Some pretty good shots of SOO 1003 this last summer:
http://mkuchta.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=10282&Page=2

Nice wig-wag signals in Madison.

Those ARE nice wig-wags! I guess I will have to try to find them the next time I go up to visit my Mom in suburban Monona.

What really threw me though, was the photo of 1003 coming right toward the camera (third row; photo on left.) That one struck a familiar chord! I got out my copy of Leslie V. Suprey's book STEAM TRAINS OF THE SOO and there on page 110 was the photo that I had suddenly recalled. But it wasn't exactly the same. In the photo in Judge Suprey's book, the Mike is sister # 1019, not 1003, and the photo was taken in Minneapolis. And the consist is different. An old covered hopper, an Erie double door 40' box car, the standard Soo Line wood caboose with marker lights (like the one behind 1003) and bringing up the rear, a single dome tank car. And then I thought, boy we sure could come close to duplicating this scene. Hey JAC, wanna give it a try?

Les

Very nice. I never did get a 36 exposure roll of K36 back from my local Wolf Photo after Kodak's Kodachrome processor (whoever it happens to be THIS week!) managed to misplace it. It was a spectacular day and I lost all of my shots from Waukesha to Milton Junction with a four or five car freight train trailing her tank.

Don C.

Well that's a real bummer Don. It was a blast that day to see the 1003 working a wayfreight through those rural towns, behind the barnyard fences, and over gravel crossbuck protected crossings with those hoppers and SOO caboose, Even the water car fit in. Despite the heat it was a great chase and a great bonding experience for our grandson and me-- his first time seeing and chasing standard gauge steam.