58 CLASSIC TRAINS FALL 2019
photograph its rare Vulcan and Whitcomb
diesels, both of which survive.
Farther south, we paralleled the ob-
scure C&NW branch from Pulaski
through Laona to Scott Lake (some of
which would become now-defunct short
line Nicolet Badger Northern), apparently
worked by a local out of Green Bay up
one day and back the next. Near Lake-
wood, to our astonishment here came the
train, trundling out of the woods in the
gathering dusk with H16-66 1901 in
charge. We were 50 miles short of Pulaski
and 65 from Green Bay for this nice con-
clusion to the day’s action.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
First on our agenda this sunny morn-
ing was C&NW train 214, the Peninsula
400 , which made a daily Ishpeming–Chi-
cago round trip. We shot it at the depot,
and after a 20-minute stop to change
crews and add cars, it departed on time at
8:30 behind an E8 and F7 duo with eight
bi-level coaches and a false-roof diner.
Although C&NW still fielded other
Green Bay–Chicago passenger trains, via
both the Lake Shore (Manitowoc) and
Fox Valley (Appleton) routes, the Penin-
sula 400 was the only one we’d see here.
C&NW’s yard and a roundhouse shop
were at the city’s north edge. Many of the
H16-66s were based here, plus some FM
switchers, but we also saw Alco S1 1204
and some EMD re-engined Baldwin
road-switchers.
At the Milwaukee’s yard and shop,
H10-44 743 and EMD SW1 968 were
working, with H10-44 774 parked. This
line was MILW’s Superior Division. In
from Milwaukee was an A-B-A set of FM
C-Liners, with cab units 24C and 23A;
MILW had six such trios. Only one daily
freight in each direction ran north of
Green Bay to Channing. We were told
that H16-44s worked from Channing
west to Ontonagon, on Lake Superior.
The overnight Copper Country was the
division’s only passenger service, and car-
ried a Chicago–Green Bay Flexi-Van con-
tainer car of mail.
Our main target was the all-Alco
Green Bay & Western, which extended
214 miles west to Winona, Minn. Its Nor-
wood Yard, shop, and roundhouse were
nestled in a residential neighborhood
north of the MILW yard. We rated
The southbound C&NW Peninsula 400, with an F7 and E8 leading 11 cars, crosses the Fox River bridge at Green Bay to begin September 5.
Marinette, Tomahawk & Western 90, an ex-Minneapolis & St. Louis
NW1, works in the rain at a Tomahawk paper mill on September 3.
A self-timer portrait before leaving the lake. From left: Roger Meade,
Charlie Mote, author Dave Ingles, Jay Weber, and Jerry Pinkepank.