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About Riverside & Great Northern Railway
Riverside & Great Northern Railway offers a 15‑inch (381 mm) gauge miniature train ride through the historic grounds of Wisconsin Dells, winding past the restored Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works shops and a scaled‑down C&NW depot. The line follows the former La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad right‑of‑way, featuring operational steam locomotives built on‑site in the 1950s, a joinery workshop where coaches are maintained, and a picnic area with a gift shop.
History
The Riverside and Great Northern Railway began as a demonstration line for Sandley locomotives in Janesville, Wisconsin, before the Sandley family moved the operation in 1952 to the former La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad right‑of‑way near Wisconsin Dells. The line ran under Sandley management until 1980, when that season marked the final year of service before Norman Sandley’s bankruptcy in the early 1980s. In the late 1980s a group of enthusiasts formed the Riverside and Great Northern Preservation Society and acquired the property, replacing ties and repairing buildings to restart operations. In 2024 the society added the two remaining steam locomotives from the Milwaukee County Zoo to its collection, completing the revival of the historic miniature railroad.
The Trains
The Riverside & Great Northern Railway operates on 15 in (381 mm) gauge track and runs a collection of miniature equipment that includes the former Milwaukee County Zoo steam locomotive No. 82 and the former Hoot‑Toot & Whistle Railway steam locomotive No. 98, both built at the Sandley shops in the late 1950s. The railway also incorporates more than 30 pieces of rolling stock fabricated by Elmer and Norman Sandley, ranging from passenger coaches to freight cars, and it follows the former La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad right‑of‑way near Wisconsin Dells.
Nearby
Wisconsin's Riverside & Great Northern Railway is close to the Circus World Museum about 12 mi off and the Mid-Continent Railway Museum roughly 13 mi away.
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