Wisconsin & Upper Michigan An HO Scale Railroad by Bob Welke
The W&UM is set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the fall of 1982 and is based on the “what if” scenario-instead of the Canadian Pacific gaining control of the Duluth South Shore & Atlantic, local interests purchased it with the result the line has survived as a bridge railroad between Superior and Sault Ste Marie. The modeled area is around the railroad's operating headquarters in Marquette, Michigan and features ore operations not only on the W&UM, but on the Lake Superior & Ishpeming and the Chicago & North Western as well, including a nine foot ore dock.
The railroad is a single level with a 275-foot main line and one branch line. The line is currently dispatched by Track Warrants issued by a Dispatcher, who will oversee a guest disptacher during the sessions. Other jobs include a West Yard Yardmaster, switch engine and Commercial Job engineer at Marquette, a footboard Yardmaster at Euclid Yard in Ishpeming, a “Gopher Job” that runs a variety of short jobs, two crews assigned to the “ore pool” that operate various ore trains during the session, and road crews that work locals, through freight and a pair of passenger trains.
The Wisconsin & Upper Michigan runs a variety of first and early second generation units using the NCE control system with radio throttles and car movements are by the car card/waybill system. Trains/Yardmasters keep in contact with the Dispatcher via phones and radios for the road crews.
The railroad is located near Baraboo and will be running two sessions on Saturday with a meal at noon. Stairs to the basement, bathroom is upstairs, a large friendly Yellow Lab will greet you (petting is a must!)