Mid-Continent Railway MuseumPosted on by Jeffrey Lentz
Jeff Bloohm, President of Mid-Continent, has shared a brief overview of the Chicago & North Western No. 1385’s status.
Here is an update as to where the 1385 is towards completion:
Frame work including driving boxes save fitting the boiler mounts and furnace bearers, brake cylinders and valve gear pivot points is finished.
Work on the drivers is finished. Work on the rods save the wristpins into the crossheads is finished. The cylinders are finished. One valve cage is finished, the other about 40% done. Work on the drive wheel suspension is finished. The cab is 75% finished.
Work is now concentrating on the front truck and that is about 60% finished. The axles have been inspected and journals polished. The bad set of wheels has been pressed off and the new wheels are being machined. The wheels on the other axle are also being turned. The boiler design is within weeks of being ready for 3rd party review.
Work yet to be done:
Final teardown, cleaning, inspection and repair plan for the valve gear, pistons, valves, and brake rigging. All appliances still require inspection and repair planning. The superheater header, ash pan, and stack require close inspection and repair planning. The fountainhead and all valves need inspection/repair/replacement.
After delivery of the boiler, the jacketing will need repair/refitting/rework.
Mid-Continent Railway MuseumPosted on by Jeffrey Lentz
With the open house out of the way, it is now back to work on C&NW 1385. In these images, taken February 26, 2016, SPEC Machine’s Steve Roudebush is joined by Mid-Continent’s Pete Deets to work on the 1385’s front truck.
Mid-Continent Railway MuseumPosted on by Jeffrey Lentz
The Chicago & North Western No. 1385 Open House, held February 20 and 21st, saw over a thousand visitors come through the SPEC Machine shop. Visitors were able to see up close the work that has been completed on the steam locomotive in the year since the previous open house event.
Mid-Continent Railway MuseumPosted on by Jeffrey Lentz
The C&NW 1385 Task Force would like to invite you to an open house to show you our latest accomplishments on the restoration of Mid-Continent Railway’s most prestigious locomotive.
C&NW 1385’s frame was lowered onto its refurbished driving wheels during Nov. 2015. Brian Allen photo.
Open House Hours
Saturday, Feb. 20th, 2016 – 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Feb 21, 2016 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
There is no charge to visit the open house. Just bring your camera and your curiosity! Get caught up on the rebuild thus far via our Steam Status page.
For questions about the event, please contact Mid-Continent Railway Museum directly at 608-522-4261.
Location
Mid-Continent Railway Museum has contracted with SPEC Machine to perform much of the restoration and rebuild work on the C&NW 1385. The open house is being held at SPEC Machine’s facility, just outside of Middleton, Wisconsin.
Mid-Continent Railway MuseumPosted on by Jeffrey Lentz
The Car:
Duluth South Shore & Atlantic sleeping car “DULUTH” is one of a series of five 10-section sleeping cars built by The Barney & Smith Car Company of Dayton, Ohio in 1902. The car is of all wood construction, with varnished mahogany interior, fine marquetry throughout, stained glass windows and green plush upholstery. In addition to the sleeping section the car features a stateroom, a smoking room as well as men and women lavatories. The car was used on the DSS&A’s North Country Mail (between Duluth, MN and Sault Ste. Marie) and remained in active service until 1934. The car left the DSS&A in December 1934 when it was sold to a Michigan resident and hauled to the shores of Lake Superior where it has been used as a summer cottage for the past 80 years.
THE OFFER:
The current owners recognizing the significance and the fine condition of the car approached Mid-Continent about donating the DULUTH to the museum. The MCRM Restoration Department inspected the car and determined it to be an outstanding addition to Mid-Continent’s Collection of wooden cars. The MCRHS Collection Committee recommended to accept the donation of the DULUTH and the Board of Directors accepted the recommendation at the December 12, 2015 meeting.
DSS&A “DULUTH” car diagram
THE GOAL:
The immediate goal is to raise $35,000 for moving this remarkable car to North Freedom in the summer of 2016. Once at North Freedom, the car will be placed on trucks and initial restoration efforts will be focused on acquiring the appropriate 6-wheel trucks for the car, installing draft gear and steps on the car. A comprehensive restoration plan will be developed and fundraising will continue with restoration work proceeding in a staged manner. Ultimately, the restored car will provide Mid-Continent with a very unique and rare passenger car that can be used on special occasions, placed on display or included in Mid-Continent’s Wooden Car Tours events.
THE REQUEST:
Help Mid-Continent bring this rare and unique car to Mid-Continent by making a donation. We need your help to raise the $35,000 by May 15, 2016. Please consider making a donation to the DSS&A sleeper DULUTH Fund and help bring the DULUTH sleeping car to its new home.
UPDATE May 5, 2016:
Thanks to the support of donors like you, we have successfully raised the funds necessary to bring the DULUTH to Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Preparations are presently underway to move the DULUTH to its new home.
Despite the car’s overall excellent condition, some restoration work will still be necessary. For this reason, donations toward the DSS&A sleeper DULUTH Fund continue to be accepted.
THE INSTRUCTIONS:
Make your donation via mail using our printable donation form or donate online using the form on our Donation page. Be sure to write in “DSS&A sleeper DULUTH Fund” on both the printed and online forms. Credit/debit card donations can be accepted by phone at 608-522-4261 or 800-930-1385 during museum office hours. All donations are tax-deductible.
