RL SPUR , Rice Lake, Wisconsin

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Farmers market parking lot, white tourist information building, and a historic display are north of the river; on the left of the picture.

. Lentz steam engine from the old excelsior mill is nearby.

Big building is Birchwood Manufacturing (Besse Forest Products) This is on a spur from the main line that is a quarter mile to the west. Spur trestle crosses the Red Cedar River where it comes from Rice Lake.

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Below, Looking west down the Red Cedar River.

Trestle

Dam and main street bridge

A quarter mile in the distant left is a city park and the black RR bridge on the former CNW main line.
Main line rails end on north end of bridge.
Rails are gone from the water tower north.
CNW depot still stands, about a half mile north/right of water tower.

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The spur looks un-used for years.

Here it is half-way between the main line and the lake shore,
as it makes its half-turn toward the lake shore.

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I don't know if RL SPUR name applies to just this quarter mile spur from the old CNW mainline, or if it is the name of the whole 8 miles of former Soo Line track (now gone) from Cameron to here.

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Dam.

Looking east,
the trestle is the black line beyond.

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Fishing through the trestle ties
for Walleye

About 15 feet deep.

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A compact 3-way or lapped switch enters the excelsior plant north of the river

Perfect space-saver for modeling a small industry.

rusty rail and missing rail,
no train service here lately, in 2006

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North of the excelsior mill, there was a farm feed mill.
Can see its green roof in the kite pictures.
Rails still in the pavement.

I don't know how much further north this spur went in the 'old days'.

this is a city block east of main street, and parallel to lake shore.

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