(Information Courtesy of Tim Sasse)

Wausaukee Wi. operation

In the fall of 1888, the Bird & Wells Lbr Co of Wausaukee laid 4 miles of 30# track running northwest from the mill to its timber lands. Two homemade 18 ton locomotives built by the Girard Lbr Co shop at Dunbar, in the summer of 1889, provided power for the company’s trains until acquisition of the first ‘conventional’ steam locomotive in the early 1890’s.

In 1892 B&W sold its 5.63 miles of track to the Milwaukee Road, who used the southern 2.78 miles as the southmost portion of its Athelstane branch. B&W continued to use the remaining mileage, and had trackage rights over the Milwaukee’s branchline. The Milwaukee’s track eventually connected with the south end of the Girard Lbr Co’s Dunbar & Wausaukee RR at Girard Jct. In addition to its trackage rights on the Milwaukee, B&W had trackage rights on the southern portion of the D&W as well. Several spurs were constructed from the south end of the D&W to accommodate B&W logging. Incidentally, the Milwaukee operated trains on its branch for logging as well, with the majority of the cut going to the Oconto Co.

Northwestern Lumberman lists B&W in 1893 as having 10-12 miles of logging RR, 1 22 ton Shay, and 1 30 ton Rhode Island for motive power.

The Wisconsin Railroad Commission lists B&W as running northwest from Wausaukee into 5,9,10 of 34N 20E and having 6 miles of track in 1900.

In 1903 Bird & Wells became simply the J.W. Wells Lbr Co.

Later that year grading began on a line running west from Phillipsburg, (on the south end of the D&W, about 1 mile north of Girard Jct.) 18 miles into a large stand of hardwood timber in west central Marinette County and east central Forest County. (35N 16E) Talk of constructing the line had begun as far back as 1897, but nothing ever came of the plans. Eventually, exhaustion of pine timber, and conversion to hardwood logging finally forced the company to construct the line. A portion of the grading west from Phillipsburg was on former Girard Lbr Co spurs. Actual track construction and opening for service occurred in the summer of 1904. On July 21, 1906 this line was incorporated as the common carrier Wisconsin & Northwestern RR running from Wausaukee via trackage rights over the Milwaukee to Girard Jct. then via the Dunbar & Wausaukee to Phillipsburg, then westerly 9.5 miles over its own track to Taylor’s Rapids in 10 35N 17E. Common carrier status was sought so that the company could haul logs for the Oconto Co, which was logging in the same area as Wells. The W&NW had mixed train service on the line where passengers could ride in the logging train caboose. A couple of platforms existed along the line for the public to load forest products onto train cars. J.W. Wells had extensive private trackage connecting to the W&NW railroad in the area west of Taylor’s Rapids.

Polk’s Gazetteer of 1910 lists the W&NW as having 27 miles of 60# track, 2 locomotives, and 78 cars.

In 1918, with abandonment of the Dunbar & Wausaukee, the mile or so of track between Phillipsburg and Girard Jct. became a part of the W&NW.

The J.W. Wells Lbr Co tied up operations in the area in 1920. The W&NW was abandoned on June 30 of the following year, with track removal in 1922.