A bygone era of American history once existed in Arrowhead’s backyard. The Kettle Moraine Railway was a tourist railroad that operated real steam locomotives between the villages of North Lake and Merton, Wisconsin. Clashes with local municipalities and the expansion of Milwaukee’s suburbia ultimately lead to the closure of the railway.
Originally opened in 1971, the Kettle Moraine Railway lasted 30 years before officially closing on October 28, 2001. The Kettle Moraine Railway was founded by a Wisconsin man named Richard Hinebaugh. He purchased the locomotive #9 two years before opening the railway to the public.
The railway conducted tourist excursions through the Kettle Moraine on weekends in the spring, summer, and fall. The Kettle Moraine Railway was privately owned, and ownership was eventually transferred to Steve Butler, a railroad enthusiast and locomotive engineer.
In 2000 and 2001, the village of North Lake began issuing citations against the Kettle Moraine Railway for violating junk ordinances, as well as complaints from local residents about noise and smoke.
In a 2001 interview with The Lake Country Reporter, Steve Butler addressed the citations, stating “It is a shame that the town of Merton has allowed a business like ours to slip through its fingers because once it is gone there will not be any hope of replacing it. Instead of using it as a focal point to help revitalize the remnants of a downtown district, it has harassed, fined, and issued citations to it. It is really a wonder that a new business moving to this area would be interested in setting up shop in a political environment such as the one that has been created here”
During the final days of operation, Butler also made comments regarding the closure of the railroad. “We have decided to suspend operations due to the increased encroachment of suburbia.”
The Kettle Moraine Railway is now long gone. In its place is now the Bugline trail, which runs from Menomonee Falls to North Lake, and includes various segments of the Kettle Moraine Railway.
The locomotives and equipment have since closure been sold to other railroad preservation societies, or have been scrapped.
To see what the Kettle Moraine Railway looked like before it’s unfortunate demise, click the link below:
