Wisconsin Northern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Wisconsin Northern Railroad is the trade name
employed by Progressive Rail Inc. to operate 62.3 miles (100.3 km) of railroad in northern Wisconsin
.
(UP) and Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC). The UP trackage extends north from Norma, a junction with the UP in northern Chippewa Falls, to Cameron. It was completed by the Chippewa Falls and Northern Railway, a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, in 1883. At Cameron, the Wisconsin Northern splits, with WC trackage continuing north to Rice Lake and west to Almena. The Rice Lake line was opened by the Rice Lake, Dallas and Menominee Railway in 1894, and the Almena line by the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway in 1884. Both became part of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
(Soo Line), and were spun off to the WC in 1987.
Major commodities handled include: resins, scrap materials, lumber, logs, fertilizer, steel, feed grade grains, and tallow.
and two GP15-1
units operating along the system.
Trade name
A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes, although its registered, legal name, used for contracts and other formal situations, may be another....
employed by Progressive Rail Inc. to operate 62.3 miles (100.3 km) of railroad in northern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Overview
The railroad began operations on November 29, 2004, leasing its trackage from the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(UP) and Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC). The UP trackage extends north from Norma, a junction with the UP in northern Chippewa Falls, to Cameron. It was completed by the Chippewa Falls and Northern Railway, a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, in 1883. At Cameron, the Wisconsin Northern splits, with WC trackage continuing north to Rice Lake and west to Almena. The Rice Lake line was opened by the Rice Lake, Dallas and Menominee Railway in 1894, and the Almena line by the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway in 1884. Both became part of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwest U.S. Commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961 to form the...
(Soo Line), and were spun off to the WC in 1987.
Major commodities handled include: resins, scrap materials, lumber, logs, fertilizer, steel, feed grade grains, and tallow.
Equipment
The railroad's locomotive roster is on loan from parent Progressive Rail Inc. and includes one SW1500EMD SW1500
The EMD SW1500 was a diesel locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new...
and two GP15-1
EMD GP15-1
The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June, 1976 and March, 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher...
units operating along the system.
| Model | Number | Lettered |
|---|---|---|
| EMD SW1500 EMD SW1500 The EMD SW1500 was a diesel locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new... |
34 | None |
| EMD GP15-1 EMD GP15-1 The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June, 1976 and March, 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher... |
1500 | City of Barron |
| EMD GP15-1 EMD GP15-1 The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June, 1976 and March, 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher... |
1501 | City of Bloomer |
See also
- List of United States railroads
- List of Wisconsin railroads
- Progressive Rail, Inc.
External links
- Progressive Rail, Inc. – Official Parent Company Website
- Progressive Rail: System Maps – Wisconsin Northern Line (FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
) - Railroad Picture Archives – Photographs of the Wisconsin Northern Railroad