How Far Do You Think To The Next Gas Station?

Day 7 : 27th September 1996

“...sure, there‘s a train out on the road somewhere, it‘ll be here sometime soon...”

Post breakfast there were three targets to achieve in Green Bay, first of which was a visit to Rail America, the “self styled” National RailRoad Museum. Smurf wasn’t keen, he’d been before and doubted they’d actually be running trains on a weekday. However as we crossed the river bridge above the site, billowing clouds of white smoke drifted out from among the trees. Typical, commented Smurf, they’ve got a bloody kettle out.

No indeed! Arrival at the museum found their train headed by Milwaukee Road 767, a Fairbanks Morse road switcher who’s two stroke motor was source of the volumous smoke. Never has a car emptied so fast. OK, it’s only about a mile loop round the site (with regular stops for the on train guide to explain points of interest !?) but we couldn’t think of anyone we knew who had actually had one!

Smoke without fire. Fairbanks Morse Switcher 767 at Rail America.

The museum is actually fairly good and outside there are all manner of things to phot. A quick homage paid to 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower and it was off to stop 2, the Chicago & North Western engine terminal up the river.

Green Bay Engine Terminal. SD45 WC 6506 among the rubble.

This was a disappointment, it had housed a group of stored Lake Superior & Ishpeming Alco RSD Alligators at one time but these were long gone. With the exception of a few scattered locos the place was taking on an air of dereliction. We moved on!

Three men in a car.

Stop number 3. Green Bay Packers stadium of course. With no game on this was naturally closed, but formed a great back drop for a phot. Sadly the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Museum opposite was also firmly gesslossen, so, bowled we headed North.

Marinette Wisconsin. Road and rail parallel each other into town and flashing crossing lights had us swerving into a side road and diving out cameras in hand. No need! A train yes, nice phot of a pair of UP SD40s yes but very defiantly shut down and dead (and sat on the circuit for the crossing!!)

Closed. Sorry we missed you. CNW 4178 Marinette.

Carrying on into town we came upon the C&NW depot building with high nose GP9 4178 sat outside. Resplendent as it was in “overhaul, what overhaul?” livery it was also shut down and the depot in very “sorry we missed you please call later” mode.

We crossed the tracks to the Escanaba & Lake Superior depot to see if they had any trains working in the area. We quickly figured this was not a timetabled railway running at capacity. “sure, there‘s a train out on the road somewhere, it‘ll be here sometime soon” came the response.

Back at the car we decided to at least try and find this train so we headed a little South to a level crossing “somewhere” to see if something turned up “sometime”. Shortly after, as it happened, a train hove into view with a rather dowdy GM switcher leading a mixed bag of cars bucking and rolling their way down the suspect track. Low budget as it seems, don’t laugh. At least E&SL was doing it’s bit to reduce wet weather spray on the nations roads!

Doing it’s bit. E&LS freight, somewhere, sometime...

Time to press on and as traffic thinned out and the weather cleared into a sunny evening we nearly came a cropper. The sweeping 2 lane road, always in sight of forest or water, almost encouraged spirited driving and crossing into Michigan we were achieving what scientists call a fair old clip. Rounding a bend into a clearing a Volvo estate was spied lumbering it’s way North and as we approached at some miles an hour I, for some reason, decided to defer an overtake for a bit. GOOD CALL! Looking in the back screen of the Volvo and out the front, oh lordey look at that! A big, brown Chevy with “STATE TROOPER” in large letters across the boot lid. We continued in a more sedate manner.

Finally we arrived at the US boarder post, carried out the required paper shuffling and crossed the International Bridge. Stopped again at the Canadian boarder post for some far less arduous paper shuffling, drove into town and found hotel. Thank God!

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