Peppermint and Northwestern Railway, Waterford, WI 1963

A lively moment at the tiny but beloved Peppermint & Northwestern Railway, taken in 1963, captures the charm of one of Wisconsin’s most memorable miniature steam operations. Located near Waterford, this small tourist railroad delighted families throughout the 1950s and 1960s with fully functioning narrow-gauge steam locomotives, colourful rolling stock, and a playful, family-friendly western theme.

The locomotive seen here, painted in bright green and yellow with striking red drivers, was one of the railway’s signature engines—small in scale but authentic in operation. Visitors could climb into open-air coaches for a scenic ride around the grounds, clocks of steam billowing overhead as the whistle echoed across the Wisconsin countryside.

The crew, dressed in striped engineer caps and era-appropriate workwear, helped create the sense of stepping back into the golden age of American railroading. The boy climbing aboard reflects a scene repeated hundreds of times each summer weekend—wide-eyed guests eager to get as close as possible to the excitement of real steam power.

Though the Peppermint & Northwestern Railway no longer operates, many locals still remember the smell of coal smoke, the low chuff of the cylinders, and the thrill of riding behind a real steam locomotive—no matter the scale.

Today, photographs like this one preserve a warm slice of mid-century Americana and the lasting fascination with railroads that once crisscrossed both landscapes and imaginations.