Skip to Main Content

Dinky the Train.

Dinky the Train

Field review by the editors.

Fennimore, Wisconsin

"Dinky" trains were the buses and trucks of Wisconsin before there were buses and trucks -- or roads for them to drive on. The trains ran with scaled-down locomotives and rail cars on narrow-gauge tracks, and were built as a way for the railroads to save money hauling local freight and people. The one in Fennimore, which operated for nearly 50 years until 1926, wound its way through several nearby towns, delivering everything from livestock to logs to schoolchildren.

According to Dinky's historical plaque, Wisconsin once had many Dinkys and 150 miles of Dinky-scale track, but it's all been abandoned for nearly a hundred years.

Dinky the Train

Address:
610 Lincoln Ave., Fennimore, WI
Directions:
North side of town. On the west side of Lincoln Ave./US Hwy 61, just south of 6th St.
Phone:
608-822-6144
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Igor, Cheese Loving RatIgor, Cheese Loving Rat, Fennimore, WI - < 1 mi.
Museum of Unremarkable ObjectsMuseum of Unremarkable Objects, Gays Mills, WI - 21 mi.
Dickeyville GrottoDickeyville Grotto, Dickeyville, WI - 25 mi.
In the region:
Masonic Bucking Goat, Sparta, WI - 67 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Wisconsin

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Wisconsin.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Save Cool Vacation Destinations! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Wisconsin Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Classical Gas Museum, Embudo, New Mexico (Apr 29-May 5, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings