Wisconsin Great Northern SW1 862, ex. Milwaukee Road 862, exx. Milwaukee Road 850, nee Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 1616 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1940.
Chicago and North Western caboose 10335 built by International Car in 1955.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific wedge snowplough 95597 constructed from a steam engine tender.
Chicago and North Western wedge snow plough 262759 constructed from a steam engine tender.
Long Island Railroad T72 trailer 2812 built by Pullman-Standard in 1955.
Wisconsin Great Northern coach 10674, ex. Algoma Central 10674, nee Gulf Mobile and Ohio coach 3058 built by American Car and Foundry in 1947.
A snowplough made out of a caboose, details unknown.
Wisconsin Great Northern coach 2071, ex. Algoma Central 2071, nee Denver and Rio Grande Western 9xx built by Pullman in 1910.
Wisconsin Great Northern coach 2073, ex. Algoma Central 2073, nee Denver and Rio Grande Western 9xx built by Pullman in 1910.
Wisconsin Great Northern coach 2069, ex. Algoma Central 2069, nee Denver and Rio Grande Western 9xx built by Pullman in 1910.
Soo Line flat car 985353, builder and year unknown.
Wisconsin Great Northern maintenance-of-way boom car W6331, nee Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range 6331, builder and year unknown.
Wisconsin Great Northern 250 ton crane X-7, nee Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range X-7 built by Industrial Brownhoist in 1941.
Wisconsin Great Northern coach 26 "East Lexington, ex. Gulf Mobile and Ohio, nee Pullman 12-1 sleeper built by the company in 1925.
Northern Rail Car Corporation SW1 1, ex. Milwaukee Road 975, exx. Milwaukee Road 878, nee Milwaukee Road 1631 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1940.
Wisconsin Great Northern club car 112 "Richard F. Gilberg", ex. Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range X112, nee Duluth and Iron Range baggage-railway post office car 112 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911.
Wisconsin Great Northern buffet dining car 32 "Apostle Isle", nee Duluth and Northern Minnesota coach 32 built by Pullman in 1919.
Wisconsin Great Northern lounge car 34 "Presque Isle", nee Duluth and Northern Minnesota coach 34 built by Pullman in 1919.
Chicago and North Western baggage car 86xx, builder and year unknown.
Wisconsin Great Northern sleeping car 1 "Allen L. Vreeland", nee 14 section sleeper "Humbird" built by Pullman in 1928. It was sold to the Chicago and North Western in 1948 and became maintenance-of-way X30995 in 1962.
Baggage car of unknown origin and year.
Chicago and North Western flat car WX 250578, builder and year unknown.
A combine from the Chicago and North Western train "Namekagon", history unknown.
The servicing facilities at Spooner.
The Chicago and North Western Spooner station which now houses the Railroad Memories Museum. It is dedicated to the preservation of railroad memorabilia and the education of the public on the significance of the history of the railroad in our country. Visitors from around the country and around the world have enjoyed this outstanding collection of historic documents, photos, railroad equipment and other memorabilia covering every aspect of railroading. The museum, staffed and run by volunteers, has retired railroaders who act as tour guides, leading visitors through 13 rooms of the old depot filled with railroad bells, whistles, lights, tools, timetables, photos, advertising, art and antiques.
Wisconsin Great Northern chapel car "Everlasting", ex. Catholic Extension Society "St. Paul", nee Long Island Railroad 120 seat coach 29xx built by Pullman-Standard in the 1950's. The move of this car occurred in 1996 from a mountain-top display site in southeastern Montana.
A coach of unknown identity and history.
Wisconsin Great Northern F7A 400, nee Chicago and North Western F7A 4100 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950, which has seen better days.
Mineral Range Incorporated S6 900, ex. Chicago and North Western 1083, exx. Green Bay and Western 106, exxx. Green Bay and Western 1201, exxxx. Southern Pacific 1201, nee Southern Pacific 1034 built by American Locomotive Company in 1955.
Wisconsin Great Northern sleeping car 2004 "Inkerman", ex. VIA 2004 "Inkerman", nee Canadian National 2004 "Inkerman" built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1950.
Wisconsin Great Northern caboose 27, history unknown.
Wisconsin Great Northern coach 2076, ex. Algoma Central 2076, nee Denver and Rio Grande Western 9xx built by Pullman in 1910.
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Wisconsin Great Norther sleeping car 421 "Bears Den", ex. Milwaukee Road maintenance-of-way car, nee Milwauke Road 14 section sleeper 5742 "Mount McKinley built by the railroad in 1947.
Wisconsin Great Northern baggage car, nee Milwaukee Road 1219 built by the railroad in 1947 and later converted to maintenance-of-way use.
Another car.
Scene from the grounds. I drove down to see more of their equipment.
Soo Line burro crane 750313 built by Cullen-Friestedt, year unknown.
Milwaukee Road flat car 966007.
Soo Line burro crane 210136 built by Cullen-Friestedt, year unknown.
Wisconsin Great Northern baggage car 2161, nee Milwaukee Road baggage car-railway post office 1223 built by the railroad in 1947.
Wisconsin Great Northern power car 1114, nee Milwaukee Road baggage car 1114 built by the railroad in 1934. I then set up to catch the next train leaving.
The 3:00 PM train leaving Spooner for Springbrook.
Out along Highway 63, I caught the train again then drove to Springbrook for my final pictures of this railroad.
The front of Wisconsin Great Northern F7A 423.
Wisconsin Great Northern F7A 423, ex. New Jersey Transit 423, nee Chicago and North Western 4076A built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949.
The locomotive was used to move tank cars onto this railroad for storage.
The Drive to CrandonFrom Springbrook, I drove US Highway 53 south to Cameron, where I turned left onto US Highway 8 for my trip to Crandon.
The former Soo Line station at Weyerhaeuser built in 1909, donated to the town by Canadian National and restored. When I reachedo Ladysmith, I noticed something along Wisconsin Highway 27 and stopped.
Soo Line caboose 99103, nee Wisconsin Central 99103 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911.
Also here was Soo Line F7A 500A on the point of a display train.
Soo Line F7A 500-A, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949 and nicknamed Sweet 'Soo', was the first passenger diesel on the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway and was a demonstrator then acquired by the Soo Line spring 1950 along with a cabless F7 booster. Numbered 500-A and 500-B, they were repainted in the Soo Line's maroon and gold color scheme. Before 1950, all Soo Line passenger trains were powered by steam locomotives. The 500-A and B were the first Soo Line diesel-electric locomotives in regular passenger service, pulling the "Soo-Dominion" on May 22, 1950. Steam power on the Soo Line ended in 1955.
The 500-A pulled passenger trains until the mid-1960's when that era ended, it was in freight and later snow plowing service until 1985, when it was retired with over 1.5 million miles. This historic diesel, owned by the City of Ladysmith, has been restored to its 1950 appearance. The 250,000 pound locomotive is the only streamlined Soo Line F unit preserved in the State of Wisconsin.
Soo Line United States Mail Railway Post Office 552, nee SOO Line parlour car 400 built by Barney and Smith in 1911.
Soo Line combine 358, nee SOO Line 12-1 sleeper 1240 "Bruce" built by Barney and Smith in 1914.
Soo Line coach 998 built by Barney and Smith in 1911. I drove back onto US Highway 8 and found the steam engine.
Soo Line 2-8-2 1011 built by American Locomotive Company in 1920 on covered display. Used for mainline freight, 1011 was hand-fired until a stoker was installed in 1939. It made its last run on 18th January 1955, after travelling 1,496,191 miles during its service life. It was donated to the City of Ladysmith in 1960 and promptly named "Old Smokey" by the school children who raised money to cover the cost of installation. It is on display near the Canadian National tracks on Lake Ave West.
The former Soo Line station built in 1907. I continued east, stopping at Hardee's in Rhinelander before driving the final miles to Crandon and filled the car with petrol prior to checking into the Best Western Crandon Inn for the night.
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