Author Archives: Rebecca

“Last Spike” Ceremony

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by

Yesterday we celebrated the completion of our 3 million dollar rail relay and infrastructure overhaul with a “Last Spike” ceremony!

Donors and special guests were invited to ride the first train of the 2025 operating season, marking the start of a new chapter for our railway. At the end of the line, attendees gathered for a series of speeches from Mid-Continent President Andy S., Wisconsin State Assemblyman Tony Kurtz, our Roadmaster Dave B., and Superintendent of Engineering Nick V.

The event concluded with the ceremonial driving of a final golden spike, symbolizing the official completion of the project.

This massive overhaul would not have been possible without the incredible support of our generous donors and the dedication of our volunteers and members. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this project a reality. We’re excited for future generations to enjoy this historic line for decades to come!

Engine House Track #2 Update

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by

Another rail related update from Mid-Continent! On the weekend of May 3rd and 4th, we replaced the wooden ties and pit timbers on track #2 inside our Engine House! The pit area is critical infrastructure to perform locomotive servicing and regular maintenance making its upkeep integral.

1385 Steam and Air Line Installation/Donation Update

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by

We have had multiple teams working on various projects and great progress has been made. We are now working on the installation of the steam and air lines. As of right now, we are still looking for funding to bring the #1385 home. Thank you for your continued help and support on the full restoration of the #1385!

Sincerely,

Andy
MCRY President

Donations can be made online by clicking the link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QWRDMKVLN9CHU

You can also make a donation by phone or mail. (If donating with a check, please write ‘Bring the #1385 Home Fund’ in the memo line.) For assistance, contact our office staff at 608-522-4261. For more information and weekly updated donation fund thermometer, please check out our Facebook or our website post titled, “Your Help is Needed to Bring the C&NW #1385 Home Again!”

#1385 Cab, Smoke Stack, and Hand Rail Installation/Donation Update

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by

🚂 #1385 Cab, Hand Rails, and Smoke Stack Installation/Donation Update 🚂

The #1385 now has its hand rails and smoke stack installed!

As of today (3/13/2025), we are now up to $23,895 on our Bring the #1385 Home Fund! We have an end goal of $80,000 in order to transport the steam locomotive back to Mid-Continent. For more information and weekly updated donation fund thermometer, please check out our Facebook or our website post titled, “Your Help is Needed to Bring the C&NW #1385 Home Again!”

If you would like to donate online, please click the link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QWRDMKVLN9CHU

Donations can also be made by phone or mail. (If donating with a check, please write ‘Bring the #1385 Home Fund’ in the memo line.) For assistance, contact our office staff at 608-522-4261.

Your Help is Needed to Bring the C&NW #1385 Home Again!

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by
The C&NW #1385 in North Freedom, taken February 19th, 1978. Randy Long Collection.

Members, Friends, and Supporters of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum

We are now raising funds to bring our #1385 Chicago & North Western R-1 class steam locomotive home. As most of you know, the locomotive has been out of service for a little over 26 years and away from the museum since 2013. Finally, in 2025, we plan on bringing #1385 back to Mid-Continent.

The plan is to move the engine by truck and load it onto a flat car. From there, the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad will bring the engine back by rail. This move will include three crane lifts, transportation and securing. With the information we have now our latest estimate, including all required work, is around $80,000. Once it’s back home, final assembly and testing can begin. Our goal is to have #1385 ready for operation in 2026. Please help support the Bring the #1385 Home Fund.

If you would like to donate online, please click the button below. Donations can also be made by phone or mail. (If donating with a check, please write ‘Bring the #1385 Home Fund’ in the memo line.) Our mailing address is:

P.O. Box 358
E8948 Museum Road
North Freedom, WI 53951

For assistance, contact our office staff at 608-522-4261.

Created using the Donation Thermometer plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/donation-thermometer/.$80,000‘Thanks$32,805‘Thanks41%

The raised amount is accurate as of 4/30/2025.

Sincerely,

Andy Spinelli

President

Mid-Continent Railway Museum

Donate Here!