The reporting marks are a slight eyebrow-raiser. Badger State Ethanol was built in Monroe at the start of the 2000s ethanol boom (when ethanol was supposed to be the savior that would end our dependence on fossil fuels), and long strings of these cars for the inbound corn and tank cars for the outbound product were all over the WSOR system. It didn't quite work out that way, and it's been quite a few years since I last saw one of these cars. However, Badger State was perhaps single-handedly responsible for ensuring continued rail service to Monroe, as the high volume of traffic it generated in the early years spurred improvements to the previously moribund line. |