I'm standing on an abandoned CNW right of way shooting a photo of 3 CP SD40-2s on a right of way that is quite active. In about a quarter mile or so, the CP train will duck under the former CNW st... (more)

BNSF 1063 and a CSX GE lead an eastbound covered hopper train through Sparta, WI on Canadian Pacific. In the background is the U. S. Silica sand operation and yard. Note that no. 1063 can now be l... (more)

CNW 821 is on Milwaukee Road tracks as it passes thru Sparta, WI at dusk in April of 1976. Bob Ferge Kodachrome from my collection.

The silence of a hot muggy August afternoon is broken by an amply powered Milwaukee Road freight roaring westbound through Sparta, WI. The power features a pair of SD45s, an FP45, GP40s and SD9s, ... (more)

A loaded auto rack train bound for Western Canadian passes thru the town of Sparta. The train has 5400 foot of Cottage Grove autos that will setout on the Blackbird Siding for the Hasting Patrol o... (more)

Milw 197,186 speed 52 cars on an early morning eastbound past the small yard and station in Sparta.

Coal empties race westward on the former Milwaukee Road mainline as they head out of the Fort McCoy area. They prompted a good chase all the way from the depot in Tomah.

Already in bandit paint 2033 leads fully repainted GP40 4612 on train 210 passing Sparta. This train was hot on the heels of train 200 and the engineer had been trying to get the Dispatcher to let... (more)

I never was really up to speed on the Milwaukee Road roster and was learning as I went after the Soo bought them up in the mid-80's. This odd looking paint bleeding through SD had me wondering unt... (more)

Train 402 is working upgrade past the Station and small yard at Sparta early in the morning. Power on this heavy train is MILW 165, SOO 6607, MILW 18 and they were giving there all on the pull up ... (more)

Soo 6001, Milw. 203 with #208, 47 carloads of trailers and containers bound for Chicago.

The UP Adams, WI - Winona, MN wayfreight is on CP trackage rights as it enters Sparta, WI. One of the lumber loads on the front end will be set out at Sparta for the CP to deliver to the customer... (more)

The old yard limit sign still stands along the long gone CNW main line. This line has been turned into rails to trails. Further East are 3 tunnels that you can bike thru. The sign itself seems to ... (more)

The La Crosse - Tomah Patrol heads west to work Stella-Jones near Bangor, WI after working in Sparta.

Priority Train from Chicago, IL - St. Paul, MN heads west through Ft. McCoy into the setting sun.