The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad, Through Northwestern Wisconsin

According to the railroad’s mission statement it is to “give our visitors a historical excursion ride aboard beautifully rebuilt cars and locomotives from the "Golden Era of Passenger Travel." Everyone involved with the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad is deeply interested in the preservation of this glorious mode of transportation. Our family's pride and enthusiasm are evident from the moment one of our highly polished locomotives pulls up to the station.

The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad dates back to 1997 when began operations that April after having purchased the trackage from Wisconsin Central Ltd. A further history of the WGN as told by the railroad itself says that it “is the successor of the Duluth & Northern Minnesota Railway Company (D&NM) which operated dinner train service on the North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth, MN during 1996. The D&NM was incorporated by Greg Vreeland and Kent Rengo in July of 1992 for the purpose of organizing a shortline freight railroad. The shortline plan never came to fruition so they decided to purchase and rebuild railroad passenger cars for lease.

While the railroad currently takes you on a sightseeing journey through northwestern Wisconsin the hope for the railroad is to not only operate passenger trains but to one day resume freight service as well. In any event, in the meantime your trip between Spooner and Springbrook offers not only beautiful scenery but also a great meal aboard the train. Costs for the trip are usually very reasonable at around $30 for a single adult although they do offer family packages and children discounts.

For the train itself you will ride in vintage heavyweight passenger cars that range in age from 83 to 96 years. All have been rebuilt into either coaches or diners and offer a pleasant riding experience during trips. For power you will ride behind either a streamlined EMD F7 diesel-electric locomotive or an EMC SW1 diesel-electric switcher locomotive, which have been painted in a resplendent version of the Great Northern Railway’s passenger livery (dark green and orange).

Other features offered on the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad include charters of cabooses and if you have a group of 200 persons you can even charter the entire train itself!

In any event, a trip aboard the WGN is most certainly a memorable experience with the fine food served during your trip and the passing scenery. So, if you’re ever in northwestern Wisconsin or just interested in something different to do consider taking a ride on the railroad, if nothing else it is a great way to relax. And, as railroad president Greg Vreeland says himself, “I hope that you will drop in and take a ride on our railroad if you're ever in Northern Wisconsin.”

For more information on tourist railroads like the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad you might want to consider the book Empire State Railway Museum's Tourist Trains 2006 from the Empire State Railway Museum. Given excellent reviews this guidebook covers nearly all of the tourist railroads and museums operating in the country in fine detail. So, if you’re interested in locating a tourist train or railroad near you, or simply want to know more about a particular one, you will certainly not be disappointed in Empire State Railway Museum’s guidebook to tourist railroads and museums. 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".