest; tomorrow I was off to Union, IL and a date with the Illinois Railway Museum. As you can see, day one was not all that exciting. In reality, the first and last days of a railfan road trip are always more about getting to the destination, what you find in between is just a bonus.