This module will be the first industry module created by member Shane Lambert.  It was inspired by the Cargill Salt plant in Savage, MN, just outside of the Driftless Region. The sole purpose of this build is to find a home for the Atlas SD35 painted for Cargill # 606 that I ordered on a whim in January, 2024 and arrived in December, 2025. While this locomotive was originally assigned to the grain elevator in Pipestone, MN, in my world it was reassigned to the Savage salt plant when the elevator was sold to CHS.

This module is based on the Chicago & North Western yard in downtown La Crosse, WI as it appeared in 1962. The module includes the C&NW Depot, Freight House and team tracks. It is designed as a 20 foot long scene using five 4 foot modules, but could be expanded by adding additional sections in the middle. The prototype used the main line for a switch lead as this yard was a stub end yard.

The Chicago & North Western entered La Crosse from the North. After crossing the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Milwaukee Road at Grand Crossing, the railroad served a number of businesses including Gateway Foods, Continental Can (now Crown Cork & Seal), Gamble Robinson and the La Crosse Rubber Mills. This module will represent the North end of the area as seen in the track plan above. The full scene will include the Rubber Mills and Trane Plant number 6 on the South End extension.

This will be an extension of the Indian Hill District - North End module and will represent the prototype locations of the La Crosse Rubber Mills and Trane Company Plant 6. This line also served the Ready Mix Concrete Plant which was further down the line to the South but moved here for operational interest. Also, while Reinhart Foods was located along this line, I have found no evidence that they ever received rail service. I added a spur to increase the operations here but it may not be included in the final build.