A railroad crossing sign at the current site for the Menominee Park Train in Oshkosh. January 22, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — As the tracks for the Menominee Park Train sit empty during the winter, the city of Oshkosh is hard at work getting a new train up and running.
“Through the last years, changes of the things happening and some of our services and our availability, and also the equipment we’ve had working, where we’re trying to come up with alternatives for a more sustainable program to offer,” Park Services and Events Manager Chad Dallman said.
The train has seen its fair share of crises. The beloved attraction was set to close in January 2025 due to a lack of sustainable funding. But a GoFundMe was established to keep the train running, prompting the city to grant an emergency $50,000 to keep it going through summer.
Now, the city is looking at a replacement.
“Our current rail train is in some need of repair,” Dallman explained. “It’s been in existence for many years. We’ve gone through a big service of different altercations for that unit to keep it going. Through some discussion with community partners and longevity, we’ve come up with the idea of a trackless train.”
That trackless train is set to cost around $100,000.
How did the city go from nearly closing the train due to cost, to now spending that kind of money on an entirely new train?
“That money is coming from a private vendor through our Oshkosh Community Foundation, that are paying for this in full,” Dallman told us.
Will funds come out of taxes or the city budget?
“There is no levy support in the purchase of the train,” Dallman answered.
The city is also moving the train from its original location to the entrance of the zoo, lengthening the ride and raising ticket prices from $1.50 to a planned $3.
“With expenses hopefully around $40,000 as a profit to our budget, to make it sustainable for running for short and long term,” Dallman said.
The goal is to debut the new train this summer. The trackless train proposal will be discussed at next week’s City Council meeting.
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