Nicely painted 1501 leads leased CEFX 3117 south out of Chetek on track originally owned by C&NW (Omaha).

Hooping up the tea. With true shortline charm, the engineer on L3 prepares to snare his sweet tea from a switch broom. It might not be a train order, but the classic pose is priceless.

Wisconsin Northern Railway builds a train of frac sand while working at New Auburn, Wisconsin the day after Christmas, 2013. Steve Smedley

Construction is underway for the new frac sand processing plant that borders the Wisconsin Northern railroad in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The large plant that is now in operation can be seen here... (more)

Wisconsin Northern 1501 waits, plugged in to keep it warm, near the yard office at Norma on the last day of 2012

K-Mad snags his shot as the WN slowly rolls towards town.

WN 1501 finally gets to work as he pulls a decent amount of hoppers off of the main so they can head to Rice Lake.

The construction project of the new EOG Resources, Inc. frac sand loading facility in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin that will be served by the Wisconsin Northern Railroad. This plant is almost done an... (more)

The set of Wisconsin Northern GP15s and their train make good time south back to Chippewa Falls with the typical Red Wisconsin Barn in the background.

A Progressive Rail employee and heavy equipment operator discuss the construction project of the new EOG Resources, Inc. frac sand loading facility in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin that will be served... (more)

WN 1501 passes a small prairie near Chetek, WI.

The Wisconsin Northern is just pulling off the former north-south C&NW line through Cameron onto the east-west former SOO tracks through town. 1501 has been the trailing unit up to this point, bu... (more)

The superelevation around this curve gives a clue to this line's past as a C&NW mainline. Today the Wisconsin Northern crawls into Cameron at a blistering 10 mph.

With a locomotive on each end and 11 cars loaded with dried distillers grain, the Wisconsin Northern wobbles north into Chetek on 10 MPH track.

Wisconsin Northern, owned by progressive rail inc., 1501 sits in Chippewa Falls with its heater plugged in.