I drove into Colfax and saw the former Soo Line main line then spotted the reason for my visit.
Colfax Railroad Museum HistoryThe Colfax Railroad Museum currently has a growing collection of railroad equipment from railroads that serviced the western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota region. The collection includes Soo Line caboose number 273, Barney & Smith Soo Line coach number 991, a Porter 2-6-2T steam engine, Soo Line GP30 number 703, and other cars. Our newest additions are a library/rchive/events center in the 1898 depot and aminiature 7 1/2" gauge train ride.
The depot houses the largest public display of dining car china in the world, an extensive collection of lanterns and signals, uniforms and the nation's largest railroad paperweight collection. The primary purpose of these artifacts is to show what people encountered on day-to-day activities with the railroads and how the technology changed throughout time. The Museum is in the process of adding permanent HO model railroad club and now has an HO traveling model railroad layout.
The museum is housed in this former Soo Line sandstone station which was the village's third depot. Built from sandstone quarried nearby, this building was constructed between 1914 and 1915 on the foundation of the second depot, which now serves as a personal residence. In 1958, a large storm tore through western Wisconsin, producing many tornadoes, one of which hit the freight house on the depot's west side. The wall from the women's waiting room was rebuilt from the rubble, but the freight house was never restored.
The museum was closed when I arrived, but could see the large collection of lanterns and railroad china through the windows that they have collected over the years. I started my outside picture-taking as thunder claps could be heard.
SOO Line caaboose 256 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911.
Part of the exhibits are under cover.
Soo Line caboose 273 built by American Car and Foundry in 1913.
Soo Line outside-braced box car 36400 built by American Car and Foundry in 1915.
Soo Line coach 991 built by Barney and Smith in 1911.
The station by the former Soo Line main line, later Milwaukee Road then Wisconsin Central and now Canadian National.
Milwaukee Road maintenance-of-way car 917202, nee Milwaukee Road baggage car 1301 built by the railroad in 1936 and retired in 1971.
Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern caboose 018, builder and year unknown. The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern was an 87 mile shortline connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, also known as the Dan Patch Lines. On June 2, 1982, it was acquired by the Soo Line Railroad, which operated it as a separate railroad until merging it on January 1, 1986, along with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.
Wisconsin Central GP30 703, nee SOO Line 703 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963, retired in 1987 and donated to the museum by Canadian National.
CCC Transport Company 25 ton switcher, built by Vulcan in 1941 for the United States Army, known as the Chipmunk Express.
Block signal with Soo Line 703.
Three foot gauage General Electric mining locomotives.
Milwaukee Road flanger X900278, builder and year unknown.
Milwaukee Road caboose 992154, nee Milwaukee Road 02154 built by Thrall in 1956.
Northern Pacific coach 950 built by Pullman in 1914.
Logging camp car. This was my last stop of the day and I drove the remaining fifty miles into Hudson, Wisconsin. stopping at KFC for the buffet dinner then checking in to the Best Western Hudson House for the night. My last full day in Wisconsin had been a great one.
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