Fox River Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Fox River Valley Railroad was a short-lived railroad in eastern Wisconsin
from 1988 to 1993 with about 214 miles of track, all of which was former Chicago and North Western Railway
trackage. The line ran from Green Bay, Wisconsin
to the north side of Milwaukee. Owned by the Itel Rail Corporation, FRV had problems already at start-up, plagued with big debt and little revenue. It was eventually absorbed by the Wisconsin Central along with sister railroad Green Bay and Western on August 28, 1993, as a subsidiary, Fox Valley and Western Ltd.
The railroad was also known for its paint scheme and its extensive roster of former Chicago and North Western geeps.
The Fox River Valley Railroad actually began to take shape more than 100 years earlier when the Rock River Valley Union Railroad, a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW), reached Fond du Lac from Minnesota Junction in 1854. C&NW continued building north from Fond du Lac and reached Green Bay in 1862. Other lines followed, connecting Fond du Lac with Milwaukee, Milwaukee with Manitowoc, and Manitowoc with Green Bay by 1906.
All these lines operated as part of the C&NW system - until 1988 when C&NW sold most of them for $61 million to the newly formed Fox River Valley Railroad, a unit of Itel Rail Corporation.
Right from the start, FRV struggled under the weight of a heavy debt, continually suffering from cash flow problems. Itel tried to remedy the situation by placing it under common management with the Green Bay and Western Railroad in 1991. Then in 1993 Itel sold both properties to WCTC's new subsidiary, Fox Valley and Western Ltd.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
from 1988 to 1993 with about 214 miles of track, all of which was former Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
trackage. The line ran from Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
to the north side of Milwaukee. Owned by the Itel Rail Corporation, FRV had problems already at start-up, plagued with big debt and little revenue. It was eventually absorbed by the Wisconsin Central along with sister railroad Green Bay and Western on August 28, 1993, as a subsidiary, Fox Valley and Western Ltd.
The railroad was also known for its paint scheme and its extensive roster of former Chicago and North Western geeps.
The Fox River Valley Railroad actually began to take shape more than 100 years earlier when the Rock River Valley Union Railroad, a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW), reached Fond du Lac from Minnesota Junction in 1854. C&NW continued building north from Fond du Lac and reached Green Bay in 1862. Other lines followed, connecting Fond du Lac with Milwaukee, Milwaukee with Manitowoc, and Manitowoc with Green Bay by 1906.
All these lines operated as part of the C&NW system - until 1988 when C&NW sold most of them for $61 million to the newly formed Fox River Valley Railroad, a unit of Itel Rail Corporation.
Right from the start, FRV struggled under the weight of a heavy debt, continually suffering from cash flow problems. Itel tried to remedy the situation by placing it under common management with the Green Bay and Western Railroad in 1991. Then in 1993 Itel sold both properties to WCTC's new subsidiary, Fox Valley and Western Ltd.