(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on July 8, 2010.)
On July 1, the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. (WSOR) marked its 30th anniversary.
The regional initially began operations on 147 miles of former Milwaukee Road track between Milwaukee, Horicon, Oshkosh, Cambria and Markesan, Wis. Shippers and local businessmen “made WSOR a reality” through the East Wisconsin Counties Railroad Consortium, according to an anniversary notice posted on the railroad’s website. The state of Wisconsin purchased property and provided grants to acquire the track.
WSOR initially served 139 customers in 1980 and moved 3,000 carloads during its first year.
“And so began the long journey toward 700 miles of trackage, nearly 200 customers and 50,000 annual carloads,” WSOR officials said in the anniversary announcement.