| In the early 1900s, the Green Bay Route relied heavily on 2-6-0
(Mogul) steam locomotives for power.
Alco built a total of seventeen of these locomotives between 1907 and 1924. The low-weight engines were well-suited for the light rails and weak bridges of the Green Bay Route. They were usually purchased at a rate of one or two per year, as the company's earnings would allow. The locomotives were rostered by all three railroad of the Green Bay Route: Green Bay & Western; Kewaunee, Green Bay & Western and the Ahnapee & Western. The locos began service as general freight engines. When
railroad traffic
increased due to the expanding auto business in the 1920s, new 2-8-0
power was purchased and these Moguls were put into way freight service-
-- occasionally double-heading the train. They were retired in the
late 1930s and early 1940s after even larger In the photo below it's May 17, 1940 and GB&W #255 is boarded up at Norwood Yard in Green Bay. Steam locomotive information in Stan Mailer's book Green Bay and Western says that this locomotive was retired in July 1941, but it's obvious by the boarded windows and missing herald on the tender that this loco has already seen the end of service. Sadly, none of these icons from the golden era of railroading are with us any longer. All were scrapped by the GB&W as they were retired, except for #250 which was sold to the Marinette, Tomahawk & Western in 1939 and then scrapped a decade later. |
