Early
Monday morning, July 8th, we drove to Horicon, WI to board the 2002 Circus
Train. This would be our 4th year in a row to ride the train, but this year
would be a bit different. For the first time in 10 years a steam
locomotive would pull the train. The former Soo Line #1003 would be on duty
only for the last leg of the train's journey. The train left Baraboo, WI on
Saturday, the 6th, pulled by two former Wisconsin and Southern F9's, still in
their W&S red & white paint, it made a handsome train. It spent the
night in Stoughton and Sunday night in Horicon.
The #1003 was built in 1913 for the Soo Line RR by ALCO. The 2-8-2 Mikado was
used in freight service for the upper Midwest. Taken out of service in 1955,
it was placed in a park in Superior, WI in 1959. After 2 1/2 years and an
excess of $300,000.00, the 1st test run was made from the Duluth (MN) Train
Museum up the lake to Two Harbors. The locomotive is stored at the Hartford
(WI), Auto Museum and is owned by a not-for-profit group of volunteers.
This year the #1003 would pull a 28 car consist: the 2 F9's, 8 passenger cars,
1 caboose and 17 flat cars with their load of 75 beautifully restored circus
wagons, some dating back to the 1850's. These wagons would be used in the
Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee on Sunday, July 14th. They are normally on
display at the home and birthplace of the Ringling Bros. Circus in Baraboo, WI
just north of Madison.
Thank goodness we were in an air-conditioned coach as the temperature was in
the mid-90's with a high humidity. Besides the coach, we had the use of the
baggage car with its 4 big open doors. It was the place to be if you wanted to
take pictures and wave at the people that are at every grade crossing, yard,
factory, and of course, all the kids. Most passengers took turns between these
two cars, retreating to the air conditioning to cool off. The train stopped
twice, in Hartford and for the 5000 people in Germantown. This is where we saw
two of our grand-children, Dana and Davis, and Clarence Volk from the
Wisconsin GR club.
Part of the fare was a continental break-fast, a very good box lunch, snacks,
water and soda and a bus ride back to our cars in Horicon. Yes, we are
planning to run away next year and join the circus for a day.
This year was the first year for the new owners of the former Wisconsin and
Southern F9s and its passenger cars; Middleton (WI) Tourism Commission and
their excursion train "The Spirit of Wisconsin." Phone 608-831-6350, web: www.middletonexpress.com.
They run Sunday Brunch Trains, Lunch Trains, Murder Mystery trips, Just Ride
the Train, and Football Express from Middleton to Camp Randall for all Badger
football games. Or you can charter one private business car for 8 people or a
whole train for 120 of your closest friends.
Our next great train ride is the #2719 steam train, Sunday August 4th in
Wisconsin from Park Falls to Ashland and return.
Our next adventure after that trip is the Steam School on the Iowa Boone
Valley Scenic Railway, Oct. 11,12, & 13th. This is a Christmas gift from
our kids, their mates and 8 grandchildren. On that Friday, we will ride the
dinner train,
Saturday we'll learn the operation as
we spend 10 hours in the cab with the crew, observing, and if we qualify, we
will be allowed to operate (shovel coal, inject water, throttle, and blow the
whistle) on the last trip of the day.
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Just
in time for cold weather our new batch of logo sweatshirts will be available
for you at the next CGRS meeting on the 18th. These quality sweats have
our crossbuck logo prominently displayed across the front.)
Buy
the 1998 LGB Convention Video!
Cross Creek Engineering
G-Scale)
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