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Mid-Continent Railway Museum 8/21/2021

We woke up at the East Dubuque Quality Inn and checked out then drove to MacDonalds in Platteville, After a filling breakfast, Elizabeth drove us the rest of the way to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

The rail line used by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a spur off of the original Chicago and North Western Railway mainline. With the development of the Illinois Iron mine in early 1903, the C&NW sent a team of engineers on July 8, 1903 to survey a route to the iron fields. By August 12, C&NW president Marvin Hughitt had arrived in North Freedom in person to announce that a branchline would be built. A second major mine, the Iroquois Mine (also called the Sauk Mine), was established in October not far from the new rail line. By December 1903, the 3-mile branchline was completed at a cost of $40,533.

To support the increasing number of miners in the area, a new town called La Rue was platted, named after William G. La Rue. William La Rue was an area mining pioneer who demonstrated that the latest technological advancements in diamond drill technology could make iron mining in the area economically feasible. The town was surveyed and registered in January 1903, but it was soon realized that its location in the southwest corner of the intersection of present day Highway W and Diamond Hill Road would prove to be too far from where the mines were developing. By November 1903, the development of the town shifted nearer to the Illinois Mine, 0.5 miles to the south at the present day location of La Rue. At the height of iron mining production, the population of La Rue likely did not exceed 50 people, but the town did include a hotel, lumberyard, church, general store, and two saloons to supply and entertain the several hundred miners living nearby. Another townsite named Oliver was platted just east of La Rue, slightly closer to the Oliver Mining Company-owned Iroquois Mine, but no construction ever occurred.

At its peak, the Illinois Mine was shipping between five and 12 train car loads daily over the C&NW branchline, but La Rue's ironing mining days would be numbered. By June 1904, the mines were reaching depths of 400 to 500 feet at which water infiltrating into the mine shafts began being problematic. Costs continued to grow as a result of the water infiltration until finally the Illinois Mine closed in 1908. By this time it was burdened by costs associated with pumping out 2,600 US gallons of water per minute. A similar fate befell the Iroquois Mine in 1914, at which time it was pumping 4,500 US gallons per minute from its mine shaft. With the end of iron mining operations, the town of La Rue quickly disappeared. By 1925, only one building remained: the La Rue tavern, which still stands today.

As the La Rue area iron mining days were ending, the need for quartzite rock was increasing. In 1917, Harbison-Walker Refractories Company established a quarry south of La Rue. The railroad track was extended 0.8 miles south to serve the quarry.

Meanwhile, in 1959, a group of rail enthusiasts from the Milwaukee area had joined together to form the Railroad Historical Society of Milwaukee. With the group’s first acquisition of the Consumers Company 701 steam locomotive, the search for a home for their collection began. An agreement was reached with the Hillsboro and Northeastern Railway to operate diesel-powered train rides over their line beginning in 1962 under the name Mid-Continent Railway Museum. When it was learned the North Freedom branchline was available in 1962, the line was quickly purchased and the small collection of cars and locomotives were moved to North Freedom in 1963. By the summer of 1963, the move was finished and repairs to steam locomotive CNW 1385 were completed, allowing steam train rides to be offered for the first time that summer. Train rides have been offered out of North Freedom by the museum every year since and a small rail yard was gradually built to hold the growing collection of preserved rail equipment.

In June 2008, the museum grounds were inundated by floodwaters of the Baraboo River. The museum closed for repairs until February 2009. Although most damage caused by the June 2008 flood has been repaired, money for repairs to the museum's Baraboo River rail bridge has not yet been found. The bridge's out-of-service status did not affect the route used by the museum's train rides, but did prevent the movement of rail cars and locomotives to and from the museum via the national rail network. Repairs to the bridge were completed in July 2018.

The museum operates a heritage railroad which offers passenger excursion trains on a 7-mile round trip. Trains leave from North Freedom, pass through the former mining community of La Rue, and turn around at a rock quarry, returning on the same route. The excursions take approximately one hour and operate daily from early June through Labor Day and most weekends in May, September and October. Trains operate at a top speed of 15 miles per hour, requiring approximately 20 minutes to travel the length of the rail line. Roughly 15 minutes are spent at the end of the line to move the locomotive to the opposite end of the train for the return trip to North Freedom. During the ride, a uniformed conductor punches passengers' tickets, shares railroad history and answers questions.

Special event trains are also offered several times throughout the year, including Autumn Color weekends in the fall, Pumpkin Special runs near Halloween, Santa Express Weekends at the end of November, and the Snow Train in February. During special events, additional ride options are frequently offered such as first class trains, dinner trains, and brunch trains which offer onboard food and beverage service and utilize cars which are more luxurious than the train cars typically used.

For most of the museum's history, nearly all trains were pulled by steam locomotives although since February 2000, all trains have been pulled by diesel-electric locomotives pending the restoration or repair of the museum's steam locomotives.

Elizabeth parked the car and we each went our own way.

Goodman Lumber Company three-truck shay 9 built by Lima Locomotive and Machine Company in 1909. It worked on the Goodman Lumber Company's private logging railroad in Marinette, Wisconsin until the main line to the mill (served by the Soo Line) was abandoned in 1939. After the line to the mill was abandoned, 9 switched cars at the mill until it was replaced by a Whitcomb diesel locomotive. In August 1955, the Goodman family sold the mill and the steam engine was donated to Historyland Museum at Hayward, Wisconsin. After Historyland went bankrupt, Mid-Continent purchased 9 in 1988 and moved it to North Freedom.

Chicago and North Western narrow gauge wooden box car 10 built in the 1870's.

Western Pacific burro crane built by Cullen-Friested in 1927.

Soo Line caboose 99085 built by Haskell & Barker Car Company as Wisconsin Central 101 in 1909 and re-numbered in 1911.

Union Tank Car Company tank car 17550 built by the company in 1937.

Duluth & Iron Range flat car 5537 built by the railroad in 1897.

Soo Line ore car 80944 built by American Car and Foundry in 1916. In 1972 it was sold to Flambeau Papers in 1972. The car ended up at Fraser Paper's Park Falls, Wisconsin plant, used for interplant storage. In 1997, the car was donated to the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society who in turn donated it to Mid-Continent.

Soo Line outside-braced stock car 29667 built by Haskell & Barker Car Company in 1921.

Soo Line 4-6-0 2645 built by Brooks Locomotive Works in 1900. 2645 spent most of its operating life in Wisconsin on Wisconsin Central's Eau Claire branch, the Portage and Manitowoc lines and switching at locations such as Neenah and North Fond du Lac. In 1955, after accumulating over one million service miles, it was donated by the Soo Line to the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin. It went on display at Frame Park in Waukesha until 1972, when it was moved to a railroad-themed restaurant in a former C&NW depot. Eventually, a realignment of former C&NW track required that the locomotive be moved. In 1988, the Waukesha City Council therefore donated 2645 to the Mid-Continent Museum to which it was moved in July 1989.

Chicago and North Western combine 7409 built by Pullman in 1915. In 1962, it was sold to the Empire State Railway Museum in New York State. It was used in service on the Valley Railroad at Essex, Connecticut for many years. In 1990, the car was deemed surplus and put up for sale. Mid-Continent, seeking to increase the seating capacity for its own operation, as well as bring a native midwestern car back home, purchased 7409 in early 1990. The car was shipped on its own wheels from Connecticut and arrived in Wisconsin in time to participate in 1385-powered excursions on the Wisconsin & Calumet out of Mazomanie, Wisconsin. The car was then delivered to North Freedom behind 1385 upon her return to Mid-Continent.

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western coach 595 built by Pullman Company in 1917.

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western combine 425 built by Pullman Company in 1914.

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western coach 557 built by Pullman Company in 1917.

Chicago and North Western salon-club car 440 "Minnekahda Club" built by Pullman in 1929. In December 1948, the car was sold to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad and renumbered 775 for use as a business car. They re-numbered the car 100 in 1955 after conversion to a crew car. In 1968, the Genesee & Wyoming purchased the car and renamed it "Edward I" for use as a business car.

The car changed hands one final time when the Chicago & North Western acquired it in 1980 and numbered it 404. C&NW rebuilt the interior to its present configuration of four bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room and observation room. The one end of the car was also modified, removing the closed vestibule to fabricate an open end platform. In early 1982, the car was reassigned to the Mechanical Department and re-numbered 440. In 1983, it was repainted to Pullman green and donated to Mid-Continent for use with 1385 on her excursions over the C&NW system. The car was named "Philip R. Hastings" to honor the long-time member and past-president.

Kewaunee, Green Bay & Western 2-8-0 49 built by the American Locomotive Company in 1929. 49 was assigned to haul fast freight between Kewaunee, Wisconsin and Winona, Minnesota, mainly transporting parts for the Ford Motor Company from Detroit to an assembly plant in St. Paul, Minnesota. The train crossed Lake Michigan by car ferry and avoided the congested greater Chicago area. Special modifications were made to #49 so that it could travel the entire 214 mile trip across Wisconsin. In 1950, 350 was sold for $9,000 to the Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company, having travelled 1,764,000 miles in twenty-one years on the Green Bay Route system. In 1957, Consolidated retired the steam engine and donated it to the City of Wisconsin Rapids for display display in the municipal zoo. In 1981, Wisconsin Rapids donated the locomotive to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

Kewaunee, Green Bay & Western hopper 4567 built by Vulcan Iron Works in 1905.

Chesapeake & Ohio hopper 50684 built by Standard Steel in 1909.

Milwaukee Road Flanger X9000291 originally built by the railroad as a tender for a 2-8-2 steam locomotive and later converted into a flanger by the Milwaukee Road in their shops. It was later acquired by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad and renumbered to WSOX 8.

Oregon Short Line rotary snowplow 792 built by Rogers Works of the American Locomotive Company in 1912.

The replica Milwaukee Road freight house.

Section Shed.

Crossing tower from Neenah, Wisonsin.

Copper Range Railway 2-8-0 29 built by the American Locomotive Company in 1907. 29 hauled both freight and passenger trains until 1946 when passenger services were discontinued. By 1953, the other Consolidations had been scrapped and 29 was the last Copper Range steam locomotive left. In 1967, it was sold to the Keweenaw Central Railroad, a tourist operation and used on their passenger excursions between Calumet and Lake Linden, Michigan. Unfortunately, after only three years in service, boiler problems sidelined the locomotive in 1970. Abandonment of the Copper Range Railroad in 1972 then forced Keweenaw Central to cease operations. The steam engine sat outside the ruins of the Quincy smelter in Hancock, Michigan, exposed to the elements from 1973 until it was finally offered to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

I next visited Coach Shed 1.

Great Northern wooden caboose X-582 built by the railroad in 1925 as 90116. X582 was used extensively in North Dakota on the Minot Division and finished its career in South Dakota in work train service. It was then returned to St. Cloud for disposition and later sold to the Minnesota Transfer Railway in November of 1963. MT renumbered the caboose to X14.

Wisconsin Central baggage car 306 built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1886. Two years later it went to the Wisconsin Central and was renumbered 306. In 1909, the car became 1605 when the Soo Line gained control of the Wisconsin Central. The car was originally built with open platforms, that were removed at a later date. By 1940, the car was in bunkcar work service and renumbered again to W-951. Mid-Continent purchased 306 in 1965 and moved it to North Freedom.

Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic coach 213 built by the Jackson and Sharp Company in 1888. By the mid-1930s the cars were no longer needed as revenue cars and 213 was remodelled into a dining and kitchen car for work train crews. At this time the 213 was re-numbered to 990. It served the DSS&A and its subsequent owner, the Soo Line, as the bridge repair gang's dining room until a 1969 switching accident rendered the car unfit for further service.

Soo Line diner-lounge 2017 built by Barney & Smith Car Company in 1914. In 1948, 2017 was rebuilt into its present configuration as a diner-lounge by the Soo Line at its Shoreham Shops in Minneapolis. The car has a lounge, dining seating, a small galley and wet bar. It was during the 1948 rebuild that the vestibule on the lounge end of the car was removed. It was regularly used on the Soo Line's Laker between Chicago and the Twin Cities until the passenger train was discontinued in 1966. In 1966 the car was sold to a private individual and moved to Hayward, Wisconsin where it was stored for several years. It was resold in 1971 and moved to Duluth where the car was completely restored to its 1948 appearance. In July 1978 the car was moved to Mid-Continent at North Freedom and leased for use in first-class and dining service.

Boyne City, Gaylord and Alpena snowplow 1 built by Russsell Snowplow Company in 1906. BCG&A 3 was re-numbered 1 in 1935 with the Boyne City Railroad's reorganization. It was last used by the railroad in the winter of 1959 and later placed on display in the railroad's shop building as part of a museum. Upon the Boyne City's closing in 1975, the plow was auctioned off and then donated by the buyer to Mid-Continent.

Soo Line wooden box car 15604 built by Wells & French Company in 1897. It was acquired by the Goodman Lumber Company for in-plant use at its Goodman, Wisconsin facilities. The car was re-numbered 206 while in Goodman Lumber service. The Goodman Division, Calumet & Hecla, Incorporated donated the car to Mid-Continent in 1966.

Great Northern coach 3261 built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1906 as Great Northern 271. It was purchased for use on the Great Northern's St. Paul, Minneapolis to Hutchinson, Minnesota branch that served the resort areas along the north shore of Lake Minnetonka. Along the line, at Minnetonka Beach, the Great Northern owned and operated the swank Hotel Lafayette (originally built in the early 1880's, later the Lafayette Club). The Hotel was a fifth of a mile in length and had facilities for billiards, tennis, croquet, fishing, sailing and bathing. Service to the resort area was provided by as many as eight trains per day from Minneapolis.

In 1922 fire destroyed the Lafayette Club and soon followed decreases in service and increasing fares. In October 1926, coach 3261, along with eight other "Lake" coaches, were taken out of passenger service and converted into stockmen's coaches which provided sleeping accommodations for the ranchers traveling with their livestock on stock trains. As a stockmen coach, the car was re-numbered to X791, seats and stained glass windows were removed and bunks were installed. In 1928, a steel underframe was applied to the X791 to better suit the car for use in freight trains. The X791 remained in use as a stockmen's coach until 1969 when it was donated to Mid-Continent in 1969.

Wisconsin Central second-class coach 63 built by the Pullman Company in 1905. In 1909, when the Wisconsin Central came under the control of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Line), 63 was re-numbered to 1941. The car was again re-numbered to W-323 in August 1935 when it became a bunk car and foreman’s office in work train service. In October 1964, the coach was acquired by Mid-Continent and moved to North Freedom.

Wisconsin Central Business Car "Oak Park" built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1884. As a cafe-parlor car, the "Oak Park" had smoking rooms at both ends and parlor car seating in a center room. A small kitchen was located near one end of the center room. The interior woodwork featured fine cherry wood trim accented with birds-eye maple veneer. In 1909 the car were relettered to reflect control by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line). The Soo Line subsequently converted "Oak Park" to a business car for traveling railroad officials. In this configuration the smoking rooms became observation rooms and the central parlor room was remodeled to contain a single large state room, kitchen and a dining room. In 1929 the name "Oak Park" was dropped and the car became 57. In 1938 the car was again re-numbered to W-118 after conversion to a bunk and dining car for work crews. In this capacity the car served for a number of years in Gladstone, Michigan on the wreck train. In 1968 the car was acquired by Mid-Continent.

Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic box car 18052 built by American Car and Foundry in 1879. The New York Central System took delivery of 1,000 double door automobile cars. The Duluth South Shore & Atlantic purchased 100 of these cars in July 1935 and it was converted to a single door box car. In 1952, DSS&A it was converted to work service as a tool car for wrecker support and re-numbered 821. After the consolidation of the South Shore with the Soo Line in 1961, the car was assigned Soo work service D-821. Mid-Continent acquired the car from Soo Line in 1966.

Museum view.

Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western coach 63 built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1888. In September 1893, the railroad was acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway. After the takeover of the Milwaukee Lake Shore & Western by C&NW, the 63 was renumbered 469. By 1930 the car was retired from revenue service and was placed on a foundation to become a yard office at C&NW's Wood St. potato yard in Chicago. In 1970, the car was donated to Mid-Continent.

Now I visted Car Shed 2.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2-8-0 22 built by Pittsburgh Works of American Locomotive Company in 1910 as Marquette and Southeastern 38, which operated a sixty mile line between Big Bay and Lawson, Michigan. One year later, the M&SE became the Munising, Marquette & Southeastern. In 1923, when the MM&SE merged with the Lake Superior & Ishpeming, 38 was renumbered 22. It was one of twelve LS&I Consolidations sold to the Marquette & Huron Mountain Railroad tourist line in 1963. The Marquette & Huron operated on the recently abandoned LSI Big Bay branch line. Its last run on the Marquette & Huron was on Labor Day 1965. In 1985, the tourist line ceased operations and its equipment was put up for sale, at which time 22 was bought by the Mid-Continent museum.

Great Northern Business Car A-22 built by the railroad in 1905 and used by Louis W. Hill, the son of James J. Hill. The business car's most unique feature - its garage - was originally Louis Hill's idea. His love for the automobile matched his passion for improving the range and efficiency of the Great Northern Railway itself. The inclusion of automobile storage space, along with living and working quarters on the same railcar proved to be a revolutionary, yet practical decision.

Automobiles, such as early 20th century Packards, Pierce Arrows, Oldsmobiles and Lincolns were originally loaded and unloaded from the A-22 using a block and tackle rope system, aided by ramps that attached to the end of the business car's platform. This method however was quickly replaced by a hand winch (also Louis Hill's idea) that was permanently secured to the floor of the business car in the garage area. The easiest method however for loading and unloading automobiles proved to be large pre-built stationary ramps in rail yards or on sidings, to which A-22 could be backed up and the automobiles rolled on and off.

In comparison to other private business cars of the early 20th century, A-22 would have been considered rather plain. Painted standard Pullman green, with little interior decoration and no extra frills, it paled in comparison to the opulent and extravagant "Palace Cars" built and owned by Louis Hill's contemporaries. The austere elegance of A-22's decor very simply illustrated Hill’s frugal nature. The business car traveled from coast to coast as Louis Hill promoted the growth of the Great Northern Railway year round. In addition to business, it was also the preferred method of transportation for Hill family vacations and hunting trips.

After forty-three years in business car service, from 1905 until 1948, Great Northern A-22 was converted to work service in 1950. Though it had had a tremendous number of upgrades over the years, including the addition of electricity, the application of steel sheathing and a steel underframe, the introduction and improved reliability of the automobile had outdated the use of private business cars. After entering work service, A-22 was re-numbered 03132 and has remained so to this day. In 1970, the Great Northern merged with the Northern Pacific and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy to form the Burlington Northern. Having outlived its use in work service, former A-22 was donated to Mid-Continent by Burlingon Northern in 1972.

Wisconsin Fish Commission fish car 2 "Badger" built by the Pullman Company in 1913. It was designed with a steel underframe and fitted with steel tanks to carry fish to remote locations around the state to restock streams and rivers. The car would be stopped on a bridge and the tanks emptied into the water below. At an unknown date, the car was sold to equipment dealer W.H. Knapp and re-numbered 104. In 1960, the car was the very first to be purchased by Mid-Continent. It was moved to Hillsboro, Wisconsin in 1962 to carry passengers for the first operating season, and then on to North Freedom in 1963.

Duluth, South Shore & Altantic first class coach 701 by American Car and Foundry in 1902. 701 was originally used on South Shore trains No. 7 and No. 8, which ran between Duluth and Sault Ste. Marie. By July 28, 1938, it was no longer needed in passenger service and the car was converted to a boarding car and re-numbered 999. After the merger of the Soo Line and the DSS&A in 1961, the car was re-numbered to D-999. The D-999 was removed from work train use about 1968 and moved to North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where it was used as a Soo Line B&B office. The car was acquired by Mid-Continent on April 30, 1975.

Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic gondola car 996 built in 1888. In December 1934, gondola 1854 was renumbered to 996 and was assigned to work train service as a scrap and rubbish car. The DSS&A Ry. retained one other rebuilt gondola for work train service and retired the balance of nine gondolas from the 1829-1880 series in 1934. In the 1961 merger of the DSS&A and the Soo Line the railroad apparently did not consider the 996 enough of an asset to renumber the car into the new work equipment number series. The 996 was observed by Mid-Continent personnel while it was being used for caboose coal storage at the Houghton, Michigan yards of the Soo Line Railroad in 1961. Acquisition followed in 1964 and the car was moved to the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society’s North Freedom, Wisconsin facilities.

Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range box car 7122 built by Peteler Car Company in 1912. It was used to ship potatoes to market and actually performed a reverse function in keeping the product warm from the freezing climate of the northern Minnesota where D&IR operated. In 1912, automobile roads were poor or non-existent, and the railroad was the main source of transportation. D&IR also provided passenger service to its online comunities, many of which were company towns. In 1938, the car was renumbered to DM&IR 7122 after the consolidation of D&IR and DM&N. It remained on the railroad until 1975, although it is not known if the car was used in service until such a late date. The Lake Superior Museum of Transportation acquired the car in that year and it remained in storage at Duluth. In June of 1998, the car was purchased by Mid-Continent.

Montana Western gas-electric motor car 31 built by Electro Motive Company in 1925 for Great Northern Railway as GN 2313. In 1940, the car was sold to Montana Western and became MW 31. It was donated to Mid-Continent in May 1965. It is the oldest surviving, and largely unmodified gas-electric car built by the Electro-Motive Corporation. It is close to as-built condition with its power plant, baggage area, smoking compartment, passenger area, and opposite end control area largely intact.

Chicago and North Western drovers caboose 10802 built by American Car and Foundry in 1909. This unusual car was built to transport stockmen and cowpunchers in stock trains so that they could care for the animals at watering and feeding stops, and assist with unloading at markets. The interior was equipped with eight overhead berths and seating for 32 passengers, a coal stove at each end of the car, one toilet and a sink with water canteen. The lower seats could be converted into bunks by folding the seat cushions down.

Copper Range Railroad combine 25 built by American Car and Foundry in 1903 as Copper Range Rairoad 59. The railroad re-built 59 into a combination baggage/coach in 1913 and re-numbered it 25. In 1963, Mid-Continent purchased the car. The Copper Range Railroad, the last major railroad built into the Copper Country of Upper Michigan, enjoyed a brisk, although short-lived, passenger business that required some thirty passenger car over the years. Maximum trackage operated by the Copper Range never exceeded 150 miles but its passenger trains ran the gamut from the vestibuled "Northern Michigan Special" with the CRRR's own cafe-observation car to the lowly locals serving the various mining communities on the "Range". Considerable equipment was needed to handle the special weekend excursion trains from Calumet and Houghton to the Copper Range's own Freda Park, a beautiful natural park along Lake Superior.

Copper Range Railway second-class coach 60 built by American Car and Foundry in 1903. Unfortunately, the last vestige of Copper Range passenger service ended abruptly on September 15, 1946. The coach went into storage in the Houghton roundhouse. In May 1964 it literally got a new lease on life and spent two seasons on the newly formed tourist line Marquette & Huron Mountain. The startup of a tourist railroad at Calumet, Michigan in 1967 resulted in Copper Range 2-8-0 29 and coach 60 being sold to the Keweenaw Central Railroad. The total abandonment of the Copper Range Railroad became a reality in 1973 which, in turn forced the Keweenaw Central to discontinue operation rather than face the loss of their rail connection. Coach 60 left the Copper Country for all time in December 1972 and was stored at the Wells, Michigan shop of the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad. Mid-Continent purchased it in 1982.

Now I would go outside.

Chicago and North Western baggage-dormitory car 8903 built by American Car and Foundry in 1949 as Chicago and North Western 9302. 9302 was renumbered 8903 in 1960 when it was converted to a full baggage car by C&NW. The car was donated to Mid-Continent in 1984 for use as a tool and display car to travel with former C&NW steam locomotive 1385 during her tours on the Chicago & North Western system.

Wisconsin and Southern transfer caboose X103 re-built in 1975 by the Grand Trunk Railroad from a boxcar. It eventually was obtained by the Association of American Railroads and used at their Chicago test facility. In 1996, it was donated to Mid-Continent.

Wisconsin Central Railway Post Office Car 1513 built by Barney and Smith Company in 1914. The Wisconsin Central was absorbed into the Soo Line Railroad system in 1961, and 1513 became a Soo Line car at the time, but retaining its old WC number. In 1969, it was renumbered X593 for work train service, which it served as until sold to a private individual in 1986. The car came to North Freedom in 1999.

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific combine 1094 built by American Car and Foundry in 1906. After two upgrades, 1094 received one final conversion in 1951 to wrecker diner car 9506. A wrecker diner/sleeping car usually traveled with a wrecker crane to provide sleeping and eating facilities for the traveling crews that worked with the wrecker.

Mid-Continent Railway S1 7 built by American Locomotive Company in 1944 for John Morrell & Company Meat Packing as their 7. At an unknown date, it was sold to the Association of American Railroads and assigned to their Chicago office and was donated to Mid-Continent in August 1996, when the AAR's Chicago facility was closed.

Canadian National 7-2 sleeper 5375 built by Pullman Company in 1913 as the "Sumter", one of a series of ten sleeping cars, each with seven compartments and two drawing rooms. It worked in Pullman company service for many years and was ultimately sold to the Canadian National in 1942. CN immediately converted the car to first class coach 5375, with 24 seats in a smoking section and 52 seats in the main compartment. All seats were high-backed and reversible, with "Green Boucle" upholstery. At the time, the car featured electric lighting and Vapor heating. At a later date, the car was again shopped by CN, but this time it was converted to commuter train service by removing the interior partition and many of the reversible "walkover" seats, replacing them with bench seating along the walls. Seating capacity was thereby increased to 78, plus 110 standees.

By 1975, the car was retired from service and was donated to the Lake Superior Museum of Transportation at Duluth, Minnesota. There it was used a few times in excursion service and then stored for several years. Mid-Continent purchased the car in April 1993 and moved it to North Freedom on its own wheels for possible restoration and return to service to augment Mid-Continent's operating fleet. These plans did not come to fruition and the car was sold in 2015, then donated back to Mid-Continent shortly thereafter without having left the property. In 2020 was sold once again to the Iron Horse Railroad Park in Chisago, Minnesota.

Akron Canton and Youngstown outside-braced box car 3081 built by Mather Car Company in 1941. In 1955, AC&Y no longer had need of the Mather-built cars, and they reverted back to the lessor. By this time, Mather had merged into North American Car Corporation of Chicago. The cars retained their AC&Y numbers, but were relettered with MCAX reporting marks. In 1970, North American donated 3081 to Mid-Continent.

North Western Refrigerator Line refrigerator car 19786 built by American Car and Foundry in the late 1920's. It worked exclusively in service for the Chicago & North Western Railway. It was rebuilt in 1959 and finished its career by the 1970’s and became storage cars for Circus World Museum at Baraboo, 7 miles east of North Freedom. In 1989, it and others were deemed surplus, donated to Mid-Continent, and moved to North Freedom. A year later, this reefer was sold to a group of museum members who cosmetically restored the car and used it for storage of diesel locomotive parts. It was donated back to Mid-Continent in 1999, and remains in storage use.

Chicago and North Western refrigerator car 19781 built by American Car and Foundry in the late 1920's.

Chicago and North Western refrigerator car 19789 built by American Car and Foundry in the late 1920's.

Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range caboose C-183 built by the railroad in 1906 as Duluth and Iron Range 83. In 1938, D&IR was merged into the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range and the caboose was re-numbered C-183. It was used mainly between Two Harbors to Tower and Ely in the Vermilion iron range.

East Jordan and Southern wooden coach 2 built by Osgood Bradley Company in 1864 for the Grand Trunk Railway Company as their 112. The car was re-numbered 585 in November 1885 and in 1889, the car was rebuilt at the Chicago & Grand Trunk, Gratiot Shops in Port Huron, Michigan. In 1902 the coach was sold to the Michigan shortline East Jordan & Southern by the F. M. Hicks of Chicago Heights, Illinois. While on the EJ&S, the car was rebuilt into a combine. It served for nearly sixty years there and was sold in 1961 to a private individual and two years later ended up at North Freedom (the car came to North Freedom across Lake Michigan on a car ferry).

Soo Line first-class coach 920 built by the Harlan and Hallsworth Company in 1893. By 1931, the car was sold to a private individual. It was moved off its trucks and used as a building. It was donated to Mid-Continent in March 1975 and moved to North Freedom.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming coach 64 built by Hicks Locomotive and Car Works in 1910 as Munising Railway 54. The Munising Railway Company was a short line formed in 1895 and operated two rail lines, one running from Princeton to Munising, and a second from Stillman to Cusino, all in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Munising Railway was later absorbed into what became the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad in 1923. At that time the car came under LS&I ownership and it was re-numbered 64. Passenger service ended on the LS&I in 1929 and 64 was retained but remained in storage for the majority of time. In 1964, it was sold to Marquette & Huron Mountain, a tourist railroad located at Marquette, Michigan. In 1985, it was purchased by Mid-Continent.

Chicago and North Western narrow gauge combine 1099 builder and date unknown. It was used in southwestern Wisconsin on the Fennimore to Woodman line of the Chicago & North Western Railway. C&NW discontinued that operation in 1926. The car was probably built in the 1870s, for the Des Moines & Minneapolis Railroad, which transferred the car to the C&NW in 1879. It is constructed of wood and is currently on display, awaiting restoration.

Wisconsin Central Railway Post Office Car 1513 built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1914. The Wisconsin Central was absorbed into the Soo Line Railroad system in 1961, and 1513 became a Soo Line car at the time, but retaining its old WC number. In 1969, it was renumbered X593 for work train service, which it served as until sold to a private individual in 1986. The car came to North Freedom in 1999.

Soo Line caboose 203 built by American Car and Foundry in 1906. It was privately purchased from the Soo Line and moved to North Freedom in May 1966. I went back outside.

Two unknown passenger cars.

Duluth South Shore and Altantic sleeper "Duluth" built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1902. The car was used on the DSS&A's North Country Mail (Trains 7 and 8) that operated between Duluth and Sault Ste. Marie. By 1932 the demand for sleeping cars had decreased on the South Shore and second hand steel sleeping cars were purchased, making the wood sleeping cars like the "Duluth" obsolete. The car body was eventually sold to a Calumet, Michigan resident in December 1934 for $169. In early 1935 the car body was hauled down snow-covered gravel roads by a pair of tractors from Calumet to the shores of Lake Superior where it was set up and used as a summer cottage for over 81 years. In December 2015 the owners, Bob and Beth Krasche, generously offered to donate the "Duluth" to Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

Lake Superior Terminal and Transfer Railway Jordan Spreader 55 built by the OF Jordan Company in 1916 for the Butler Brothers Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. Butler Brothers had warehouses in the Twin Cities and were heavily involved in mining operations in the Mesabi Range. The LST&T purchased the Jordan Spreader from Butler Brothers Company in 1940. At the time of sale to the LST&T the spreader Butler Bros. modified the Jordan Spreader for snow removal use and the Northern Pacific added the present enclosed cab to the spreader. A coal burning stove inside the cab provides heat for crews in the wintertime. The side wings are air-operated and they can be operated from inside the cab for plowing and ditching. A flanger blade is mounted underneath to plow between the rails.

Steel enclosure protecting Lake Superior and Ishpeming combine 1 built 1898.

Soo Line sleeping car 1210 "Rhinelander" built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1902 as a first-class, 12 section sleeper with a smoking room and a state room. In April 1926 wide steel letter boards were applied and the Gothic sashes removed. In October 1929 the sleeper was converted to a work car at the Shoreham Shops. As a work car, it was re-numbered X-119 and used as a bunk and dining car at Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The X-119 remained in use until the Soo Line sold the car in 1969 and was stored in Schiller Park, Illinois until December 1977 when it was moved to the Mid-Continent. The car is currently privately owned and used as a bunk car at the museum.

Chicago Burlington and Quincy caboose 15 built by the railroad in 1895. In 1904, it became 14006. It was sold to a private individual in 1965 and arrived at North Freedom in 1988.

Milwaukee Road bunk car X918050 built in 1951. Sometime between 1958 and 1963, this bunk car was converted from a steel boxcar for the Milwaukee Road Bridges & Buildings Department's use as a bunk car for traveling crews. It was last used by Milwaukee Road's sucessor Soo Line in 1989. At that time, it was sold to a private individual at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and stored there for several years. In 2003, it was purchased by a museum member and moved to North Freedom in September of that year for use as a bunk car for museum volunteers.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming box car 2011 built by the Pressed Steel Car Company in 1901 for Marquette & South Eastern, a predecessor to the LS&I. It was later sold to an individual in Ishpeming, Michigan who used the car for storing hardware supplies before coming to Mid-Continent in 2007.

Akron Canton & Youngstown box car 3011 built by Mather Car Company in 1911. In 1955, AC&Y no longer had need of the Mather-built cars, and they reverted back to the lessor. By this time, Mather had merged into North American Car Corporation of Chicago. The cars retained their AC&Y numbers, but were relettered with MCAX reporting marks. In 1970, North American donated 3011 to Mid-Continent.

Unknown box car.

Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Caboose C-74 built by the Duluth Minnesota & Northern Railroad in 1924. It was purchased by Mid-Continent members in 1965 and moved to North Freedom.

Dardanelle and Russelville 2-6-0 9 built by Baldwin in 1884 as New Orleans and Eastern 232. It received a new wagon-top boiler when rebuilt in 1904 and was sold in 1917 to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Company, a surplus equipment dealer. They in turn, sold it to the Dardanelle & Russellville where the locomotive was re-numbered 9, serving the Arkansas shortline until 1963, when it was purchased by Elliott Donnelley of North Freedom. who donated it to the museum in 1969, and it was the main duty engine at the museum in the 1960s and 1970s until it was sidelined because of a leaking tender. It returned to service in 1991 for one summer with a temporary tender but, since then, has not steamed.

Milwaukee Road rib-sided bay window caboose 01855 built by the railroad in 1939. Eventually, in the 1970s, the Milwaukee Railroad's new computer system required the car be renumbered to 991855. During the late 1970s the car was assigned to the Portage, Wisconsin area, until it was bad ordered and retired in April 1982. It was finally sold by the Milwaukee in July 1985 for scrap. Purchased in November 2007 by Mid-Continent members, it was brought to the property and is currently privately owned. It is being restored for use as a bunk facility.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming box car 2026 built by Pressed Steel in 1903 for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Milwaukee Road caboose 01601 built by the railroad in 1929. It is believed to be the first steel cupola caboose on the Milwaukee Road. It later was converted to use as the scale test car inspector's residence. When it was remodeled for this service, it featured hot water, shower, tile floor and double hung windows. At some point it was re-numbered to 916760. In 1977, the car was sold to equipment dealer Hyman Michaels. A museum member later purchased the car to use as bunk facilities. It arrived at North Freedom in July 1984, is privately owned and currently used as a dormitory for volunteer crews working at the museum.

Milwaukee Road bunk car X918050 built in 1951. Sometime between 1958 and 1963, this bunk car was converted from a steel boxcar for the Milwaukee Road Bridges & Buildings Department's use as a bunk car for traveling crews. It was last used by Milwaukee Road's sucessor Soo Line in 1989. At that time, it was sold to a private individual at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and stored there for several years. In 2003, it was purchased by a museum member and moved to North Freedom in September of that year for use as a bunk car for museum volunteers.

Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic caboose 568 built by the railroad in 1911. 568 was sold by the Soo Line in 1971 to private individuals. It arrived at North Freedom in August 1980. The eclectic lettering scheme on 568 was never used in this combination on a South Shore caboose. It is presently used for bunk facilities.

Chicago and North Western caboose 12476 built before 1913, builder unknown, originally 1714. 12476 made its trip through C&NW's Chicago shops late in the rebuild program, emerging on September 22, 1937. It received a steel underframe at this time. On October 5, 1957, 12476 was sold to the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad at Marquette, Michigan. In 1970, the caboose was sold to a private individual and moved to North Freedom in July of that year. It is presently under restoration by its current owners and is used for bunk facilities.

Chicago and Illinois Western 0-4-0 701 built by the American Locomotive Company in 1914. The Chicago and Illinois Western was a shortline switching railroad incorporated in 1903 running ten miles from Chicago to Gary, Illinois, with a two mile branch line to Hawthorne, Illinois. The line was later absorbed into the Illinois Central. At some point, 701 was sold to the Dolee & Shepard Company in Hodgkins, Illinoi and then to the Consumers Company in South Beloit, Illinois. When the Consumers Company merged with the Vulcan Materials Company in 1959, it was donated to the Railway Historical Society of Milwaukee, which later became the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society, and 701 was the first steam locomotive in the Mid-Continents collection.

Wisconsin and Calumet caboose 529 built by the Santa Fe in 1948 as 2221. It was transferred to Santa Fe's subsidiary Toledo, Peoria and Western in 1969 and re-numbered to 529. In 1983, it was sold to Joe McMillan and later leased to the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad. It was moved to Janesville, Wisconsin and used by the WICT in freight service for a number of years until WICT was sold to Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. in August 1992. The caboose remained in storage until it was sold to a museum member and moved to North Freedom in November 2000. It is presently used for bunk facilities.

Wisconsin Sand and Gravel HL-18 2 built by Plymouth in 1928. It was donated to Mid-Continent by Illinois/Wisconsin Sand & Gravel in 1963. Today, the locomotive is used by the Car Department to move cars within the car shop.

Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic caboose 570 built by the railroad in 1913. It was privately purchased from the Soo Line and moved to Mid-Continent in July 1966. It has had its interior and exterior restored to a late 1930's appearance. It is presently used for bunk facilities. In 2004, 570 was cosmetically restored for the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society's meet held at North Freedom on August 21.

Soo Line Wrecking Crane X-3 built by Industrial Works as a coal-fired steam crane in 1907. In 1915, the Soo Line re-numbered it X-3. This wrecker spent the majority of its life assigned to Gladstone, Michigan. In 1961, after the Duluth South Shore & Atlantic was merged into the Soo Line, it was reassigned to Marquette, Michigan. When the Superior wrecker failed, it was reassigned to Superior, Wisconsin, where X-3 remained until its retirement on January 1, 1984. From March through November 1970, the crane was temporarily assigned to Schiller Park, Illinois. X-3 was last shopped in November 1970 at North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. At the time of the wrecker’s retirement, it was purchased from the Soo Line by a group of preservation-minded Soo employees and a few crane enthusiasts and in turn donated to Mid-Continent along with its jib car X-173. X-3 is presently inoperable due to boiler problems and is preserved in the lettering scheme it carried for most of its life.

Soo Line Idler Flat Car X-173 built by New York Central in 1930 as flat car 496228. The Soo Line acquired the flat car in 1959 as a result of the car being damaged while on use on the Soo Line. In 1960 the Soo Line converted the flat car to a boom (jib or idler) car X-173 and it was assigned to Gladstone, MI for use with Soo Line wrecker X-3. X-173 features steel construction with a wood deck and "trolley" to support the weight of the boom of the attached wrecker crane.

Chicago, St. Paul Minneapolis & Omaha wooden bay window caboose 6110 built by the railroad in 1892. In 1974, with wooden cabooses nearly entirely replaced with steel counterparts, 6110 was sold to a private individual. The car arrived at North Freedom in April of that year and it has been used as a bunk facility since that time.

Baltimore & Ohio caboose C-1921 built by the railroad in 1925. In 1975, C-1921 was sold to private individuals. It arrived at North Freedom in January 1978 and has been used as bunk facilities since then.

Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic caboose 568 built by the railroad in 1911. 568 was sold by the Soo Line in 1971 to private individuals. It arrived at North Freedom in August 1980. The eclectic lettering scheme on 568 was never used in this combination on a South Shore caboose. It is presently used for bunk facilities.

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific caboose 17772 rebuilt in 1940 by the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific from an outside-braced box car, built as 44867 by the Bettendorf Company of Bettendorf, Iowa. Twenty of 200 cabooses were built in a unique passenger/baggage configuration; 17772 is one of these cars. It featured three distinct sections: a passenger section seating eight in pullout seats with bunks overhead; a baggage room section with sliding side doors similar to a baggage car; and a crew section containing a desk for the conductor, cupola and equipment locker. Passenger car-style steps and platform were placed at the long end of the carbody for easier loading of passengers. In January 1967, it was sold to Dr. Philip R. Hastings, a noted rail photographer and member of Mid-Continent. The car was moved from Albert Lea, Minnesota to North Freedom where it was used as a bunk facility and still serves that purpose today.

Tender of Chicago and North Western steam engine 4-6-0 1385.

Milwauakee Road RSC-2 988 built by the American Locomotive Company in 1947. Milwaukee Road was the first railroad to take delivery of RSC-2s, and initially assigned them to their Valley Division at Wausau, Wisconsin, in order to study the effects of an all-diesel roster. The experiment was deemed a success and all steam locomotives were soon gone from the Valley Division. 988 was part of that experiment and soon after, was transferred to the railroad's Iowa & Dakota Division. There, in 1959, it was re-numbered 594. In the early 1960s, it was subsequently assigned to La Crosse, WI.

By the early 1970s, most older Alco engines had been scrapped but, as late as June 1976, 594 was still switching at La Crosse. It escaped the scrappers when it was bought by the Kettle Morain Scenic Railway in 1976 and renumbered 4. Then it was sold to Trans-Northern Incorporated and re-numbered 988. Trans-Northern used 988 on several of their shortline operations until early 1981 when the locomotive was shut down and placed in storage on the Escanaba & Lake Superior. Finally, in 1985, a group of Mid-Continent members got together to purchase 988 from Trans-Northern and the locomotive arrived at North Freedom in January 1986. It has since been returned to its original 1947 orange and black Milwaukee Road paint scheme.

I went inside the engine house.

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western coach 563 built by the Pullman Company in 1940. They served faithfully in commuter service for some 55 years until a vast majority were retired in 1970 following the arrival of more modern equipment on the New Jersey commuter rail lines. Since the beginning of operations at North Freedom in 1963, Mid-Continent had used only wooden passenger cars in its operating train. The wear and tear of daily use proved a strain on volunteer forces, and a more durable steel coach was sought. The availability of the Lackawanna "Boonton" cars (nicknamed for the branchline where they served) was timely, and Mid-Continent purchased three (including the 563) in 1972 for use in the daily train.

Domtar Paper Company NW-2 1001 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1954 as Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri Railway 10, which was a the 53-mile shortline railroad which straddled the Louisiana-Arkansas border. It remained an independent operation until 1991 when the forestry company Georgia-Pacific purchased the railroad using a similarly-named subsidiary company, the Arkansas, Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad, or AL&M. The locomotive was re-numbered 1001 in 1993. In January 1996, the locomotive was transferred from its home rails on the A&LM to the Georgia-Pacific-owned pulp and specialty paper mill at Nekoosa, Wisconsin. In 2001, the mill and its railroad equipment were sold by Georgia-Pacific to Canadian paper company Domtar.

Mid-Continent purchased the locomotive in 2018 and Domtar gave the museum permission to keep the Domtar name and logo on the locomotive until the locomotive needs repainting, provided no changes are made to it other than adding the mandatory Mid-Continent Railway (MCRY) reporting marks. Although wearing Domtar paint, the locomotive is officially known as MCRY 1001.

The smoke box and frame of Chicago and North Western 4-6-0 1385 built by the American Locomotive Company in 1907. The class R-1 locomotives, such as 1385, had a pivotal role in the development of C&NW steam motive power. When the R-1's were purchased, the railroad had to rebuild tracks, bridges, turntables and engine houses to accommodate them. 1385 was bought by the Historical Society of Milwaukee in 1961 for $2,600 and was in service for most of the 1980s and 1990s on excursion services. Since 1982, 1385 has visited many Midwestern communities on good-will tours. In the summer of 1992, she operated on Wisconsin Central Limited and Wisconsin & Southern, pulling passenger excursions in Wausau and Milwaukee (Granville) and freight trains in Horicon. The steam engine has been listed on the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places, and the National Register of Historic Places.

With train time approaching, I went back to finish photographing the equipment before my ride.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum 45-ton switcher 4 built by General Electric in 1943 for the United States Navy. The scrap dealer Precision Engineering bought 4 from the Navy at an unknown date and the locomotive was subsequently sold to car builder Pullman-Standard who donated it to the museum in 1972. It is currently used by the museum as a switcher, moving dead engines in and out of the shop, as well as cars in the yard.

Great Northern steam generator car 6 built by American Car and Foundry in 1913 as Railway Post Office Car 90. It was one of the first all-steel passenger cars purchased by the Great Northern and remained in RPO service until 1926 when it was converted to a mail storage configuration and re-numbered 19. Two years later it became 200 and was finally rebuilt into steam generator heater car 6 in January 1943. In 1968, the Western Pacific anticipated using freight locomotives to power the California Zephyr and purchased three heater cars from Great Northern, including 6, which was re-numbered WP 593 and performed well, proving more reliable than the aging boilers in WP's F-units.

By 1972, 593 was no longer needed and was sold to the tourist railroad Oregon Pacific & Eastern, retaining its number. In 1988, the car was sold to WEBLEA, Incorporated, a private car owner. The car was donated to Mid-Continent in July 1992 and shipped to North Freedom from Chicago on its own wheels. It presently is outfitted with a portable steam boiler to heat the museum's trains during the winter. In autumn 2001, it was repainted into Pullman Green then in 2015, to the 1940's Great Northern Empire Builder scheme.

Unknown piece of equipment.

Union Tank Car Company 17550 built by the company in 1937.

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Canteen Tender built by the American Locomotive Company in 1911. This supplementary tender was originally mated with Milwaukee Road 2-8-2 8670 built in July 1919. The engine was re-numbered 373 in 1938 and was scrapped in 1949. The tender survived and was converted into a canteen car to haul and store diesel fuel or water. In this service, it was renumbered to 908190. In 1967 it was retired and donated to Mid-Continent.

It remained unused at North Freedom for several years until C&NW approached Mid-Continent about using steam locomotive 1385 on their system for publicity. Since C&NW no longer had water facilities for steam locomotives, and 1385's existing tender only held enough water to operate the engine for several hours (depending on how hard it was worked), an auxiliary tender was needed to extend its range for operating an entire day without stopping for water. 8670 was perfect for this service. Hoses and fittings were added to connect it to 1385's existing tender, it was painted, and placed in service in 1982. It served with 1385 every time it left North Freedom for off-line excursions. The last occurred in 1992. Since then, 8670 has been stored and occasionally used as a water storage tank during Snow Train special events.

Now it was train riding time by ten minutes.

This train had a consist of Mid-Continent Railway RS-4-TC-A1 1256, Chicago and North Western combine 7609, Delaware Lackawanna and Western combine 425 and Delaware Lackawanna and Western coach 595.

Mid-Continent Railway RS-4-TC-A1 1256 built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in 1954 as United States Army 1256, originally delivered to Sharpe Ammo Depot in Lathrop, California.

Now sit back and enjoy a ride at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. My loving wife and I took seat in the back of Delaware Lackawanna and Western coach 595.

The ride out to Quartzsite Lake on the Mid-Continent Railway train. We returned to North Freedom and waited for Greg and Marty to visit the engine shed while Elizabeth went to the coach shed number 2. I visited the gift shop and bought two T-shirts then Elizabeth returned and found mugs and pins. When the boys returned, we left this wonderful museum and headed south toward Rockford. On the way there, we found a depot.

Milwaukee Road H12-44 781, built by Fairbanks Morse in 1950, on display at Brodhead Historical Museum.

Milwaukee Road caboose 01900, built by the railroad in 1941, is also on display here.

The Brodhead Milwaukee Road station built in 1885.

The National Register plaque on the side of the station.

United States Army tank on display.

The memorial to all veterans of the wars.

The mural on the side wall of a building down the street from the Brodhead station. We continued south and came upon another station.

The Milwaukee Road station in Orfordville. We drove the rest of the way to Rockford, Illinois and checked into the Baymont Inn. After we settled in, the two of us borrowed the car and went to Texas Roadhouse for an excellent dinner then walked to Walmart across the parking lot before we drove into Rockford and found the depot.

Chicago and North Western Rockford station. We filled the car with petrol on the way back to the hotel and later called it a night.

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