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GBW #323 leads a short business train. Green Bay & Western #323 was originally part of Lehigh and Hudson River Railway's last order of Alco diesels in 1966. The L&HR went into bankruptcy in 1972 and became a part of Conrail in 1976; the GBW acquired the engine a few years later as Conrail sold off excess motive power. GBW #323 was the last locomotive acquired by the Green Bay Route. The Trempealeau River business car was acquired in 1982. The dome car was originally part of the Union Pacific's fleet and later was owned by Auto-Train. It was the Green Bay Route's last business car. This photo, from the collection of Bob Schoneman, shows the pair of latecomers eastbound at Hatfield, Wis. in the summer of 1982 when the GB&W ran a special excursion train for employees and their families. They stopped the train in Hatfield for a few hours on the main line (it looks like the crew has taken extra efforts to make sure that they block the railroad crossing) so everyone could get off, get refreshments, go to the Thunderbird Museum, and visit the nearby park. Originally the business car was open for public inspection, but in true small-railroad fashion they eventually let everyone go through the engine cab, too. To quote Phil O'Keefe, who was there that day: If they won the Harriman safety award, it would have been quite ironic if someone got injured while climbing up one of the ladders or touching something inside the cab of the idling engine. I was really tempted to blow that wonderful GB&W horn, but I figured that would be looking a gift horse in the mouth.
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Photographer unknown
Collection of Bob Schoneman
