CN Yellow River Bridge (Babcock)

In 1873, the Wisconsin Valley Railroad (WV) constructed 43 miles of new railroad, extending from Tomah, Wisconsin to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.  The following year, an additional 41 miles would be constructed to Wausau, Wisconsin.  In 1877, the Necedah & Camp Douglas Railroad (N&CD) constructed 12 miles of new railroad, extending from the existing Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) line at New Lisbon, Wisconsin to Necedah, Wisconsin, Wisconsin.  In 1878, the N&CD was acquired by the Milwaukee Road, which completed the tracks to Necedah.  In 1879, the WV constructed an additional 19 miles north to Merrill, Wisconsin.  The Milwaukee Road also acquired the WV in 1880.  A 54 mile extension was opened to Minocqua, Wisconsin in 1887.  In 1890, the Lisbon, Necedah & Lake Superior Railway (LN&LS) began construction on 22 miles of additional track, connecting Necedah to Babock, Wisconsin.  This construction was funded by the Milwaukee Road, and by the following year, the railroad was absorbed into the Milwaukee Road.  In 1895, the railroad extended further to Star Lake, Wisconsin, near the Michigan border.  

By the early 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road was among the largest railroads in the United States, operating a network of railroad lines over 10,000 miles in length.  The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928.  This line served as a secondary route for the Milwaukee Road, and allowed for the construction of numerous branch lines.  A portion of the line between Tomah and Norway was abandoned in 1925, followed by the Norway to Babcock segment in 1934.  The line mainly served the timber industry in northern Wisconsin.  As the logging industry died out, portions of the line would be abandoned.  The line was abandoned between Star Lake and Woodruff in 1944.  Despite the diminishing importance of forestry, the line remained well used by passengers to reach the scenic lakes of north central Wisconsin.  In 1972, the line was abandoned between Minocqua and Tomahawk, and acquired by the State of Wisconsin for trail use.

The Milwaukee Road again entered bankruptcy in 1977 and was forced to liquidate unprofitable lines.  The southern portion of the line remained a core line for the Milwaukee Road, and saw some upgrades in the early 1980s.  By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986.  In 1987, the line was sold to the Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC).  The WC was formed to purchase a number of secondary routes in eastern Wisconsin from the Soo Line, which included Soo Line and former Milwaukee Road trackage.  In 2001, the WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN).  In January 2022, the line north of Wausau would be sold to the Fox Valley & Lake Superior Rail System (FOXY), owned by Watco.  Today, CN operates the line between New Lisbon and Wausau as the Valley Subdivision; while FOXY operates the line between Wausau and Tomahawk.  The Tomahawk to Woodruff segment is part of the Bearskin Trail.