I was re-reading a story about the C&NW Namekagon service. The article ends with a mention that car 2000 survived in Spooner, WI into the late 1970s and was later restored in Hayward by Tony Wise.

Does this car still exist?

Wesley

Changed subject line to see if I can get a response.

I went to Hayward once to attend the family reunion of a crazy ex girlfriend (before the ex part) and seemed to recall seeing a coach on the side of the road. Or maybe it was a big giant trout statue. Anyway, I took a look into this and have the following thoughts.

Tony Wise was the champion of the American Birkebeiner, which I guess has something to do with running around on cross country skis looking like Vikings. Currently there is a museum with his name, dedicated to this purpose, but I do not see any information about a preserved site, where it is, or what is there. Here is the website:
https://www.birkie.com/museum/

In Hayward there was a history museum which had railway equipment - it was more of a tourist trap called "Historyland" which was mostly known for providing lumberjack breakfasts. A Goodman Lumber Shay from here is now at North Freedom.

Apparently there was a display train at the Hayward depot. In this postcard photo, you might see the former doodlebug car in question:
https://www.cardcow.com/342209/train-at-depot-hayward-wisconsin/

Also, the current restoration project of the Mark Twain Zephyr is going on up there in Hayward. Maybe they know more. Good luck!

In an old thread on Historyland, the story follows these cars to the private collection at Escanaba and Lake Superior in Wells, Michigan. Can anyone confirm if the C&NW car from the Namakagon train is part of the Soo Line collection from Historyland stored there?

Wesley

There is/was the baggage-power car from the Namekagon in Spooner, WI in the early 2000s.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwdavidson/12685644395

The baggage-power car (now in a solid-green paint scheme) and what appears to be another coach from the Namekagon were photographed by Chris Guenzler in 2009: http://www.trainweb.org/chris/spoon2.html

Does anyone have information as to whether or not these cars still exist, or if they could be the same car that inspired the original question?

Based on this image cropped from TRAINS.



And this image from Chris in 2009,



Maybe we found the car? Can anyone familiar with the roster at Wisconsin Great Northern provide more details?

Wesley

I'm the operations manager for the Wisconsin Great Northern, I can confirm that the combine from the Namekagon is still in Spooner roughly as depicted in the post above. There have been a number of proposals for it that for various reasons haven't panned out. The car is not in any eminent danger other than natural oxidization.

I can attest it was there this afternoon when I visited the Railroaders Museum in Spooner, WI.