Manitowoc to Two Rivers WI - Tour an Inactive Rail Line

The former Chicago & North Western rail line from Manitowoc, WI to Two Rivers has been inactive for decades - yet still somewhat remains in place. Let's see the remnants, including a bridge to nowhere.

[@PlanetMojo]

Nice little flashback Lived in TR about 20 years ago, and my daughter and I did pretty much the same exploration. I believe there was more track exposed at the time though, but the bridge still looks the same. We lived a bit upstream on the West Twin River and worked at Burger Boat in Manitowoc.

[@killerbee6310]

No doubt there was more exposed. I missed by about two weeks seeing additional track - where the guy was doing the construction.

[@robertmyers5269]

Nice piece of railroad archaeology. Manitowoc and Two Rivers are charming towns. My wife and I always stop at the Waverly Inn when passing through. Next time I'll try to walk some of the tracks you explored.

[@killerbee6310]

It is fun trying to find little traces here and there of the line. I literally caught the destruction of some of it happening in real time.

[@davekummer6587]

I allso love are local railroad history to I live right by this line to you came very close to where I live ---milwaukee lake shore and western railroad built this line in 1874 so many businesses it served for so long --so sad it like this now very great video you did thank you sir

[@killerbee6310]

Thank you. Yes, sad to see it today - almost wish all traces of it were gone.

[@0utside_andy]

Very cool, Brian. Your access to the Val Maps, Track Charts, and Spot Books make these videos PURE GOLD.

[@killerbee6310]

Hey thanks Andy. Finally opening up the vault.

[@CheeseheadMedia]

This is a really neat video Brian. Thanks for putting it together.

[@killerbee6310]

Thanks Brian !!

[@thegoose858]

It's really a shame how much industry that area has lost. I grew up not too far from there, outside of Green Bay, and not far from the old C & NW lakeshore route from Manitowoc to Green Bay. Our house was on a hill, close enough that you could see the trans running from my bedroom window. My recollection is that it was a very busy line back in the 60's and 70's, esp. when there were still passenger trains. For those who aren't familiar now that line is a bike trail for most of the route between GB and Manty. Also a shame...

[@killerbee6310]

Understood completely. My wife is from Denmark. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@insylem]

I was trying to follow along on google maps. Quite neat

[@killerbee6310]

Thanks. I considered using Google maps in the video but didn't want to mess with copyright issues.

[@yanni2112]

Drove up here and stayed at a State Park while in the Navy, Great Lakes Ill. Great memories thanks. New Sub.

[@killerbee6310]

Well thank you for the comments and subbing. I have more footage to post.

[@Jleed989]

Such rich history in Manitowoc. I rode the car ferry across Lake Michigan many times and watched them unload rail cars. Wish you would do a video on the old rail yard at the dock and what the tracks look like now.

[@killerbee6310]

Well, I am always open to more ideas, so thank you.

[@pv12261963]

Probably brought cement to the former Rader ready mix that used to be close.

[@pgl6461]

Good stuff! Well done.

[@killerbee6310]

Thank you and appreciate you watching and commenting

[@markisherwood-tj4uo]

Loved seeing this again. grew up in T.R. and Manty I remember these lines as active . the one spur was from C Riess coal (now seagull marina) worked in the Mirro building that the tracks disappear in . where it goes off thru the gate before the bridge , was Koss lumber yard

[@killerbee6310]

LOL-you are the second comment that referred to Manitowoc as Manty. That is a new one on me. Thanks !!

[@paulbergen9114]

Probably 15 or 20 years ago got to see some of this on a real rainy day but you brought out some great details. That does look like some intense industrial tracking so thank you for checking it out. It seems like it was last used perhaps in the mid-1990s and maybe didn't even see FRVR service. The Milwaukee Journal recently had an article about how many of the buildings have been demolished from the industries that moved out. I'm sure people are trying to figure out how to turn it into condos andyacht clubs

[@killerbee6310]

Yes, a lot of times the industry leaves the railroad.

[@pv12261963]

it used to run to Mirro & Hamilton's back in the day. I used to fish under & on the bridge.

[@killerbee6310]

Appreciate the comments - thank you !!

[@jasonmiller1007]

After you cross the swing bridge the rails also went along the river past Metalware and the vets park boat launch. Just past the boat launch there are rails in the woods.

[@killerbee6310]

Cool - I will be interested in checking that out next visit - thank you.

[@erict5234]

Very cool... some of the old cnw heads that i worked with talked about working the airline and manitowoc subs back then. They mentioned the infamous runaway switch engine that ended up in the river, buried in mud up there.

[@killerbee6310]

I noticed some articles on it too. Urban legend has it it was sabotage.

[@wacojones8062]

I took a trip in I think1954 when I was 3 years old on the CN&W / Pere Marquette Railway from Lake Forest Illinois to Marquette Michigan I think the engines were switched in Green Bay. We were in a sleeper car. I think a year later we took Pullman service to Gulf port Mississippi with a transfer between trains in Memphis TN. Keep up the good reporting.

[@killerbee6310]

Thank you for the encouragement. More to come.

[@cmphighpower]

Great video

[@killerbee6310]

Thank you - glad to get feedback. I never know what people will think.

[@michaelostertag2839]

Thank you Brian for doing this! What an awesome look at what once was and still is. You're doing an awesome job with all your videos!

[@killerbee6310]

Thanks Mike. I appreciate your time !! Lots of more ideas - just need the time (says the retired guy-LOL)

[@jeffgerritsen6502]

I'm surprised the rails haven't been taken out.

[@killerbee6310]

There is a strategic reason

[@btraindavidlemke312]

THink its safe to say,this line isn't coming back.Sad!

[@killerbee6310]

Yep, that is a good assumption. Two Rivers wants the corridor for development.

[@thomasmackowiak]

Thank you for this journey along the former Chicago & North Western Railroad's Two Rivers, Wisconsin branch line. I found this video interesting. It reminded me that in the late 1970s and early 1980s that I knew a man who had a model railroad that he called the Two Rivers & Antigo Railroad. The railroad was based on an imaginary C&NW line from Two Rivers, Wisconsin to Antigo, Wisconsin. He had in mind the idea that if the railroad ever went out of business, the company could become a rail car Leasor whose reporting marks would be TRAX. I want to say that the man's surname was Traxel.

[@killerbee6310]

Funny - he had it all figured out !!

[@andrewhayek6573]

Love to see more on some former cnw and milw rd tracks that the WC had and eventually pulled up or are still in the area i worked for the WC and CN i know most of the active tracks that are still used

[@killerbee6310]

Am thinking of doing a Green Bay area video

[@anthonyway7175]

Do you own those maps and guides? If so I would like a copy of them I'm new to the area and would like to know more of it's rail history

[@killerbee6310]

I sent you a Facebook friend request a few days ago....

[@swedishlutheran]

Nice. Wesconsin? Lol. We say Wisconsin who live here.

[@killerbee6310]

LOL-sorry. I used to obsess over every little inflection and pronunciation and pause, trying to get the narration perfect. It took forever to get a video out and built up a lot of stress when making them. I finally decided I'd just do the narration and unless I made a major gaff, that would be it. But it is true - you outed me, I am a native Troll then a FIP.

[@swedishlutheran]

It's an awesome video and well done. You sounded like my California friends when they visit and say Wisconsin. Cracked me up. I love your video. ❤

[@pv12261963]

Used to be a lumber yard on the right. Koss Lumber. when your children love & marry, build their homes with cash & carry. Koss lumber

[@johnschultz9023]

Very well done. Sad that our country would rather support trucking vs railroads. This is evidence.

[@killerbee6310]

Thank you. I think there is blame to go all around.

[@ThomasBirkett]

Wish you had spent some time discussing the industries served by the railroad. I had a girlfriend in College who's father owned a ship building industry in Monotowoc and lived in two rivers. I would have liked to see those site's as well. Very interesting however

[@killerbee6310]

It's a balancing act how long to make the videos. I try to keep them to 5 minutes so I don't lose the audience. I usually am at 15 minutes after the first edit, and end up cutting back to ten or so.