Updated Sept. 10, 2026: The Wilsons now own the Toonerville Trolley. The Newberry News reported Aug. 21 that Paul and Gina Wilson bought the train from Kris and Dixie Stewart and moved all 10 cars and three locomotives to Skandia over eight days. They are building another loop of narrow-gauge track and hope to have it running next year, the trolley’s 100th anniversary. No opening date has been announced. The last public fundraising figure, from mid-July, was about $24,000 of the $100,000 goal.
For nearly a century, the Toonerville Trolley carried families deep into the Tahquamenon wilderness on a narrow-gauge track most people never knew existed. After it closed, the little train that started running in 1927 sat idle, up for sale, and at risk of being broken up for parts.
One U.P. family decided they wouldn’t let that happen.
Paul and Gina Wilson of Skandia set out to raise money to buy the Toonerville Trolley. They closed the purchase this summer, and by late August they had moved it more than 100 miles from its longtime home near Newberry to their own railroad. They hope to have it running again in time for its 100th anniversary next year.
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 seasons it kept running and became one of the most beloved attractions in Tahquamenon country. The Newberry News has called it the longest 24-inch narrow-gauge railroad 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, coaches, and flat cars sat 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 what the Newberry News has called 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 Takes From Here
Buying the trolley was only the start. With the locomotives, coaches, and flat cars now in Skandia, the Wilsons are building another loop of narrow-gauge track for them. The project still calls for site preparation, mechanical work, fresh paint, and interpretive displays so visitors can learn the history.
The Stewarts held the train while the Wilsons raised money, 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 when the fundraiser launched in fall 2025: “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.
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How this story was reported
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Accountable editor:Keegan O’Brien, publisher and editor.
Last verifiedSep. 10, 2026
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Verification note: Rechecked Sept. 10, 2026. The Newberry News reported Aug. 21 that the Wilsons bought the trolley and moved it to Skandia, so the story now describes a completed purchase rather than a fundraising race. No opening date or newer fundraising total has been published.
Primary sources
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Save Toonerville Trolley project — Neo Wilson Memorial Railway
Accessed Jul. 11, 2026.
Campaign status and benefits are time-sensitive and should be rechecked before reuse.
Additional reporting
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Neo Wilson Memorial Railway fundraises to purchase retired Toonerville Trolley — WLUC TV6
Published Jun. 1, 2026. Accessed Jul. 11, 2026.
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Historic Toonerville Trolley seeks new home in Skandia — The Newberry News
Published Oct. 13, 2025. Accessed Jul. 11, 2026.
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Who will buy the Toonerville Trolley? — The Newberry News
Published Sep. 7, 2023. Accessed Jul. 11, 2026.
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Mining Journal: Neo Wilson Railway to acquire Toonerville Trolley
Published Jun. 23, 2026. Accessed Aug. 21, 2026.
Basis for the August 21 update note.
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Toonerville Trolley moves to Skandia for its 100th anniversary — The Newberry News
Published Aug. 21, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
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U.P. parents honor son, save Toonerville Trolley. What they're doing — Detroit Free Press (syndicated on AOL)
Published Jul. 13, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
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Farewell to the Toonerville Trolley and Riverboat Tour — The Newberry News
Published Sep. 13, 2024. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
Photo and media credits
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Historic Toonerville Trolley ride footage — YouTube source embedded in the article
Accessed Jul. 11, 2026. Copyright retained by the uploader; embedded under YouTube platform terms.
Supports: Video footage embedded to show the historic visitor experience.
Embedded for context; copyright remains with the uploader.
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Toonerville Trolley near Tahquamenon Falls — C. G. Cook
Featured image record. Accessed Jul. 14, 2026. 1941; public domain in the United States.
this is a 1941 archival image, not a photograph of the 2026 Wilson preservation campaign.