The Green Bay and Western diesel roster was made up entirely of Alcos, in no small part due to the fact that the GB&W was very pleased with the builder's long and storied line of steam locomotives. For a complete/all-time Green Bay and Western diesel roster please click here. This list of surviving GB&W diesel locomotives will be categorized by original numbers the railroad assigned its units and where they are today, whether in operation, cosmetically restored, or in some state of preservation at railroad museums and tourist railroads. Also, just as something to keep in mind if you are not aware, while some locomotives may be painted/preserved in GB&W colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of GB&W heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of GB&W heritage that are not in GB&W colors).
The Green Bay and Western Railroad, also known as the "Green Bay Route," was a bridge line connecting Green Bay and central Wisconsin with Winona, Minnesota. The GB&W’s origins date as far back as the mid-19th century and the railroad is best remembered for the movement of auto part and agricultural products. However, to railfans the Green Bay Route is best remembered for its large all-Alco fleet of diesel locomotives as the railroad possessed an impressive fleet of various models from the builder. The downfall of the GB&W was its loss of interchange and car ferry traffic.
By the late 1980s the railroad had lost many of its connections with its western interchange partners as a result of mergers and bankruptcies. Couple this with the downfall of carfloat movements (which the GB&W depended heavily on) and the railroad was destitute by the early 1990s during which time it became part of Wisconsin Central Ltd., itself purchased by Canadian National in the fall of 2001.
American Locomotive Company (Alco)
· Alco RS3u #305: Preserved at the Gopher State Railway Museum as GB&W #305.
· Alco RS3u #308: Preserved at the Monticello Railway Museum as Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern #308.
· Alco C430 #315: Preserved at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay as GB&W #315.
Also, it should be noted that some former GB&W switcher and road units continue to remain in some state of operation on smaller freight railroads, such as shortline carriers. To learn more about the disposition of these locomotives please click here to visit The Diesel Shop.
While this list will continually be updated it certainly does not completely cover every surviving unit, which was on the Green Bay and Western diesel roster. So, if you know of any other survivors out there, whether they are parked and gleaming in a museum or sitting out in the weeds along a forgotten siding please let me know so we can keep this list growing, and you will be given full credit for your help. For more information on the all types of classic diesel locomotives consider the book The American Diesel Locomotive from author Brian Solomon. The book studies everything from classic to newer diesel locomotive models. In the entire book is a great resource and you shouldn’t be disappointed with it, not to mention that it is loaded with photos (many in color)! If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".
