This is the motive power gallery. Check back regularly as there will be photos as time permits. This gallery receives an upgrade approximately every two weeks so check back often. Thanks to all our contributors for their efforts I simply couldn't do this without your help. Bob Menzies:The WC2scale moderator:
About Me
My mission is to document everything I can find that is Wisconsin Central be it motive power, freight cars MOW equipment.
WC leased 14 Conrail GP35's at startup due to the delay of the original startup date by the ICC... these units helped get the job done till WC power which was short term leased to the SP on the west coast could return to home rails./Bob
These ore trains moved between the Minnesota iron range and Fairfield Ohio with CSX lettered ore hoppers. We're always looking for more views of these trains/Bob
With WC power moving over the DMIR on ore trains the DMIR had at least 2 units on the WC for hour payback on a regular basis. If you have photos of DMIR unnits on the WC we'd like to show them!/Bob
EMD tried to sell the WC some GP 60's. Free power to a powershort WC sounded good to the WC. This unit wasn't around long. Carl Whittaker and Dan Mackey photos give us some great views of this demonstrator in service in some rather cold weather in December of 1995/Bob Menzies
Power from other railroads that shows up on the WC. There are some unknown sources here so please let me know if you can identify the source/Thanks Bob
UP had run through coal trains to Wisconsin Public Electric plants in Wausau and Green Bay as well as a manifest train from Proviso to Itasca PRIT as well as a manifest to Antoine Mi PRANA before the WC bought the Duck Creek lines/bob
WC SW1 number 1 was built in 06-41 it was bought from Conrail and its number there was 8480 S/N 1265 it became the Fondy shop switcher for several years/Bob
The SDL 39's came to the WC from the Milwaukee Road 582-through 585 were built in 4/69 serial numbers 34273-34376... 586-590 were built 11/72 frames 7345-1 thru 7345-5.../Bob
The WC bought 17 of the SOO LINE Alco trucked GP30's.... 701 and 705 were stored unserviceable on the SOO Line sold and scrapped 1988.. thanks for the info SLTHS summer 2008 issue/Bob
These GP35's came from the SOO LINE numbers 723-724-726-728-731 they would later be renumbered into the 2250 class.. serial numbers were 29480-29481-30129-30131-30134 frame numbers 7745-1 7745-2 7788-1 7788-3 7788-6 by Feb 1996 the 728 had been renumbered into the 2254 class
This unit came to the WC from the ACR acquisition.. built in 11/61 serial number A-297 rated at 900 horsepower this is the only unit of this type on the WC and never saw WC paint/Bob
These units came to the WC from the ACR: 1501-1504 were rebuilt by EMD in 1978... originally blt in 1951-1952 1501 blt 08-51 exACR 100 serial #A-3541 1502 blt 08-51 exACR 101 serial #A-3542 1503 blt 12-52 exACR 103 serial# A-3544 1504 blt 12-52 exACR 104 A-3545 1505 blt 09-51 exACR 157 serial# A-264 1506 blt 10-51 exACR 158 serial# A-265 1507 blt 02/52 exACR 167 serial #A-274 1508 blt 12-52 exACR 170 serial #A-442 In the summer of 06/1995 Fondy started chopping the high noses on 1502-1503 and all the units went through a complete rebuild coming out of the shop with a new low nose and new paint scheme. Check the photos as all units did not receive the same treatment ie check the ditchlights placement some got deck mounted units others pilot mounted units/Bob
Thanks to all my contributors for helping with this category. There are gaps in this series and I hope someone has photos to fill in where I left off. Thanks Bob
These units were a separate company formed by ED and some of his business partners that leased power back to the WC and to other carriers over time in the early to mid 1990's. There unique number series compared to the numbering within the rest of the WC set them apart numerically. Appears they simply reused the number from the carrier they purchased the units from 1700 series from NW 3000-4000 series exMP units and 8990-9000's from the SP. The exMP units got red Oxford circles on the cabsides to differentiate them from other WC units whose numbers they conflicted with.Bob NW unit numbers in this series are as follows 1701-1718-1724-1744-1745-1746 SP numbers were 8939-8993-9093 Thanks for the prototype information Mike Guss!/Bob
These are ex-Southern Pacific units that were quickly restenciled with a WC and put into service ASAP on a very power short WC . WC 2260 would become WC 1235 WC 2287 would be renumbered WC 1236 while WC 2288 would be renumbered 1237/Bob
There are only 2 units in this series 2401-2402 both painted in the FVR paint scheme. These are 2 of only four units to be painted in this scheme. It would have been interesting to see what a full WC repaint would have looked like on these units./Bob
The WC had only 1 SD35 it got from the Fever. The Fever chopped the high hood and gave it a low nose. Originally the unit had early flexicoil trucks. See the earlier FVR photos where the unit is still in Southen Black/dark green with lower positioned brake cylinders when rebuilt by WC forces it appeared with high position brake cylinders and grey non skid paint applied. This unit found its niche doing switching chores in Wausau. The 3B tour found it where it wasn't supposed to be in July of 2006 working south of Wisconsin Rapids on the local there. That was a total surprise to all of us! Thanks to all the contributors who have offered shots of this unique beastie!/Bob
Oxford bought this ex MP SD40 for the lease fleet. My records show only one unit in this series if you have other information on these please let me know./Thanks Bob
Late 1994 business was good the WC had recently expanded and needed more power for its through .Santa Fe had SD45's sitting in their dead lines waiting for their 15 year leases to expire. the Wc short term leased these units and then bought them outright when their SF leases were up./Bob
This category is up to date. Its waiting for your photos to fill in the gaps in the 6500 number series. Thanks to all the contributors for their photos!/Bob
Thanks to all the contributors who've helped in this category. I'm running out of photos to post so if you have some view you wish to share send them in please!/Bob
WC sent 3 units to VMV in Paducah Ky... they didn't know what unit numbers to paint them.. they read the serial numbers off the radios and numbered them accordingly... when the WC found out the units were quickly renumbered into the 580 series/Bob
This category is now up to date with what I have on file that scanned. Thanks to all the contributors that have allowed their photos to be shown here. We all benefit from your efforts!/Thanks Bob
WC was power short and looking for more power MK filled the void and came up with several Sd45 rebuilds that came in on short term lease and lead to outright ownersship. They simply kept their MK numbers for a while and then renumbered into the 6630 series over time./Bob