GREEN BAY & WESTERN RAILROAD (GBW)
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Historical Snapshot: * Originally incorporated on June 3, 1896 when it purchased two bankrupt railroads the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul and the Green Bay, Stevens & Northern. It Began actual service June 10, 1896. * Operations: Winona, Minnesota on the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan at Kewaunee (214 mi) plus short branch lines. The company saw significant service as a bridge line and a heavy hauler of paper. When the car ferries on Lake Michigan began to close connections to the Ann Arbor and the Chesapeake & Ohio railroads in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and the many rail mergers began to happen, the GB&W's bridge business eventually fell off to nothing. * In January of 1978 GB&W was purchased by Itel Corp. and merged with a second Itel property, the Fox River Valley Railroad. The two continued until August 27, 1993 when their assets wer sold to the Fox Valley & Western Railroad, A Wisconson Central Subsidiary. * All during the diesel days the railroad was committed to Alco locomotives and operated several models from RS3's to C424's to RSD15's. * Acquired by Canadian National in 2001.
GB&W RS3 diesel #306 Image, Green Bay & Western Alco RS3 #306, 1979 Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, December 19, 1979: Green Bay & Western Alco RS3 diesel #306 is at the ready, on the property at sunset. -------------------- GB&W C424 diesel #311 Image, Green Bay & Western, Alco C424 #311 +1, 1977 Order No. GBW311X2I It is late in the afternoon as this Green Bay & Western train glides through the yards at Wirpna, Michigan, July 1, 1977. Alco C424 road diesel #311 followed by #315 do the duty on the point. -------------------- GB&W RS27 diesel #317 Image, Green Bay & Western Alco RS27 #317 Order No. GBW317I Green Bay & Western Alco RS27 road diesel #317 is seen during the early 1980's. -------------------- GB&W RS27 diesel #318 Image, Green Bay & Western Alco RS27 #318, 1992 Not for sale, for reference only! Photographer: Paul Wester [C] Sunset, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, October 11, 1992: Green Bay & Wisconsin Alco RS27 road diesel #318 works a freight before the camera. -------------------- GB&W C424 diesel #321 Image, Green Bay & Western, Alco C424 diesel #321 Order No. GBW321I Green Bay & Western Alco C424, 2,400 horsepower, road diesel #321 is captured. Built new for the company in 1963 this c424 saw many years of service. -------------------- GB&W C420 diesel #323 Image, Green Bay & Western Alco C420 #323, 1982 Order No. GBW323I September, 1982: Green Bay & Western Alco C420 road diesel #3123 is photographed. A 2,000 horsepower prime mover powers this C420 built new in 1966. -------------------- GB&W 3-RSD15 diesels #2405 Image, Three Green Bay & Western Alco RSD15,s #2405 +2 Not for sale, for reference only! Photographer: Randy Faris Three former Lake Superior & Ishpeming RSD15's, still in their paint scheme, pose as Green Bay & Western motive power. #2405 is on the point followed by #2407 and #2404. --------------------
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