This switch list shows the cars, loads, and destinations of freight cars picked up at the Ahnapee & Western's interchange with the Green Bay & Western on Monday October  30, 1967.

The Ahnapee & Western's three-man crew normally went on duty around 3 p.m. and they would head to Casco Junction to pick up cars set out by Green Bay & Western trains.  The interchange at Casco Junction was A&W's only connection to the rest of the North American rail network so all inbound freight came through this point.

When the A&W crew arrived at Casco Junction they would set out any cars to be interchanged with the GB&W and then pick up the incoming cut of cars on the interchange track.  A&W conductor Jim Roubal would get the waybills of  the incoming cars from a specially designated box and then prepared the switch list for the day's work.  He would walk the length of the train -- starting from the caboose end -- writing up the switch list and inspecting the brakes of each car as he progressed to the front. Thus, the switch list has the caboose end of the train at the top.

When Jim got to the head of the train he would give any necessary instructions to engineer Francis Reynard, then the train would slowly pull forward and Jim would hop on the caboose as it went by.

The scale house at Casco Junction had a telephone which the A&W crew could use to call the GB&W dispatcher if needed.  Although It was probably most often used for sending orders for empties and a breakdown of cars needing pickup by the GB&W trains, Jim said that one time he used it to call for permission to use the GB&W mainline to run around their train after they 'painted themselves into a corner' doing switching at Casco Junction!

Here's the A&W's switch list for Monday, October  30, 1967.  It is from the collection of Thorval Franson, with comments supplied by Andy Laurent. 

 

Initials	Car	Kind of Car	Contents	Destination	Comments	Image
SP	213650	B	PLYD	PANEL	from railgoat.railfan.net The car nearest the caboose was a Southern Pacific 50-foot double door boxcar loaded with plywood destined for the largest industry on the A&W -- the U.S. Plywood door manufacturing plant in Algoma, Wis. ("PANEL") - formerly known as the Algoma Panel Company.
D&H	18481	-	SALT	44 LEROY	from rr-fallenflags.org The next car was a 40'-foot Delaware & Hudson boxcar loaded with salt (most likely in 50-pound blocks) for the Leroy Feed Mill in Brussels. The feed mill received cars at the team track in Forestville (station 44).
TPW	7073	-	SALT	COOP	Next was a 40-foot Toledo, Peoria & Western boxcar.  It also was loaded with salt, but this load was for the Door County Cooperative feed mill on the west side of Sturgeon Bay.  Salt was a common delivery to feed mills; it was used to supplement the diets of cattle and also sold to homeowners to treat the hard water which comes from wells in the limestone bedrock of the Door peninsula.
UP	163125	-	INSUL	PANEL	A 50-foot Union Pacific double-door boxcar had a load of insulation for the U.S. Plywood plant in Algoma.
UP	106047	-	SAW DUST	PLUMBERS	Plumbers Woodwork Company made "Badger Brand" toilet seats from pressed wood flour & sawdust.  A 40-foot Union Pacific single-door boxcar was bringing in a load of sawdust for the plant located on a spur just west of Silver Creek in Algoma.
GBW	21025	B	X	BADGER	from greenbayroute.com The sole Green Bay & Western Car in the train was an empty insulated boxcar for Badger Foods (formerly Reynolds Brothers Canning) in Sawyer.
NATX	30021	T	GAS	WULF	Next was a tank of liquid propane for Wulf Propane, located at the far south end of the siding on the west side of Sturgeon Bay.
LN	7384	B	X	PANEL	from rr-fallenflags.org An empty Louisville & Nashville 40-foot boxcar  was heading to the U.S. Plywood plant in Algoma.
AA	291	-	-	PANEL	from rr-fallenflags.org The next empty 40-foot boxcar was also destined for the U.S. Plywood door plant in Algoma.  The car belonged to the Ann Arbor, which was one of the Green Bay Route's partners in car ferry service across Lake Michigan.
CNW	117096	G	LOGS	PANEL	from cnwhs.org A Chicago & North Western gondola of logs was yet another car on its way to the U.S. Plywood plant.
MP	89439	B	BEET PULP	44 LEROY	from rr-fallenflags.org A boxcar of beet pulp, a byproduct of the manufacture of table sugar and used as cattle feed, was heading to the Leroy Feed Mill via the team track in Forestville.
C&O	293265	-	X	PANEL	A Chesapeake and Ohio offset double-door boxcar (originally a Pere Marquette boxcar used for auto traffic) was being sent empty to the U.S. Plywood plant for loading.
SP	129807	-	BULK MEAL	COOP	from railgoat.railfan.net The Door County Cooperative feed mill was getting a Southern Pacific 40-foot boxcar of animal feed.
GN	75452	G	LOGS	PANEL	A Great Northern gondola was the second load of logs heading to the U.S. Plywood plant on this day.
GN	210039	-	PLYD	PANEL	from greatnorthernempire.net The largest freight car in the train was a Great Northern 60-foot boxcar loaded with plywood, again for the U.S. Plywood plant in Algoma.
RI	26377	B	X	PANEL	An empty Rock Island boxcar was en route to the U.S. Plywood plant for loading.
CNW	32620	-	X	BADGER	from cnwhs.org Finally, an empty  Chicago & North Western 50-foot boxcar  was heading to Badger Foods in Sawyer. This car was the closest to the locomotive.

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[ Top of This Page ]   The Green Bay Route is maintained by Mark Mathu. Visit the Guest Book or send comments to mark@mathu.com. Updated July 11, 2015