View allAll Photos Tagged ssam
A Wisconsin Central trackmobile has tugged newly-painted boxcar No. 47675 out onto the transfer table between shop buildings at North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on April 5, 1996. The car’s reporting marks are for WC subsidiary Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Company.
At the ore yard in Escanaba, Michigan – Wisconsin Central SD45 #7523 is paired with caboose #17 in a remote-control setup switching taconite loads in the yard.
The SSAM markings on the ore cars is for the Sault Ste Marie Bridge Company, a subsidiary of the WC. - I remember being surprised that they had spent money re-painting those beat-up old C&NW ore jennies. – June 7th, 2001 ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©
As a follow-up to my previous photo posting of the Canadian National rock train, here is a shot of a similar job (with the same SSAM open top ballast cars) back in the days of the Wisconsin Central. I don’t remember exactly when the WC started running these, but it was quite a few years before the CN takeover in October of 2001.
This view is eastbound loads passing the old Soo Line depot in Waukesha on August 13th, 1997. – The WC symbol for this train was L053 and a single SD45 seemed to be the preferred power back then. ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©
Two WC SD45s lead a southbound Minorca ore train past Fairlane on the Missabe Division back on Feb. 2, 2002. These Escanaba trains ran mostly with WC SD45s in 2002, but IC SD40-3s were starting to mix in. Glad to have this pair on this code blue day, as I would get my fill of IC SD40-3s on ore trains later in life.
Once this train leaves Superior for the trip on the former WC via Ladysmith and Rhinelander, the WC 7517 would probably have at least another unit added to the head end along with a manned pusher, to keep the fragile SSAM ore cars in one piece on the former Soo over to Esky.
As the colder and snowy weather of December rolls near, we used to be able to look to some E-Rails and all-rails to start rolling like this. No such luck as we approach 2017, as CN and BNSF just pile the pellets up around the Twin Ports during the coldest months.
On the Wisconsin Central’s Upper Michigan SSAM Ore Sub near Partridge Junction – Consecutively numbered rebuilt WC EMD SD45s are featured in a meet between train SORE2 and the waiting SORE1. – June 7th, 2001 ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©
One of my biggest regrets was never shooting the Algoma Central F units on their home road. That's not quite true, I was on assignment for WC in the Soo when single units made their debut on local trains the first couple of days they were in service in 1995. I was excited at the time thinking "Man this is going to be great when a whole bunch of these things are on both passenger trains!" I had until July 2001 to get them, but I never got back after 1995. I don't know why but it could be I was a stay at home dad beginning in 1997.
However I made up for it a little bit when WC brought the Fs into the US for some excursions. I made a point of getting those and luckily had good weather and good results. On May 6-7 2000, WC ran a trip from Green Bay to Ishpeming, with a side trip to Nestoria up the former C&NW ore lines and the ex-DSS&A. They used an A-B-A set of ACR F's, seen here meeting a southbound ore train at Little Lake. So I redeemed myself - a little. Lead unit 1756 is at a museum in British Columbia today.
A loaded Minorca E-Rail sets out a BO ore car at South Itasca back on a cold March 3, 2002. This E-Rail had 90 SSAM ore loads for Escanaba, MI before setting out this bum. WC 7495 and 7592 are on the head end with WC 6595 (manned helper) keeping the ancient ex-North Western cars bunched up and together on the other end.
Once they get their train together, the three WC SD45s will head towards Ladysmith and a crew change at Prentice.
I only followed this ore load as far as about Rockmont as it met a northbound with four WC units (7551, 6588, 7581, and 1505) that I chased back to Saunders. Still was some WC power to be had along the CN in 2002, but it would soon disappear.
Lead engine on the southbound E-Rail (WC 7495) survives at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth painted up as NP 3617.
A meet of Wisconsin Central trains at Powers, Michigan –
Westbound train GBSO with GP30 #713 leading had arrived first and backed onto the SSAM Iron Mountain sub to clear up for eastbound train SOFD with SD45 #7606 rolling through on the SSAM Marinette sub. – March 25th, 2001. ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©
Here is another Wisconsin Central meet in upper Michigan –
This time on the SSAM Ore sub at Brampton, where a pair of 7500 series rebuilt SD45s are the power set on a limestone extra that is approaching and passing on the main line as seen from the cab of WC GP38-2 #2004, the lead locomotive on train L039 which was tucked away in the 3825ft long siding there. – March 24th, 2001 ~~ Jeff Hampton Photographs ©
The Minorca E-Rail trains of 2003 ran from Virginia, MN to Escanaba, MI from January through March on the DM&IR and CN. A couple of weeks into the season, a dead E-Rail is passed by a Missabe T-Bird at Keenan Road late on the afternoon Jan. 12, 2003. DMIR 201 is leading "wrong main" to get around the dead Minorca train, which sometimes had troubles loading the all-rail coal cars and getting them back to WC/CN at Steelton for interchange with one crew.
The 2003 season saw a mix of WC SD45s and GCFX SD40-3s pulling SSAM and WC coal hoppers on these seasonal trains. Would have much rather had maroon 45s on this E-Rail, but was a bit uncommon to get two trains passing on the DM&IR, as the freights were still all over on the DWP. The CN takeover was over a year away and there wasn't as much traffic as now on the CN.
Steamed pork buns: hoisin, cucumbers, scallions
Amazing. Wish we had ordered more. Uber soft uber rich belly, crisp cucumber, sweet hoisin ... yes, could have used a bit more scallion...
Wisconsin Central GP35 (723) has the L045 in tow, ultimately from White Pine, Michigan, and the copper mine of the same name. At least two of the boxcars - the CN ones - and possibly the third one (I'm guessing an orange "SSAM" boxcar) are carrying copper cathodes from the White Pine smelter. I can recall that whenever I ran Train L015 from Wausau to Prentice, and then returned the next day with L016, the presence of this high value commodity on the rear of the train was evident. I'm sharing the Hwy US2 overpass on this frigid Code Blue morning with a WC dispatcher initialed JJL; the night before as we stayed in a motel in Ironwood, Michigan, was well into the below-zero temps. Of course, one attraction for me was another chance to record action on the remains of the main line of the "MIGHTY Duluth South Shore & Atlantic" as another friend called it. In the Land of Mines and Pines, snow and cold is just part of the game.
A significantly updated and overhauled replacement to the 2012 MK II version. The Crusader MK III showcases a stark 10 year difference in my design and building quality.
Originally intended to be completed in 2020, but then got put on the backlog. I finally got around to finishing this signature spacecraft for my profile sigfig, complete with a recolor to match my standard color scheme of light gray, blue trim, and trans-red with dark gray details and black guns.
Intended as a heavy-armor Assault Starfighter, the Crusader MK III maintains a pair of light Gauss Gattling Guns in front of the engine block on each side of the fuselage, with SSAM-2 missile pods under the base of each wing, and the Plasma Concentrator Cannon is now hidden in the nose of the spacecraft. At the end of each wing and tailfin are supposed to be sensors antenna, but I'm sure they look like more weapons at a glance.
I worked meticulously long and hard on this one to get the exact shape the way I wanted. I prefer flat slopes over curved ones, and managed to keep this build 99% in line with that goal. All while maintaining the same arrowhead shaped fuselage, slightly foward-swept delta wings, and rugged heavy Ion Thruster engines protruding from the rear. I'm proudest of being able to reinstall retractable landing gear that hides underneath the smooth silhouette from any angle, including the bottom!
A summer ficture on CN's Waukesha Subdivsion, one of the short rock shuttle trains accelerates up to track speed after meeting a northbound at Ackerville. Dust is blown off the rock in the hoppers nick-named Super Sams due to their reporting marks 'SSAM'.
These ore cars were way more popular on the ACR when they were used hauling sinter out of Wawa but after Wawa shut down WC moved them into Tilden service for one winter and they were fairly quickly phased out as they leaked pellets pretty badly. I found this one and a couple more in fresh WC paint at Shops in fall 2000. SSAM 208475 probably hasn't looked this good since it was brand new on the ACR. Oddly this style car was way more popular on ACR than the round side version ACR had and when they moved to pellet service the round sides ended up being better suited to pellet work that these.
A significantly updated and overhauled replacement to the 2012 MK II version. The Crusader MK III showcases a stark 10 year difference in my design and building quality.
Originally intended to be completed in 2020, but then got put on the backlog. I finally got around to finishing this signature spacecraft for my profile sigfig, complete with a recolor to match my standard color scheme of light gray, blue trim, and trans-red with dark gray details and black guns.
Intended as a heavy-armor Assault Starfighter, the Crusader MK III maintains a pair of light Gauss Gattling Guns in front of the engine block on each side of the fuselage, with SSAM-2 missile pods under the base of each wing, and the Plasma Concentrator Cannon is now hidden in the nose of the spacecraft. At the end of each wing and tailfin are supposed to be sensors antenna, but I'm sure they look like more weapons at a glance.
I worked meticulously long and hard on this one to get the exact shape the way I wanted. I prefer flat slopes over curved ones, and managed to keep this build 99% in line with that goal. All while maintaining the same arrowhead shaped fuselage, slightly foward-swept delta wings, and rugged heavy Ion Thruster engines protruding from the rear. I'm proudest of being able to reinstall retractable landing gear that hides underneath the smooth silhouette from any angle, including the bottom!
A long way from the Dairyland State, a lone Wisconsin Central ballast hopper sits north of Greenville, PA on the Bessemer & Lake Erie (Canadian National).
This is just about half of what came in my Lucky Ssam Box from Girl & Dug Farm in San Marcos, California. Shipped overnight via Fed-Ex. ~ An amazing deal for only 55.00! (10.00 off promo during the month of April)
Some of the most beautiful produce I've ever seen.
Highly recommended!
www.girlndug.com/collections/collections/products/project...
A significantly updated and overhauled replacement to the 2012 MK II version. The Crusader MK III showcases a stark 10 year difference in my design and building quality.
Originally intended to be completed in 2020, but then got put on the backlog. I finally got around to finishing this signature spacecraft for my profile sigfig, complete with a recolor to match my standard color scheme of light gray, blue trim, and trans-red with dark gray details and black guns.
Intended as a heavy-armor Assault Starfighter, the Crusader MK III maintains a pair of light Gauss Gattling Guns in front of the engine block on each side of the fuselage, with SSAM-2 missile pods under the base of each wing, and the Plasma Concentrator Cannon is now hidden in the nose of the spacecraft. At the end of each wing and tailfin are supposed to be sensors antenna, but I'm sure they look like more weapons at a glance.
I worked meticulously long and hard on this one to get the exact shape the way I wanted. I prefer flat slopes over curved ones, and managed to keep this build 99% in line with that goal. All while maintaining the same arrowhead shaped fuselage, slightly foward-swept delta wings, and rugged heavy Ion Thruster engines protruding from the rear. I'm proudest of being able to reinstall retractable landing gear that hides underneath the smooth silhouette from any angle, including the bottom!
Thank you Flickr!
Flickr Explore, October 29, 2024
inspired by Momofuku Bo Ssäm recipe from David Chang,
Sunday at home.
A significantly updated and overhauled replacement to the 2012 MK II version. The Crusader MK III showcases a stark 10 year difference in my design and building quality.
Originally intended to be completed in 2020, but then got put on the backlog. I finally got around to finishing this signature spacecraft for my profile sigfig, complete with a recolor to match my standard color scheme of light gray, blue trim, and trans-red with dark gray details and black guns.
Intended as a heavy-armor Assault Starfighter, the Crusader MK III maintains a pair of light Gauss Gattling Guns in front of the engine block on each side of the fuselage, with SSAM-2 missile pods under the base of each wing, and the Plasma Concentrator Cannon is now hidden in the nose of the spacecraft. At the end of each wing and tailfin are supposed to be sensors antenna, but I'm sure they look like more weapons at a glance.
I worked meticulously long and hard on this one to get the exact shape the way I wanted. I prefer flat slopes over curved ones, and managed to keep this build 99% in line with that goal. All while maintaining the same arrowhead shaped fuselage, slightly foward-swept delta wings, and rugged heavy Ion Thruster engines protruding from the rear. I'm proudest of being able to reinstall retractable landing gear that hides underneath the smooth silhouette from any angle, including the bottom!
I'd been cooking and baking a storm lately, I need to keep myself very busy. Stressful times.
Prepping sauces along with some of the beautiful greens that came in my Lucky Ssam Box from Girl and Dug Farm.
Dinner should be ready soon.
I
A Bessemer crane is accompanied by a BLE gondola and WC/SSAM ballast hopper on the south end of BLE's Greenville facility.
A comparison with the Peltast mechsuit on the right.
Named after a bird known for slowly wading through swamps looking for prey, the Heron is a very light mech that can stalk targets all the same.
This skirmisher variant is equipped for more direct combat, featuring a light Gauss Cannon on the left side and two light Rayguns on the right, in addition to the standard pair of chin-mounted light machine guns and rear SSAM-2s.
Inspired by various Metal Gears, Star Wars walkers, and the Halo Mantis, among others. Thanks to not having a human form, the Heron succeeds the Peltast as my smallest mech design and was the last mostly completed build of 2020.
My favorite things about this MOC are the use of the old, discontinued boat piece inverted and used to form the bulk of the turret head, and the panels used as 'butt-flaps' (lol) to armor up and add some form to the rear of the legs without sacrificing articulation.
When I began watching trains 16 years ago, some of the first regular movements I recall seeing were Wisconsin Central's "Rock Job" trains, which carried crushed limestone from Cedar Lake Sand & Gravel near Hartford, Wis., and Lannon Stone near Sussex, Wis., to Vulcan Materials in Grayslake, Ill., and Prairie Materials in Vernon Hills (near Leithton), Ill. Twice daily during the spring/summer/early fall construction season, cuts of 30-some Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Co.-lettered (SSAM) 35-foot open hoppers dutifully followed behind a single WC SD45, always dressed in a sharp coat of maroon and gold.
Since those early days of my photography, Wisconsin Central submitted to its Class I suitor, Canadian National, and the roar of 20-cylinder 645s is but a memory, as are most all examples of WC's locomotives wearing an attractive livery.
But the Rock Job lives on, still hustling the short and distinctive open hoppers between Wisconsin quarries and Illinois material yards. And preceding the rust brown railcars, a single six-axle locomotive wearing bold colors that command the attention of every boy near the tracks.
A trio of Wisconsin Central EMD's lean into the curve at Goodman, WI with SD45 7511 trailing on this empty westbound Minorca taconite train. The sound of notched up EMD's, along with the beat of short wheelbase tac cars makes for a memorable image
The differences from this 2002 shot and the one I took Saturday at County Highway A of an E-Rail are too numerous and painful to point out. What a difference a decade makes!
Back in the day, the manned helper of WC 7592 brings up the rear of this loaded Escanaba train across the bridge just south of Ambridge, WI on 3/23/2002. This WC train was the second to last E-Rail of the 2002 season and symboled OSTES-22. Engineer Rengo had 4 WC SD45s on this train's head end and this manned helper to try to keep the train of ancient SSAM ore cars together. Think this was the last year these ex-North Western cars made it to Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Can't imagine why I didn't chase this guy further south, but did let it go after a couple of shots. Think there was another Minorca heading south along the DM&IR I went after.
A former Kansas City Power & Light rotary dump hopper, now used as a tie car with initials for the Sault St. Marie Bridge Company, is found on CN train L54491-27 at Du Quion on the CN Centralia Sub, which was picked up here along with a few other company service cars. 5/27/23.
Here's another nice fresh Wisconsin Central boxcar at the Shops in North Fond du Lac. Instead of white lettering and shield, this one features the yellow/gold version. Lettered for subsidiary SSAM, she looks ready to roll in style.
A significantly updated and overhauled replacement to the 2012 MK II version. The Crusader MK III showcases a stark 10 year difference in my design and building quality.
Originally intended to be completed in 2020, but then got put on the backlog. I finally got around to finishing this signature spacecraft for my profile sigfig, complete with a recolor to match my standard color scheme of light gray, blue trim, and trans-red with dark gray details and black guns.
Intended as a heavy-armor Assault Starfighter, the Crusader MK III maintains a pair of light Gauss Gattling Guns in front of the engine block on each side of the fuselage, with SSAM-2 missile pods under the base of each wing, and the Plasma Concentrator Cannon is now hidden in the nose of the spacecraft. At the end of each wing and tailfin are supposed to be sensors antenna, but I'm sure they look like more weapons at a glance.
I worked meticulously long and hard on this one to get the exact shape the way I wanted. I prefer flat slopes over curved ones, and managed to keep this build 99% in line with that goal. All while maintaining the same arrowhead shaped fuselage, slightly foward-swept delta wings, and rugged heavy Ion Thruster engines protruding from the rear. I'm proudest of being able to reinstall retractable landing gear that hides underneath the smooth silhouette from any angle, including the bottom!
A SORE train has finished loading its string of SSAM ore jennies at the Empire mine and now rolls by the massive tailing piles at Empire Junction. The train is bound for Escanaba where it will be rotary dumped and sent back for the never ending process.
Later in the day once the sun was up and the train loaded, it's on the way back to Escanaba. From the other side of the tracks at the south end of the lake all this maroon goodness made for one of my best days railfanning.
October 2, 2001.
SORE 2 is on the move north between Mcfarland and Little Lake, MI back on Aug. 12, 2003. Being an ore fan, I was hoping this regular afternoon train out of Esky would have SSAM ore cars on the head end, but nope. The two SD45s had just a short train of about 10 bentonite loads. Still these commemorative SD45s (7513-Richard B. Olgivie & 7551-Customer Minded Employees) looked good rolling along M-35 in the Upper Peninsula. This SORE 2 would return to Escanaba after dark with the 7551 leading ore loads.
I've been making quick rounds at Superior and return up the hill to catch this train with C&NW and SSAM cars at Nopeming Jct. Again, unbeknownst to me, Mike Cleary has nailed this one at Burnett and Munger. Saturday, January 27, 1996 at 1430.
Named after a bird known for slowly wading through swamps looking for prey, the Heron is a very light mech that can stalk targets all the same.
This skirmisher variant is equipped for more direct combat, featuring a light Gauss Cannon on the left side and two light Rayguns on the right, in addition to the standard pair of chin-mounted light machine guns and rear SSAM-2s.
Inspired by various Metal Gears, Star Wars walkers, and the Halo Mantis, among others. Thanks to not having a human form, the Heron succeeds the Peltast as my smallest mech design and was the last mostly completed build of 2020.
My favorite things about this MOC are the use of the old, discontinued boat piece inverted and used to form the bulk of the turret head, and the panels used as 'butt-flaps' (lol) to armor up and add some form to the rear of the legs without sacrificing articulation.
A snowmobile on the Willard Munger Trail (NP Duluth Shortline) roars past an empty E-Rail climbing Steelton Hill on March 16, 2002. All these former C&NW and LS&I cars have been scrapped by CN, replaced with Missabe pellet cars for service out of Esky.
Just a little over a year ago, Alco Adam and I pulled into the parking lot at Berea for some much needed rest. Minutes after our arrival, the CSXT 8239 flew by Eastbound with a train full of former SSAM and Algoma Central ortner hoppers. Although it was dark, we were off in a rush to try and find this thing. Our attempt was earnest although the final outcome was just less sleep and less gas.
So here we are a year later, and the former L&N (not a Family Lines era purchase!) 3611 leads Q356 in gorgeous sunlight on a day supposedly slated for clouds and thunderstorms. With such a town name, it was a pretty good spot to hang out for the few minutes it took for the train to show. My day was already made after I clicked the shutter, but wait... There's more!
leica m6 // voigtlander nokton 35mm vII f.12 // fuji provia 400
much to my dismay, it was too dark to take food photos on film here, even at 400 ISO. but let me just say that the momofuku soft pork buns were pretty much the best thing i have eaten, ever.
With L550 no longer taking the all-rail ore hoppers over to Escanaba for the SSAM/LS&I delivery, there is no need to switch divisions at Larch any longer, so L550 will be using Soo Line/WC trackage between Gladstone and Algoma Jct. from now on. This segment was devoid of Southward movements in the morning hours for years, but such is not the case any longer as an L550 with a pair of WC GP40's and a GTW GP38-2 trundle across the Escanaba River at Groos, MI on September 4, 2009.
Large view recommended.......