This postcard view looking east shows a 4-4-0 locomotive with a cut of cars on the "house track" -- a track which ran behind small town depots and could be used to unload less-than-carload freight directly into the depot without blocking the main line (although in this case the main line is also blocked by freight cars!).

The postcard image by J. M. Colby is dated May 22, 1909.  

The dominant structure on the skyline is the W.W. Cargill grain elevator; Cargill had similar structures in other locations along the railroad, coal docks in Green Bay and was an investor in the 1890s extension of the Green Bay Route to Lake Michigan.  The original wood depot is visible in the distance; it was replaced by a classic brick depot in 1914 which still stands today.

Steam locomotive GBW #18 was originally built for predecessor railroad Green Bay & Minnesota in 1879.  The 4-4-0 locomotive was extensively rebuilt in 1905.  Although the locomotive itself was scrapped in the late 1930s, the tender lived on for a few more years behind engine #23, usually on the Waupaca Branch.

Whitehall was always an important location along the Green Bay & Western - the westernmost operating division was named the "Whitehall Division" and in the later years of steam power Whitehall was the home to one of the railroad's three refueling locations.

A big "thank you" goes out to Scott Janz for sharing this and so many other photos on this web site!