MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Zoo, which will close out its history of steam-powered train operations later this year, plans to operate its remaining steam locomotive for its 15-inch gauge railroad, 4-6-2 No. 1924, on 10 days in August, most of them weekends.
Scheduled operating dates are Aug. 9-10, 15-18, 23-24, and 30-31. Dates are subject to change in the event of inclement weather or unanticipated maintenance. Additional runs are planned in September and October before the locomotive is moved to the Riverside & Great Northern Preservation Society in Wisconsin Dells; those operating dates have yet to be announced.
The zoo announced in March that it had sold the two steam locomotives for its 1.25-mile railroad, with the first engine, 4-4-2 Henry J. Grant, moving to the R&GN in April [see “Milwaukee County Zoo railroad replacing steam engines,” Trains News Wire, March 14, 2024]. The railroad continues to operate with diesels, and has ordered a new Tier 4-compliant unit due this fall or winter.
More on the zoo railroad is available here.
A little steam train with a big steam whistle that can be heard in nearby communities such as Wauwatosa and West Allis.
The UPRR main (ex-CNW) runs at the zoo’s western boundary, a line that occasionally hosts UPRR steam.
As a life member of the R&GN and who over the years volunteered a few thousand hours, but not lately, it is bittersweet to see 1916 and 2024 return “home.”