One hour of Empire Builders
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 8:06 pm
Made this compilation as a 1,000 subscriber special for my YouTube channel.
In it we see every runby of Amtrak's Empire Builder I (or my dad) caught during our first three years of railfanning from March 2007-February 2010. All were taken along the CP Tomah and Watertown Subdivisions in Wisconsin. incidentally we also see some of the crossing signals/signal features that used to be along this line, including the last few 8" incandescent lights, WRRS mini bells, and 7" gate lights before they were replaced. Most (but not quite all) of the mechanical bells heard have been replaced by now, as well.
Very first crossing in the video is this one:
https://www.rxrsignals.com/Wisconsin/L- ... n/Hickory/
The LED upgrades in Mauston were done within two months of the video being taken. That cluster of US&S signals in the Mauston/Lyndon Station area lasted until 2015 or '16, but all were replaced with new gated signals shortly after that.
In it we see every runby of Amtrak's Empire Builder I (or my dad) caught during our first three years of railfanning from March 2007-February 2010. All were taken along the CP Tomah and Watertown Subdivisions in Wisconsin. incidentally we also see some of the crossing signals/signal features that used to be along this line, including the last few 8" incandescent lights, WRRS mini bells, and 7" gate lights before they were replaced. Most (but not quite all) of the mechanical bells heard have been replaced by now, as well.
Very first crossing in the video is this one:
https://www.rxrsignals.com/Wisconsin/L- ... n/Hickory/
The LED upgrades in Mauston were done within two months of the video being taken. That cluster of US&S signals in the Mauston/Lyndon Station area lasted until 2015 or '16, but all were replaced with new gated signals shortly after that.