Wisconsin Great Northern begins hauling freight NEWSWIRE

TREGO, Wis. — Wisconsin short line Wisconsin Great Northern, long known for its popular “bed and breakfast” tourist trains train powered by former Chicago & North Western F7 No. 423, has loaded its first car of online freight. The car was loaded at the railroad’s new pulpwood-hardwood load-out at Springbrook, Wis. The location has room for expansion and currently has three tracks and room for 12 cars. The outbound traffic is interchanged with Canadian National at Hayward Junction with other traffic.

The Wisconsin Great Northern is also the contract operator for Canadian National’s Hayward spur between Hayward Junction and Hayward, serving Louisiana Pacific’s smart board plant and Johnson Timber Products at the far north end of the line at Hayward, but this is the first time the railroad has loaded freight on its ex-C&NW line between Spooner, Trego, and Hayward Junction. The pulpwood load-out had been located at Stanberry, Wis., along CN’s Superior Subdivision main line. That location has now closed and operations moved to the short line’s new yard at Springbrook.

“We are very excited to finally bring back carload freight to the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad,” shortline President Greg Vreeland says.

The railroad has several hundred freight cars stored on the line between Spooner and Springbrook. The company recently purchased the Columbia Star Dinner train and its two locomotives, former Great Northern F7s painted in Wabash colors. One F7, No. 1950, is based at Springbrook to move storage cars.