Laona & Northern 4

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:14 am

At Laona, Wisconsin, no date, but pre-tourist. Still operable last I knew.

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... ona+n4.jpg

Alan Maples · **Posted:** Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:30 pm

bobyar2001 wrote:

At Laona, Wisconsin, no date, but pre-tourist. Still operable last I knew.

Yes, No. 4 was alive and well this summer. Laona is well off the beaten path and making her one of the most obscure tourist steamers, but to my knowledge the engine has never missed a season.

Alan Maples

Steve C · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 12:25 am **Posts:** 51

Yes, I rode behind her this past July with the family. It was a very nice time, very old rail, much from the 1800's. She looks great, and the museum is well worth the time to visit.
Steve

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

I rode behind #4 many years ago when the Laona & Northern first started their tourist train. Today the train only goes out to the farm site, which I believe is only about a mile. But when I rode it, the railroad still had their 8 mile line up to the Soo Line at Laona Junction. And on the last scheduled train of the day, they made the run all the way to the Junction adding any of the cars that needed to be interchanged with the Soo. The railroad was laid up one hill and down the other, and the two boxcars that they stuck in the regular consist of passenger coaches and cabooses, was just about the max that the 2-6-2 could handle. Got a new respect that day for the folks at Vulcan that built the little Prairie as she was down on her knees on quite a few of the grades. But she made it! Sure wish that someone had been there to make a video of one of those runs!

Some time thereafter, the L&NO abandoned the line out to the Soo Line interchange and were content with their C&NW connection right there at Laona. Today of course, the line is strictly operated for the tourists and no longer handles any freight.

Les