SANTA FE'S RACE TRACK: -FOCUS: JEFFERSON CITY, MO. AND SHERIDAN, WYO. -LAST WORD: CALIFORNIA COMMUTER LINE SALE-WHO WON? -IDAHO IMAGES Subscribe Today 10 Passenger Frain Journal' from the editors of PACIFIC RAILNEWS . PASSENGER TRAIN JOURNAL is your window to the fascinating world of passenger trains of yesterday and today. Every monthly issue of PASSENGER TRAIN JOURNAL brings you the latest news, absorbing features on passenger trains past and present and outstanding, colorful railroad photography. • 12 monthly issues, at a 28% savings over the regular news­ stand price. • Authoritative, monthly news columns on Amtrak, transit and international passenger railroading. • Photography from the best in railroad publishing - including the work of many contributors to PACIFIC RAILNEWS. • Quality features like the ones you have come to expect in PACIFIC RAILNEWS. TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 1-800-899-8722 between 9a.m. and Sp.m. Pacific time. Have your VISA or MasterCard ready. Check or credit card by mail to: Interurban Press, P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225. One year $30, two years $58. Outside u.s. one year $36, two years $70. 1FICRAIt. NEWS 8 1 �����n ��:i�o���t�e ���� line change David P. Burton 24 The Wisconsin Valley Line: 1970-1992 The long journey from CMStP&P to WC, from squalor to success Andrew S. Nelson 36 Focus Wyoming: Sheridan The echoes of CB&Q ring loud and clear in this BN town Michael W. Blaszak 38 Focus Missouri: Jefferson City Railroading in the shadow of the state capitol Randy Woods M.D. A Milwaukee Road 462 train crests Irma Hill on the Wis­ 50 Images: The Gem State consin Va lley line on Sept. 21, 1985. Glen Kwarciany There's more than just potatoes in Idaho PACIFIC RA/lNEWS and PACIFIC NEWS are registered trademarks of Interurban Press. a California Corporation. I DEPARTMENTS I PUBLISHER: Mac Sebree EXPEDITER 38 FOCUS MISSOURI EDITOR: Don Gulbrandsen 4 NEWS EDITOR: Carl Swanson 6 UNION PACIFIC 42 BURLINGTON NORTHERN ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael Falk 8 SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES CHICAGO NORTH WESTERN CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Elrond G. Lawrence 44 & EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Dick Stephenson 10 TRANSIT 46 REGIONALS SHORT LINES ART DIRECTOR: Katie Danneman 12 SANTA FE 47 ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Tom Danneman 14 ILLINOIS CENTRAL 50 IMAGES OF RAILROADING ADVERTISING MANAGER: Richard Gruber 16 SOO LINE 54 THE LAST WORD CIRCU LATION MANAGER: Bob Schneider 17 AN EPITAPH FOR THE SOO 55 PRN ADVERTISING INDEX © 1992 INTERURBAN PRESS 36 FOCUS WYOMING 55 PRN CLASSIFIEDS Mac Sebree. President/CEO Jim Walker. Senior Vice President Don Gulbrandsen. Vice President COVER: The QNYlA cruises westbound on Santa Fe's race track-the Crookton line ARt... change-near East Perrin, Ariz., on July 26, 1991. This is ATS F's hottest train; not only is � it powered with a generous 5 horsepower per ton, but it also sees all the high greens it can handle, often running around slower trains on the line change. David P. Burton PAcmc RAn.NEWS (ISSN 8750·8486) is published monthly by Interurban Press (a corporation), 1741 Gardena Ave., Glendale, CA 91204. Second-class postage paid at Glendale, CA 91209 and additional mailing of­ fices. POSTMASTER: Send adelress changes to: PACIFIC RAn.NEWS, P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 830 (U.S.) for 12 issues, S58 for 24 issues. Foreign add S6 for each 12 issues. Single copy $5 postpaid from Glendale office (subject to change without notice). CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Post Office does not regularly forward 2nd Class Mail and PACIFIC RAn.NEWS is not responsible for copies not forwarded or destroyed by the Post Office. Replacement copieslPO notifications will be billed. Please allow us at least four weeks for any address change. AD VERTISING RATES: Cont ct Interurban Press, P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, Wl53187; (414) 542-4900. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subscription problems and inquiries caIl: (800) 899-8722. a One of the highlights of this year's National Railway Historical Society convention in San Jose was a stunning assault of Altamont Pass by Union Pacific Challenger 3985, part of a July 22 excursion to Stockton. Other highlights included a steam doubleheader down the Coast line pulled by former SP engines 2472 and 4449, a two-train circle trip around San Francisco Bay and an SP 4449-hauled excursion to Sacramento. Erik Blasko MORE TRAINS FOR ORANGE ment, including Desert Storm al Clean Air Act, which made COUNTY: On July 27, the Or­ SD60M 1991, F-units BN-l and low-sulfur coal from mines in ange County, Calif., Trans­ BN-2, and EMD 120, the first the western United States portation Authority announced BL20-2 demonstrator. The more attractive to utilities. SP that two more round-trip com­ BL20-2, a 2,000-h.p. branchline provides rail service for 18 muter trains will begin to oper­ locomotive, has attracted con­ mines-l0 in Colorado and ate between Oceanside and siderable attention from BN eight in Utah. Los Angeles late next year. An which sees the model as a pos­ To answer demand from z additional six trains will be sible replacement for its first Eastern utilities, SP expects to z phased in by 1995. generation power. There will haul some 500,000 tons of coal Looking ahead to the new be three demos of the model to a rail-barge transfer facility service, aCTA will place a $6.9 built at Electro-Motive's La at St. Louis this year, in addi­ million order with General Mo­ Grange, Ill., plant. Sadly, there tion to all-rail routes. tors for three new locomotives, is a possibility these units may In addition to growth in do­ paid with Measure M funds. be the last built at the historic mestic markets, SP plans to aCTA is asking Southern Cali­ La Grange factory. With Gener­ haul about 2.2 million tons of fornia Regional Rail Authority al Motor's London (ant.) facility export coal to users in Asia for a first increment of 10 pas­ handling locomotive orders, the and Mexico this year. senger coaches, funded with Chicago-area plant is redun­ In a related item, SP saw a state rail bonds. The first of dant. GM has already sold 30 45 percent gain in cross-border these new Metrolink cars will acres of property at La Grange traffic (to a level of 74,000 cars) go into service in September to an adjacent gravel company to Mexico during the first half of on aCTA's existing commuter and apparently the remainder 1992, compared to the first half train, replacing CalTrain of the facility sits on gravel re­ of 1991. The railroad credited coaches being recalled for use sources that are in demand. the gain to its newly minted in Northern California. Mexico Group, which has 15 SP TRAFFIC GAINS ... AND sales representatives in Mexico. BL20-2s LAST LA GRANGE LOSSES: This year, Southern On the downside, SP re­ UNITS?: During the Lincoln Pacific will almost double the cently lost a hotly contested (Neb.) Haymarket Days in late amount of coal it carried only General Motors traffic contract June, Burlington Northern dis­ four years ago. The railroad at­ to rival Santa Fe. The GM con­ LLI played quite a bit of equip- tributed the gain to the Feder- tract to haul new automobiles 4 • SEPTEMBER 1992 to California and the South­ west is expected to be worth $50 million per year to AT&SF. The loss followed a string of SP marketing successes, including retention of a $100 million Sea­ Land contract and SP's win­ ning of a contract to haul Chrysler automobiles. WC JOINS FORCES WITH J.B. HUNT AND SANTA FE: Wisconsin Central announced on Aug. 3 that it joined the growing team of trucking giant J.B. Hunt by offering dedicated intermodal service from north­ eastern Wisconsin to Texas, Arizona and California in con­ junction with current Hunt partner Santa Fe. To handle the new service WC has added a second pair of Green Bay­ Chicago intermodal trains A locomotive consist of note was recorded leading CP System train 505 at Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 18, which work directly into 1992. Trailing are EMO S070 demonstrators 7001 and 7000, being delivered from GM in London, Onto Out AT&SF's Corwith Yard. The front are CP 471 1-the only Caterpillar reengined M636-Soo S060 6606 and CP Alco 4705. The six-axle AI­ trains now operate out of the cos have been showing up with some regularity on the Chicago-bound Rai/runnelS of late. J.P. Baukus Jr. Oakland Av enue intermodal fa­ cility in Green Bay, but if the can National Convention in Sept. 1: North Little Rock­ CLEANING UP AFTER THE Fox Valley & Western acquisi­ Houston Aug. 15-21. The en­ Van Buren, Arkansas Railroad SPILL: The Wisconsin Depart­ tion is approved, the service gine's tentative post-conven­ Club excursion. ment of Natural Resources said will be shifted to Fox River Val­ tion schedule is: Sept. 2: VanBuren-Parsons, several thousand fish and ani­ ley's North Yard. Aug. 22-23: Houston-San Mistletoe Railcar Co. excursion. mals representing 24 species Antonio-Fort Worth, Gulf Coast Sept. 4: Parsons-Kansas died as a result of a June 30 UP STEAMS FOR THE RE· Chapter excursions. City, Smoky Hills Railway Mu­ Burlington Northern derailment PUBLICANS: In mid-August, Aug. 27-28: Fort Worth-Dal­ seum special. Deadhead to five miles south of Superior Union Pacific's 4-6-6-4 Chal­ las excursions. Topeka. (see August Expediter). lenger 3985 will operate nu­ Aug. 29-30: Dallas­ Sept. 5-7: Topeka Railroad Three tank cars fell from the merous excursions on the Longview-North Little Rock, Days display.