Continuing on the theme of Golden Arrow excursions, we have a few photos from some Madison, WI to Boscobel, WI trips that were operated in July of 1984.
The trains were operated push-pull style with the ACL E3 on one end and its matching FP-7 on the other and included the usual motley assortment of passenger cars, including an ex-Milwaukee super dome and dome-obs Big Ben. The photos above show the train at Muscoda passing the ex-Milwaukee Road depot which was torn down not too long after these pictures were taken. Pre-trip publicity showed the train operating all the way west to Prairie du Chien but this was just wishful thinking as at that point the line west of Boscobel had been closed since the Milwaukee Road abandonment and was in no shape to handle any trains, much less a passenger excursion.
The photo above was taken off the Highway 14 bridge at Mazomanie, WI with the train on the main line at left and the Sauk City branch curving off to the right.
Of additional note are the two photos above. The one on the left was taken in the fall of 1999 and shows the WSOR 10A locomotive pulling the "Old Feed Mill" dinner train. It is in the same location as the 901 was in the 1984 photo above it. The photo on the right is a classic. This pictures the ex-Chicago Madison & Northern locomotive 564 emerging from the south portal of the Stewart tunnel between Belleville and Monticello, WI in 1981. This engine was later repainted and renumbered 901 as seen in the photo above it. It was then owned by Glen Monhart and later operated by the Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad in the early 90's retaining the same locomotive number. This engine now sits in storage at Janesville. (Will the WSOR rescue it?)
The ACL
501 now resides at its original home at the North Carolina Transportation
Museum. The article and pictures featured here were provided by long time railfan Craig Bluschke, Madison, WI. Craig has a large collection of railroad photos from all around the Midwest and his stories are always interesting. Thanks to Craig for providing the information for this page and bringing back some fond memories of an excursion I seen on a long time ago. Jim Kalrath, Webmaster Home | Jim's Railroad Motorcars | Railroads in Green County | Back
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