MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Dieselization came late to the Milwaukee County Zoo’s railroad, but it has arrived.
The zoo announced today (Thursday, March 14), that it has sold the two steam locomotives for its 1.25-mile, 15-inch gauge railroad — No. 1916, the Henry J. Grant, a 4-4-2 built in 1961, and No. 1924, a 4-6-2 built in 1972 — to the Riverside & Great Northern Preservation Society, a non-profit Wisconsin Dells tourist railroad.
No. 1916 is set to depart April 1, while No. 1924 will be transferred on Oct. 31.
The two steam engines had shared operating duties with two diesels. Proceeds from their sale will help fund purchase of two new diesels, the first of which, a Tier 4-compliant unit, is expected to arrive in fall 2024 or winter 2025. The zoo said in a blog post that the changeover “is anticipated to decrease particulate emissions by 90%,” and that the change “embraces up-to-date technology, improves engineer ergonomics, and enhances guest experience with the ability to operate year-round, weather permitting.” Details of the second diesel acquisition are yet to be determined.
The zoo said it plans to announce a limited run of operations for No. 1924 before it departs later this year.
The Zoo’s steam operation has played a role in educational and engineering programs in the past. It has been part of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program with local schools [see “Students help design new water tower …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 14, 2018], and the locomotives were also used to test biomass fuels by the Coalition for Sustainable Rail.
More on the history of the zoo railroad is available here.
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