For nearly a century, the Toonerville Trolley carried families deep into the Tahquamenon wilderness on a narrow-gauge track most people never knew existed. Now the little train that started running in 1927 is sitting idle, up for sale, and at risk of being broken up for parts.
One U.P. family has decided they won’t let that happen.
Paul and Gina Wilson of Skandia are racing to raise enough money to buy the Toonerville Trolley and move it more than 100 miles from its longtime home near Newberry to their own railroad. If they succeed, the trolley could be running again in time for its 100th anniversary next year. If they don’t, one of the oldest tourist railways in the country could disappear for good.
A Train Built Into U.P. History
The Toonerville Trolley first operated in 1927, hauling sightseers and locals through roadless backcountry to the Tahquamenon River. For 96 years it kept running, becoming one of the most beloved attractions in Tahquamenon country and one of the longest-operating 24-inch narrow-gauge railroads in the United States.
Then, after almost a century, the business closed. Longtime owners Kris and Dixie Stewart put it up for sale, but no buyer came through. The locomotives, the coaches, the flat cars — all of it has been sitting, waiting, with the very real possibility of being scrapped or sold off piece by piece.
Take a ride on it here, the way generations of Yoopers and visitors did:
Why This Family Stepped Up
The Wilsons didn’t set out to rescue a piece of U.P. history. They were just two people who loved trains.
Paul and Gina own Liberty Farms and Flour Mill in Skandia, a property that’s been in the family since the 1800s and is home to the only state-certified steam-powered flour mill in the country. It was there that Paul and his son Neo dreamed up a railroad of their own. Neo wanted to take over the farm one day, and the two decided to build something together. Their first purchase was a Porter steam locomotive from 1896, and father and son began laying their own track.
Then, in 2022, Neo died suddenly after a cardiac event from an undetected heart condition. He was only 16.
Determined to keep the dream alive, the Wilsons built the Neo Wilson Railway as a tribute to their son. Since finishing it, they’ve used the railway to give back, hosting a Toys for Tots event that drew hundreds of people and a Polar Express event for local families and children in foster care.
So when the Stewarts offered them the Toonerville Trolley after other sales fell through, Paul had a feeling about it.
“I told my wife that I think we are supposed to do this,” he said. “We want to make people happy and have a good place for people to come.”
What It’ll Take to Save It
Buying the trolley is only the start. The Wilsons need to raise money to purchase the locomotives, coaches, and flat cars, then transport everything from Soo Junction all the way to Skandia. After that comes site preparation, mechanical work, fresh paint, and interpretive displays so visitors can learn the history.
The Stewarts have agreed to hold the train as long as the Wilsons keep the fundraiser going, and they’re glad to see it land with people who care.
“We are excited that the train will go to Skandia,” said Dixie Stewart. “They are awesome people, and having all the equipment stay together is great.”
The Stewarts had one more reason to be happy: the Wilsons plan to keep calling it the Toonerville Trolley and to keep every car painted in its signature green and yellow.
How to Help
The family has launched a fundraiser called Save Toonerville Trolley. You can donate through the website at savetoonervilletrolley.com, where there’s a posted Venmo link. As a thank-you, the first 50,000 people to donate $5 will get $5 off their first train ride once it’s running again.
For larger contributions or other ways to give, you can call 906-361-3167.
Paul put it simply: “It is really about saving history. We need to raise the money to buy the railroad, and it will make the purchase quicker.”
If they pull it off, the Toonerville Trolley’s whistle will echo through the woods again — this time in Skandia, carried forward by a family who knows exactly what it means to keep a dream alive.
Sources: WLUC TV6, The Newberry News, and Save Toonerville Trolley.
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