Milwaukee Road - Portage to LaCrosse - early 1950's - N Scale

[altohorn25]

Video Update - 7/12/2022

[Ian MacMillan]

I am going to be VERY interested in this. As a kid I used to summer at my grandparents' in Tomah. Fort McCoy, Tomah, Camp Douglas and up at Wyeville we're my stomping grounds from June to September up until I was about 18.
 My grandmother was stationed at Fort McCoy and my Grandfather at Volk Field.
The Tomah shops was still around then, and there were tons of Tomah cab Fairmont MT14s just lined up as scrap. Wish I had grabbed on then as it is one of the only versions I'm missing in my motorcar collection.

[altohorn25]

I took a little break from construction today as I'm waiting for track and foam glue to arrive in the mail.

Since I'm modeling the Chicago/Twin Cities main line, I thought I needed more late mainline steam power.  I already had two BLI USRA heavy Mikados (Milwaukee class L3 - prototypical - they had 100 of these locomotives and they were the main heavy freight hauler on the railroad until diesels took over) but picked up the other two road numbers they released.  They arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon.  I weathered them up this morning.  Here's a shot of all four of them sitting in the yard on one of my modules:

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Apparently I'm doing my part to keep the economy on track by keeping BLI in business......

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While not completely accurate, it's pretty close to the prototype #155; this was used as relief power for the class A's and the class F7's as well as being used on the Chippewa Hiawatha:

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I put an engine crew in #182 that I had been working on this week.  These are Woodland Scenic figures.  I ordered some more for the cabs of the other BLI steam locomotives:

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Back to building as soon as the glue gets here.......

[sd45elect2000]

I have an identical steam fleet.

[Cajonpassfan]

Very nice. I have four Mikes as well; sweet runners. How are the Pacifics?
Otto

[altohorn25]

Very nice. I have four Mikes as well; sweet runners. How are the Pacifics?
Otto

They run just like the Mikados.....once you get the chuff rate adjusted, they look pretty good.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I am going to be VERY interested in this. As a kid I used to summer at my grandparents' in Tomah.

You know Ian, every time I read "Tomah" in one of your posts, I just immediately hear it in your voice and so I read "Toma". 

[Ian MacMillan]

You know Ian, every time I read "Tomah" in one of your posts, I just immediately hear it in your voice and so I read "Toma". 

[altohorn25]

I started putting down roadbed on the Westbound main in Mauston today. 

Some of the turnouts sitting beside the roadbed actually go on that piece of roadbed that I've put down.  It just can't sit there currently as there are pins in the roadbed holding it while the adhesive sets.

I can do about this much roadbed and then I'm out of the nice big "T" pins that I bought.

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[altohorn25]

Eastbound mainline roadbed put down in the same area.

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[altohorn25]

I got the mainlines through Mauston put down and wired up today.  There are three turnouts that have Blue Point turnout controls installed on them (waiting on more to arrive in the mail).

Everything worked as it should including the powered frogs on the three turnouts with the Blue Points.

I'll post a quick video later tonight.

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[altohorn25]

Video update; 7/20/2022 - trains are running

[altohorn25]

I got quite a bit done on the layout today.  I should have both mains completed in the next couple of days; then I'll start working on all the sidings and spur tracks.  I'm still messing with placement of buildings....

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[altohorn25]

A few more photos from today.

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[altohorn25]

The first train around the entire layout on the Eastbound mainline.  The is the Kato 1952 Olympian Hiawatha with some extra cars added to make the consist more prototypical (3rd coach, RPO, Full Baggage).  The full Baggage and RPO are out of production Skytop Models castings.

My plan is to get the Westbound main finished in the next couple of days and then start working on the sidings and various spur tracks.