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Wisconsin Train Rides And Excursion Trains

Wisconsin has had a long and interesting history with trains since the industry's early days and the state's tourist railroads reflect this well. Today, there are five different Wisconsin train rides to choose from including the East Troy Electric Railroad Museum, Lumberjack Steam Train, Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad and excursions offered by the National Railroad Museum and Mid-Continent Railway Museum. As you can see from some of the names there are a wide range of trips to take including operating steam locomotives to historic trolley cars. Additionally, if you are looking for a dinner train excursion the Wisconsin Great Northern offers such. In any event, if you might be interested in learning about the state's many railroad museums please click here.

With is rich agricultural resources and important cities like Milwaukee and Green Bay, not to mention its extended shoreline along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, Wisconsin was home to most of the Midwest's classic granger lines like the Milwaukee Road, Green Bay & Western, Chicago & North Western and numerous others. Today, the state's tourist railroads really try to keep alive its rail heritage, from the main line systems to the often forgotten logging operations (such as with Lumberjack Steam Train). There is no, one, tourist line in the state that stands out above the rest although a visit to the National Railroad Museum is definitely worth your time and the Wisconsin Great Northern has turned their 10+ year operation into a very nice excursion. In any event, to learn more about Wisconsin train rides please read a little more about each below.

Wisconsin Train Rides And Excursion Trains

East Troy Electric Railroad Museum

The East Troy Electric Railroad Museum is the Wisconsin's only heritage interurban railway, operating between East Troy and Mukwonago using restored trolley cars. For more information about visiting the museum and riding the train please click here.

Lumberjack Steam Train

The Lumberjack Steam Train is located in Laona, Wisconsin and operated by the Camp 5 Museum which looks to preserve the area's logging history. The train is pulled using a 2-6-2 Prairie Type steam locomotive which boards from the restored Soo Line depot in Laona. For more information about riding the trolley please click here.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum

The Mid-Continent Railway Museum based in North Freedom, based in south-central Wisconsin, looks to preserve the region and state's railroad history. In doing so it also operates an excursion train for a 50-minute round-trip journey on trackage originally owned by the Chicago & North Western Railway. For more information about visiting the museum and riding the train please click here.

National Railroad Museum

Started in 1956, the National Railroad Museum has been recognized by Congress as the "national" such facility in the country, although this is mostly in name only. The NRM today has a nice collection of rolling stock at their facility in Green Bay and while they do not really offer a true rail excursion they do offer train rides around the property. To learn more about them please click here. Also please click here to visit their website.

Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad

The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad is a tourist railroad which operates excursion trains over former Chicago & North Western Railway trackage between Spooner and Springbrook, Wisconsin. The railroad has steadily grown over its last decade of operating excursion trains and now host’s dinner trains between February and December each year. Along with dinner trains the railroad also operates season specials, such as during Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. For more information about riding the train please click here.

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Tourist Railroads Section

To learn more about the history of Wisconsin's railroads please click here. Also, for more information about Wisconsin train rides you might want to consider the book Tourist Trains Guidebook, which is put together by the editors of Kalmbach Publishing's Trains magazine. The guide below is the latest, released in just April, 2011 that now includes more than 470 museums and tourist trains (it also lists all of Alabama's rail museums). In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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