| A pair of CN through freights meet on the west leg of the wye at the north end of the former SOO yard at Neenah, WI on 18 Aug. '18. Arrowhead Park, a closed paper sludge landfill, lies beyond the trains. Before the landfill was opened in the '50s, the south shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts came right up to the north leg of the wye, partially visible between the lead locomotives. At right, a large quantity of fill is being added to the eastern half of the park, in preparation of future improvements. The Fox Valley Energy Center (formerly Minergy Fox Valley Glass Aggregate Plant) dominated the eastern half of the landfill from its opening in Jan. '98 until demolition was completed in the spring of '16. The former C&NW bridge, now part of the Friendship Trail (often erroneously referred to as the Trestle Trail), can be seen in the background. The Roland Kampo Bridge, a.k.a. the Polish Connection, can be seen beyond that. The foundation from the ca. 1955 masonry SOO depot can be seen beyond the dumpsters at left. It was built to replace the wooden depot built in 1891 on Sherry St., about 850 ft. to the southeast, which was torn down soon after the new one opened. Train to the right was backing into the yard to set out and pick up cars and had two locomotives. Train to the left was just passing through and had two locomotives. |