Throwback Thursday - So, Have You Ever Been to Crivitz?

ELS locomotives 1224/1221/202 lead their train of empty bulkhead flats towards the junction and small yard at Crivitz, Wisconsin on July 03, 1998

By Peter Mumby.

Back in early July of 1998, I was invited to travel to the Green Bay, Wisconsin area with my friends Bill and Kevin Orchard.  The main draw was that Milwaukee Road Northern #261 was operating a number of fan trips out of the city over the American holiday weekend.  The Orchards were fans of big steam, railroads of the US Midwest, and the Packers, so for them it was the perfect storm.  I was just along for the ride and to experience something different in the railfanning department.

Railfanning in unfamiliar territory is always more satisfying when you have someone in the know to act as tour guide.  We met up with a friend of Bill's by the name of Brad Plets ( of the Plets Express line of railroad videos.). Brad offered to take us to visit the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad (ELS) at the junction point of Crivitz, Wisconsin.  We followed a train into town before catching more of the action in the small local yard.  In addition to being my first visit to any ELS facility, I saw my first EMD SD-9 locomotives, and my first Baldwin diesel.  Not a bad side trip at all!

ELS 1201 also put in an appearance at Crivitz on July 03/98.

Baldwin DS44-1000 number 202 has been set off in the Crivitz yard.