Wisconsin Central Ltd. Diesel Roster

Published: November 1, 2026

Wisconsin Central Ltd. ran a secondhand diesel fleet, and the SD45 was the road engine. By the Canadian National purchase on October 9, 2001 the fleet stood at 244 diesel units, nearly triple the number the company had started with, and more than 100 of them were SD45s. The table on this page names 30 locomotives. Each one has a Wisconsin Central Ltd. number fixed by another roster on this site, or by a photograph. The 244 is the size of the fleet at the end of the independent years. The 30 are the frames that can be named one by one.

WCL Railcars Inc. owned or leased the locomotives and the cars, so the name on the flank and the name on the equipment trust were often two different companies. The SD45 numbers followed the previous owners. Diesels built new for the Wisconsin Central in the Soo Line years, 97 locomotives, are already inside the Soo roster of 786 and stay on the Soo-era diesel roster. The table here begins with the railroad that started its first train on October 11, 1987.

Wisconsin Central SD45 6595 at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on April 1, 1994

Wisconsin Central SD45 No. 6595 at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on April 1, 1994. Tom Farrell photo.

On this page: At a glance · A secondhand fleet · Algoma Central · Gateway Western · The 30

At a glance

Item	Detail
Railroad	Wisconsin Central Ltd. First train October 11, 1987. Sold October 9, 2001. Company history
This table	30 locomotives, 14 rows. A Wisconsin Central Ltd. number fixed by another roster on this site, or by a photograph
Fleet at the end	244 diesel units
SD45s	More than 100 by the Canadian National purchase. Three numbers are in the photographs: 6553, 6595, and 6618
Algoma Central	8 of the 23 locomotives still on that property on February 1, 1995
Gateway Western	17 GP40s, 1990, former Western Pacific
Soo-era diesels	97, a separate roster, already inside the Soo Line 786

A secondhand fleet

The locomotives were secondhand from the first year. SD45s became the road power, and the numbers came with the units rather than from one Wisconsin Central series. Three of those numbers are in the photographs. No. 6595 was at Fond du Lac on April 1, 1994. No. 6553 had been Burlington Northern 6553 and was at Gladstone, Michigan, on July 7, 1990. No. 6618 led a set of SD45s through Broadview, Illinois, on June 19, 1995. The rest of the SD45 fleet, more than 100 locomotives by the purchase, stays a group on a railroad whose cab numbers ran wherever the previous owner had left them.

Wisconsin Central SD45 6553, formerly Burlington Northern 6553, at Gladstone, Michigan, on July 7, 1990

Wisconsin Central SD45 No. 6553, ex-Burlington Northern No. 6553, at Gladstone, Michigan, on July 7, 1990. Larry Nast photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Wisconsin Central SD45s led by 6618 at Broadview, Illinois, on June 19, 1995

Wisconsin Central SD45s led by No. 6618 at Broadview, Illinois, on June 19, 1995. Doug Kroll photo.

GP35 728 was built as Soo Line 728, one of the ten GP35s 722–731 delivered from August 1964 through May 1965. The photograph at Neenah, on June 5, 1992, places that one locomotive on the Wisconsin Central. The other nine remain on the Soo Line diesel roster.

Wisconsin Central GP35 728 at Neenah, Wisconsin, on June 5, 1992

Wisconsin Central GP35 No. 728 at Neenah, Wisconsin, on June 5, 1992. Built as Soo Line 728. Tom Wilson photo.

SW1200 1235 was built as Cotton Belt 1072, in the 1070–1073 group of switchers. The Appleton photograph, May 16, 1989, is the Wisconsin Central number.

Wisconsin Central SW1200 1235, built as Cotton Belt 1072, at Appleton, Wisconsin, on May 16, 1989

Wisconsin Central SW1200 No. 1235, built as Cotton Belt 1072, at Appleton, Wisconsin, on May 16, 1989. Tom Wilson photo.

Algoma Central

Wisconsin Central took the Algoma Central Railway on February 1, 1995. Twenty-three locomotives were still on that property: one SW8, eight GP7s, six GP38-2s, one SD40, five SD40-2s, and two GP40s. Eight of the 23 have a later Wisconsin Central number on the Algoma roster.

SW8 140 became 900. Four of the eight GP7s are numbered here. No. 1501 was rebuilt in June 1978 from 162, which had become Algoma Central 100, serial A3541. No. 1502 was rebuilt the same month from 169, Algoma Central 101, serial A3542. No. 1504 was rebuilt in May 1978 from 156, Algoma Central 104, serial A3545. No. 1506 is former Algoma Central 158. The other four GP7s, the six GP38-2s, and the five SD40-2s came with the railway. The Algoma roster keeps those under the numbers they wore there.

The two GP40s are 3026 and 3027, and the model is GP40. No. 3026 was Algoma Central 190, serial 32300, built in October 1966, ex-Soo Line 2018, nee Milwaukee Road 192. No. 3027 was Algoma Central 191, serial 32478, built in January 1967, ex-Soo Line 2034, nee Milwaukee Road 161. SD40 181 became 6001, serial A2562, October 1971. In 1995 eleven former VIA covered wagons, seven A-units and four B-units, were assigned to the tour trains. Those eleven are a separate assignment from the 30 below, and from the 42 diesels the Algoma Central had bought before the sale.

Gateway Western

Seventeen GP40s left the Gateway Western in 1990. They had been Western Pacific engines. They were rebuilt for the Wisconsin Central at North Fond du Lac, and they took the numbers 3000, 3002–3007, 3009, 3011, 3012, 3014, 3015, 3017, and 3022–3025. Those seventeen sit outside the Gateway Western roster of 39. The date in the table is 1990, the year they left. GP40s 3026 and 3027, above, are the Algoma Central pair.

The 30

The quantity column is 30, across 14 rows: eight from the Algoma Central, seventeen from the Gateway Western, and five in the photographs. The Date column is the builder date or the rebuild date when that month is known. For the Gateway Western GP40s it is the year they left that railroad. For a locomotive known from a photograph, the date of the picture is in the Notes. Builder numbers stay blank where this site has no serial for that frame.

Model	Road Number	Qty	Date	Builder Number	Order	Notes
SW8	900	1	12/1951	A297	—	Former Algoma Central 140
GP7	1501	1	6/1978	A3541	—	Rebuilt from Algoma Central 162, which had become No. 100
GP7	1502	1	6/1978	A3542	—	Rebuilt from Algoma Central 169, which had become No. 101
GP7	1504	1	5/1978	A3545	—	Rebuilt from Algoma Central 156, which had become No. 104
GP7	1506	1	—	—	—	Former Algoma Central 158
GP40	3026	1	10/1966	32300	—	Former Algoma Central 190. Ex-Soo Line 2018, nee Milwaukee Road 192
GP40	3027	1	1/1967	32478	—	Former Algoma Central 191. Ex-Soo Line 2034, nee Milwaukee Road 161
SD40	6001	1	10/1971	A2562	—	Former Algoma Central 181
GP40	3000, 3002–3007, 3009, 3011, 3012, 3014, 3015, 3017, 3022–3025	17	1990	—	—	Former Western Pacific, via the Gateway Western. Outside that railroad’s 39
GP35	728	1	—	—	—	Built as Soo Line 728, one of 722–731. Neenah, June 5, 1992
SW1200	1235	1	—	—	—	Built as Cotton Belt 1072. Appleton, May 16, 1989
SD45	6553	1	—	—	—	Ex-Burlington Northern 6553. Gladstone, Michigan, July 7, 1990
SD45	6595	1	—	—	—	Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, April 1, 1994
SD45	6618	1	—	—	—	Lead unit, Broadview, Illinois, June 19, 1995

Sources

Canadian National, company history of the Wisconsin Central, as archived March 24, 2006. The diesel fleet nearly tripled, to 244 units.
Model Railroader, October 24, 2016. More than 100 SD45s on the Wisconsin Central by the Canadian National purchase.
The Algoma Central roster on this site. SW8 140 later 900. GP7s 1501, 1502, 1504, and 1506. GP40s 190 and 191 later 3026 and 3027. SD40 181 later 6001. R. L. Kennedy, Old Time Trains: 23 locomotives still on the property at the February 1, 1995 sale, and eleven former VIA covered wagons, seven A-units and four B-units, assigned to the tour trains in 1995.
The Gateway Western roster on this site. Seventeen former Western Pacific GP40s left in 1990 for Wisconsin Central 3000, 3002–3007, 3009, 3011, 3012, 3014, 3015, 3017, and 3022–3025, rebuilt at North Fond du Lac. Outside that railroad’s roster of 39.
The Soo Line diesel roster on this site. GP35s 722–731, August 1964 through May 1965. No. 728 is one of the ten.
The Cotton Belt diesel roster on this site. SW1200s 1070–1073 include 1072.
Photographs on this page. SD45 6595, Fond du Lac, April 1, 1994, Tom Farrell. SD45 6553, Gladstone, July 7, 1990, Larry Nast, American-Rails.com collection. GP35 728, Neenah, June 5, 1992, Tom Wilson. SD45s led by 6618, Broadview, Illinois, June 19, 1995, Doug Kroll. SW1200 1235, Appleton, May 16, 1989, Tom Wilson.

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