This power duo struggles to pull this 9000 foot stack train up and over Byron Hill as the sun sets on an early spring day.

A pair of ex-Conrail SD60s haul a short BRC bound freight up the steep incline out of Fond du Lac on a wonderful wintry afternoon.

A southbound trio of ponies lead 342 up to the crest of Byron Hill, while BC Rail power leads 347 northbound on the downhill run into Fond du Lac.

A standard cab Dash-9 leads a northbound freight towards Fond du Lac.

With an emphasis on coil cars, the local Fond du Lac/Waukesha turn makes its way north down Byron Hill after interchanging with the WSOR in Ackerville.

The morning light warms Byron Hill as this iconic climb sees yet another southbound CN manifest crest its peak.

With a total of 12,400 horsepower at the head end, and another 3,000 at the tail with IC 6203 pushing, this manifest makes quick work of one of the steepest grades in Wisconsin.

IC 1028 gets the assignment to lead the assault on Byron Hill this afternoon. Unfortunately the unit is riddled with problems after sitting for months of no duty, but the climb up the hill is, fo... (more)

The local Quad Graphics job puts on an Alco-esque smoke show as it leads a drag of loaded boxcars up Byron Hill past a stalled out Q116 stack train.

M342 is about the crest Byron Hill in record time thanks to a trio of Dash-9 helpers lashed on to the rear helping the manifest push over the grade

Geeps on Byron
Struggling up Byron Hill, south of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a Soo Line freight approaches the top on March 22, 1987. This was in the colorful Lake States era on this porti... (more)

Helpers on Byron Hill
Yes, Wisconsin had a helper district. In Soo Line days, trains southbound (and sometimes northbound too) had to contend with Byron Hill, and frequently used helper... (more)

Without any helpers to assist, this CN manifest slows to a crawl as it heads south over one of the steepest Wisconsin grades at Byron Hill

Wisconsin Central train No. 46 with SD45 6585 on the point is meeting train No. 49 at Bryon, Wisconsin, on a clear and snowy January 27, 1996.