A westbound Chicago & North Western coal train changes crews at Butler, Wisconsin, late in the afternoon of April 20, 1985. This is the first time I saw locomotives from all three of southeastern ... (more)

In August of 1990, Canadian Indians blocked both CN and CP tracks in Ontario. CN detoured several trains over the CNW from Chicago thru Wisconsin. Here we see a westbound detour train about to dep... (more)

Not what it seems! The CNW repowered a couple of GP's with Cat engines in the early '80's and called them HE15's. The radiator fans and grills were dead giveaways to their non-EMD power. Not a suc... (more)

A new heavy ACe pulls the loaded sand train pokes out yard track number #3 headed for the shorties to yard their train.

A loaded drag of sand follows in tow behind this brand new SD70AH toward the Hamptons on Long 1 at Butler Yard.

Former SSW 9639, now painted and reassigned as UP 1008, backs the 02 job up a service track to pick up a cut of cars for the north yard. Meanwhile, the diesel ramp is stuffed full of road power b... (more)

Christmas night—20 years ago
On the quiet eve of December 25, 1994, a gathering of Chicago and North Western locomotives slumber the night away at Butler, Wisconsin. New GE C44-9W No.... (more)

ex CR 3022, exx PC 3022, nee NYC 3022

ex CR 3022, exx PC 3022, nee NYC 3022

Departing Butler, Wisconsin, in March 1984, is a southbound (eastbound) Chicago & North Western freight led by a matching pair of EMD SD45s. Those homemade numberboards on No. 916 look a bit weird... (more)

The -02 job works the south end of Butler Yard with a freshly refurbished GP40-2 leading the way sporting the UP wings across the nose.

The short haul regional manifest from Proviso to Butler runs into the yard on Main 1 as a loaded sand train with BNSF power sits on Main 2 waiting for a recrew

Big Macs are back!

On a very cold and snowy January 1984 day in Wisconsin finds a quiet stillness at the engine facility of Chicago and North Western’s Butler Yard. Two Alco C-628’s find respite from lugging ore... (more)