The Flickr Northernwisconsin Image Generatr

In downtown Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on May 20th, 2024, was a datestone at the Oneida County Courthouse (built 1908-1910; designed by Christ H. Tegen; 81000052 on the National Register of Historic Places) on the east side of Oneida Avenue, opposite East Davenport Street.

-----------------------

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:
• Oneida (county) (2002342)
• Rhinelander (2122232)

Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:
• ashlar (300011701)
• building stone (300011700)
• cornerstones (300002616)
• county courthouses (300005979)
• date stones (300374978)
• ferruginous sandstone (300011398)
• gray granite (300011197)
• historic buildings (300008063)
• limestone (300011286)

Wikidata items:
• 20 May 2024 (Q69307174)
• 1900s in architecture (Q16482507)
• 1908 in architecture (Q727772)
• 1910 in architecture (Q2738605)
• 1910s in architecture (Q11185482)
• Anno Domini (Q159791)
• Christ H. Tegen (Q25752264)
• May 20 (Q2579)
• May 2024 (Q61312957)
• National Register of Historic Places (Q3719)
• Oneida County Courthouse (Q55627585)
• Treaty of La Pointe (1842) (Q24694980)

Library of Congress Subject Headings:
• Courthouses—Wisconsin (sh91005121)

I decided to take a swing down along the Wisconsin Northern. I found the train tied down at Dovre that afternoon as they are wont to do.

The story of the Wisconsin Northern is marked by dramatic swings of fortune based on the rise and fall of the frac sand industry. Much of the mainline is still in tough shape. What I don't understand, for an outfit that is otherwise proactive and proud, is why they run an attractive locomotive with broken and missing number boards for over a year. Is it not at least some sort of FRA defective equipment defect? I always assumed that's why Class Ones put crappy hand-scribbled pieces of cardboard up in place of a missing number board. September 23, 2024.

In downtown Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on May 20th, 2024, was a datestone at the former Zion Lutheran Church, presently a residence according to City of Rhinelander property records at apraz.com, on the west side of North Stevens Street, south of West Frederick Street.

-----------------------

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:
• Oneida (county) (2002342)
• Rhinelander (2122232)

Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:
• beaded joints (300079091)
• building stone (300011700)
• churches (buildings) (300007466)
• cornerstones (300002616)
• date stones (300374978)
• grasses (plants) (300132397)
• houses (300005433)
• Lutheran (300153842)
• repurposing (300417716)
• siding (300014861)
• water meters (300199678)
• weathering (300054115)
• white (color) (300129784)

Wikidata items:
• 20 May 2024 (Q69307174)
• 1900s in architecture (Q16482507)
• 1905 in architecture (Q2744565)
• May 20 (Q2579)
• May 2024 (Q61312957)
• Treaty of La Pointe (1842) (Q24694980)
• vinyl siding (Q7932947)

Library of Congress Subject Headings:
• Dwellings—Wisconsin (sh85040266)
• Lutheran church buildings (sh85025871)
• Weeds (sh85145920)

On the trip home a target of opportunity presented itself on a picture perfect afternoon in Ladysmith. Southbound signals were lined up through the junction with the Barron Sub. A short wait was rewarded with this clean rebuilt unit heading up a long manifest. September 23, 2024.

These are possibly my favorite light-brown bricks ever, but I'd need to see them on a sunny day to make a final determination.

-----------------------

In downtown Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on May 20th, 2024, was a datestone at the Rhinelander District Library (designed by Van Ryn & DeGelleke) at the northwest corner of North Stevens Street and East Rives Street.

-----------------------

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:
• Oneida (county) (2002342)
• Rhinelander (2122232)

Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:
• brick (clay material) (300010463)
• cornerstones (300002616)
• date stones (300374978)
• engraving (action) (300053829)
• light brown (300127503)
• public libraries (buildings) (300006877)

Wikidata items:
• 20 May 2024 (Q69307174)
• 1900s in architecture (Q16482507)
• 1903 in architecture (Q2744826)
• May 20 (Q2579)
• May 2024 (Q61312957)
• Rhinelander District Library (Q69865813)
• Treaty of La Pointe (1842) (Q24694980)

Union List of Artist Names IDs:
• Van Ryn and de Gelleke (architectural firm, active in Wisconsin) (500517607)

An adult red fox resting in the sun just before sunset. Wisconsin.

Photographed over Bayfield Wisconsin
Monday September 16th, 2024

Waiting to get in the boat and fish.

Personal Floatation Device. Just got back/waiting to go?

Door County

Now for a bit of a needle scratch on the record, I missed this incidental shot from a couple weeks prior. More CN on the Superior Sub, but back on July 7, 2024. From my trip up north, I was fueling up on the way back at Ladysmith. As I was pumping gas I heard the telltale blasts of airhorns as a northbound crossed town. A few steps to the edge of the street and I nabbed this one cutting across Highway 8. Recent work around the crossing such as the turn lanes and concrete islands are seen.

Bradley is a handy place to drop in and see what's happening on the north end of the FOXY. Once you have a feel for the operation, you can tell almost at a glance what is happening. This outpost is connected to the rest of the railroad world by a night turn out of Wausau. As the far end of this trip for WA305 the move is pretty simple. Upon arrival the whole train is pulled onto the Bradley Sub clear of the Valley Sub switch, then shoved east onto the main track to Rhinelander. The cut of inbound cars are seen here. BR401 has all the outbound cars ready in the yard for WA305 to grab and head back south down the Valley Sub. As a Sunday with no BR401 called everything sits waiting for Monday morning. July 7, 2024.

One of a handful of Wisconsin & Southern painted SD40-2s has been a staple out of Bradley ever since Watco took over the operations from CN. The yard has been cleaned out by the Friday night visit of WA305. WAMX 4179 was tucked out of the way of those moves and will be back in action tomorrow morning sorting out what goes west to Prentice, what goes east to Rhinelander and likely some cars for Tomahawk as well. The delivery from Wausau is spotted on the mainline behind me to the east of County Road Y. July 7, 2024.

Photographed on my breakfast receipt

Greunke's First Street Inn
Bayfield Wisconsin
Sunday September 15th, 2024

Once a key corridor in the northwoods, the original Soo Line main here is kinda hanging on by a thread. Thankfully the Biewer Sawmill at Prentice is busy enough to warrant 3 day a week service. The whole 17 car train is made up of cars for the mill. Two loads of lumber that will be treated at Biewer, 10 empty lumber cars for packed lumber loading, and 5 empty chip gondolas. Paltry compared to Ashland-bound trains that could be 100 cars 30 years ago. April 1, 2024.

April Fool's Day and I crossed paths with BR401 again on my way home. Yeah, the same locomotive, still running long hood foreward, only westbound out of Bradley this time, and cloudy. All that said, I know better than to take anything for granted these days in north central Wisconsin with all the retrenchment that has happened in the last 20 years. Running parallel to Highway 8, the marshes and dense forest here describe this area well. April 1, 2024.

The sun was sinking fast. Car shuffling was complete and the north switch lined and locked for the mainline. Once this track was purchased and integrated into Wisconsin Central's Valley Sub it received mileposts that continue the cadence ascending from New Lisbon northward. Specifically milepost 135 here at Jersey City.

I would throw in the towel on a shot I was considering between here and Bradley as they wouldn't get on the move again before sunset. March 28, 2024.

The siding at Jersey City was the next stop for BR401. I believe FOXY and Tomahawk Railway interchange cars here (or perhaps in Tomahawk proper). I thought they would grab cars off the siding and bring them to Bradley but they did considerable work as they reshuffled the cars. It was a pleasant evening to kick back and enjoy the music of an SD40-2 going about it's moves back and forth. March 28, 2024.

I'm not a fan of long hood forward moves but it's hard to argue with an SD40-2 even from this angle. This venerable EMD would turn 50 in a couple months, once part of Union Pacific's vast fleet of this model, it now has a solid tenure on Wisconsin & Southern/Watco. They may not rule the transcontinental mainlines anymore but continue to do what they do best all over the country.
March 28, 2024.

The surface of the Tomahawk River is a mix of open water and lingering ice. BR401 is on its way back north after picking up loaded cars of LP SmartSide from the LP mill on the south side of Tomahawk. Lake Mohawksin is formed by the impounded waters of the Wisconsin River where a couple other tributaries join the Wisconsin. The lake is almost entirely ringed by railroad tracks. This structure is a little brother to larger bridges crossing the Wisconsin immediately to the south, ex-MT&W on this line and ex-MILW (now a trail). The span does however best a shorter bridge over the Somo River, on the Tomahawk Railway branch to the PCA mill, just to the west. March 28, 2024.