Green Bay & Western

The town of Wisconsin Rapids is the center of the Green Bay & Western Railroad that lives in two rooms in Bill Kapfer’s basement. Located at Mile Post 95, the town features

locomotive facilities including coal, water, sand and a turntable and roundhouse. The yard is six tracks with a total capacity of sixty cars. There are two through trains each day in addition to the various locals. Train #2 departs from a staging yard representing Winona Minnesota at Mile Post 212. This is the Whitehall Division of the railroad. #2 crosses the Mississippi River Bridge into East Winona and works the CB&Q interchange at M.P. 210. At Whitehall (M.P.175) and Merrillan (M.P. 158) there is a block swap of cars with the local working these towns. The next stop for #2 is across the Black River at Neillsville (M.P.150). Here there are set outs and pickups for the American Store and Dairy Co. and other industries. Another local then works these cars. This local must work the big condensory at the Dairy three times a day. After leaving Neillsville #2 passes the big Consolidated Paper Co. mill before crossing the Wisconsin River and entering the yard at Wisconsin Rapids.

There will be a local that works the paper mill along with a small interchange yard for the Milwaukee Road and the Soo Line. In the yard, #2s power will be sent to the engine terminal for servicing while the yard switcher reworks the train. Departing Wisconsin Rapids, the reassembled #2 enters the New London Division. The next town along the line is Plover (M.P. 81) Up the branch line from Plover is Stevens Point with its big brewery and Whitting Paper Co. Plover and Stevens Point are served by another local. From Plover, #2 runs east to Green Bay (M.P. 00) and into staging.

Train #1 runs later in the opposite direction, doing the same work along the way.

Bill’s sessions last about two and a half hours and keep six to seven operators quite busy (and happy)