Very nice, Les - thank you!!

I wonder if 61's boiler's even in good shape after being a rip rap for decades...Thank you for that photo Les!

Since I started out on my visit to North Lake with a posting of the photo of the boiler for WP&Y 3' gauge 2-8-0 #61, I thought I would continue in that vein with a couple of pix of the D&RGW 3' gauge boxcar there. There is also a very nice 3' gauge Quincy & Torch Lake flat car on the property, but I neglected to take a photo of it.

More photos, hopefully, to come!

Les

Again thank you Les! I wonder though, is Steven allowed to relay track about 150-200 feet from the engine house so he could shunt things around?

SPsteambuff -

There still is trackage in the area around the North Lake depot and Shop building. I believe the track exists down to just past the last switch leading in to the various tracks. I don't think it goes too much beyond that last east switch, but I didn't actually go down that far to check on it. But I would say that if he wants to switch things around, he could still do it. BTW, this does NOT apply to the 3' gauge trackage which is strictly under the box car and flat car, although the 3' gauge trackage under the flat car could actually go into the Shop building.

Les

Continuing with the photos of the old Kettle Moraine Railway in North Lake, here are a couple of the depot. I assume that this is the original Milwaukee Road depot that sat there in North Lake, but I don't know that for sure. Maybe someone can confirm that, or advise if it was moved from some other location.

Les

No, this is the Soo Line (originally Wisconsin Central) depot from Trevor, WI, the first station north of the Illinois state line. I drew this depot and published a construction article in Railroad Model Craftsman sometime in the early eighties. When I measured the depot in the seventies, it was still in Trevor, but was being prepared for the move to Northlake.

Dennis -

Thanks for that info! Also, thanks for the clarification on the hopper car that is at North Lake. I posted that photo on the thread "Roll call of open top hopper cars" and I'll also post it here as part of my recent visit to the Kettle Moraine. This photo also shows a very small portion of a CB&Q passenger car numbered 7011 (and another earlier number that I didn't record). I didn't photograph that car and the listing I found on the internet of surviving Q passenger equipment didn't show this car. Additional info welcome.

Les

Thanks for the confirmation Les! By the way, what's the green cab behind that hopper you shot?

I don't know the answer to that question. Sorry.

Les

Continuing the visit to North Lake, here is a shot of the boiler and cab to Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2-8-0 #21 sitting on a flat car in front of the Kettle Moraine's (Mid West Locomotive and Machine Works) modern Shop building. Also, a photo of the running gear of the Consolidation out in the yard.

Les

Boy, Les - you sure did get around on the property! Who let you in? Steven and I have been emailing each other recently, and he is apparently coming up here sometime next month....hopefully I get the same opportunity to shoot slides when he arrives, for our local transit history group that meets monthly in West Allis. In the meantime, thanks a bunch for what you posted - GREAT STUFF!!

Some other photos from other sources:

Then:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlanek/7062194767/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51670624@N02/7827782098/

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3159547

And closer to now:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alco251/64 ... 8312991431

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alco251/64 ... 8312991431

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alco251/64 ... 8312991431

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alco251/64 ... 8312991431

And a story from the time:

http://www.dupyrail.com/kmrr.html

From the story: "The town has issued KM Railway two citations for violating the town's junk ordinance. A pre-trial hearing will be held later this month, according to Town Attorney Bill Chapman."

So the railroad looked like a "junk yard?" Take a look at the photos from when the road was running, and compare them with the more recent shots I found and Les's current photos, too. In terms of maintenance and appearance, it seems to have been the equal of the Strasburg, and that's saying something.

I've said it before, and I think it's worth repeating--the "yuppies" aren't to blame for this, greedy property developers who were envious of the right-of-way were. That road looks more like a "junk yard" now, with the rust, weeds, and equipment and parts of equipment, more so than it does in the in-service shots. I bet there aren't any complaints now. . .now that that developers have pocketed their money and moved on to somewhere else.

Just a reminder that even owning your own track may not be a guarantee of immunity from hostile forces, particularly hostile forces with too much money.

Les -

You are correct about what is left of the track. There is enough track to switch out what is left on the property, maybe 70 -100 feet past the last switch. The rest of the right of way to the east is owned by some other governing authority. I can't remember who actually bought it. From what I have seen it's pretty grown in up to the bridge. I have not been up to and over the bridge since the last run I had with the number 9.

Sounds like it's time to take a trip out there sometime late spring.

Mike

Some slides I had from KMRR back in 1977. We had a big picnic/pig roast at Haslinger’s on Moose Lake. Then topped it off with a caboose ride at Kettle Moraine, what a great day. Too bad the lights didn’t come on in Waukesha County. They could have promoted Kettle Moraine and East Troy RR as a tourism destination.