Welcome to the Chicago & North Western #1385 steam status blog! Follow along as we bring the 1907 American Locomotive Company 4-6-0 steam engine back to operating condition.
We’re extremely close to hearing Chicago and North Western #1385’s whistle reverberate through the Baraboo hills once again, but we need your help to cross the finish line!
▫ The Goal: We’re pushing for steam operation in 2026, and we can’t get there without YOU. $300,000 is needed to complete the mechanical restoration of our 1907 built, #1385. This restoration has been over 13 years in the making, and we are beyond excited to bring steam back to North Freedom, Wisconsin!
▫ What the $300,000 will be used for:
Large items: – Finish pistons, rings, and rod packing. – New drawbar. – Jacketing and insulation.
Medium and small items in no particular order: – Machining, fitting and installation of crossheads. – Finish fitting and installation of air and steam piping on engine and tender. – Finish electrical wiring. – Valve gear installation and timing. – Numerous fit and finish items. – Contract work for specialized jobs.
▫ Where To See Updates: We’ll be posting a fundraiser update every Wednesday to our Facebook and Instagram. In addition, we’ll be updating a physical thermometer in our ticket depot and engine house for live updates! Please stay tuned!
Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer. Donate today and help us spread the word by telling your friends and giving this post a share. Let’s steam into 2026, together! 🚂
You can also make a donation by phone at 608-522-4261 or mail to: Mid-Continent Railway Museum P.O. Box 358 North Freedom, WI 53951 (If donating with a check, please write ‘#1385 Fund’ in the memo line.)
Chicago and North Western #1385 basking under the sun on September 1st, 2025. MCRM photo.
After several years away, the Chicago & North Western #1385 steam locomotive is finally returning to Mid-Continent Railway Museum to complete the final steps of its restoration. To celebrate this monumental event, we will be hosting a #1385 Homecoming Ceremony for the locomotive at the museum. Starting at 4:30 PM on Saturday, July 12th you can…
🎉 Watch the #1385 arriving at our museum depot on its flatcar 🎤 Hear speeches from our museum project leaders 📸 Snap a group photo and witness the banner breakthrough 🍿 Enjoy snacks and drinks that will be provided throughout the event
PLUS… Bid in our silent auction for a “#1385 Cab Experience” ticket!
This ticket will allow the highest bidder to enjoy a private tour of the locomotive, fire it with coal, and blow the whistle during a future test run in the museum train yard! All proceeds will go to finishing the #1385’s restoration and eventual operation in 2026. The rules of the “C&NW #1385 Cab Experience” Auction are listed below.
We would also like to welcome everyone back to the museum on Monday, July 14th at 9:00 AM to witness the locomotive being lifted back onto the tracks and paired with its tender.
Rules of the “C&NW #1385 Cab Experience” Auction
The C&NW #1385 Cab Experience Auction will be a sealed-bid charity auction held at the 1385 Homecoming Celebration. Here’s what that means…
How to Bid:
Bids are entered by making a donation in support of the C&NW 1385 project. Regardless of whether you win the auction prize or not, you still get to enjoy the good feeling that 100% of your donation is directly supporting the goal of finishing 1385’s restoration back to operation.
Bids are made privately in a sealed envelope at the Homecoming event on July 12th or by using a bidding link/QR to be provided in person at the homecoming event. Credit/debit/PayPal bids will be made using the secure PayPal platform and do not require a PayPal account.
Only one bid is allowed per person – so make it your best offer! Bids cannot be combined or added to once submitted.
Bidding closes at 6:30 PM CDT on Saturday, July 12th. At the close of the bidding period, the individual that submitted the highest bid/donation wins the 1385 Cab Experience prize.
Mid-Continent will not be listing the current high bid while bidding is open.
The sealed bids/donations will be reviewed and the winner notified within 48 hours of the close of bidding. The winner will remain confidential. The amount of the winning bid will be announced.
All bids/donations will receive a donation acknowledgement at the end of the year tax year, per Mid-Continent’s donation acknowledgement policy. The winning bidder will receive a donation acknowledgement for the amount of the donation less the Fair Market Value of the award. The Fair Market Value of this prize is $300.00
Additional terms and conditions:
There is no minimum bid.
In the event there is a tie for the highest bid, the names of the tied individuals will be placed into a hat and drawn to determine the winner of the auction.
The exact date for redeeming the prize is to-be-determined because the steam locomotive project is still in progress. We are working diligently to complete the necessary fundraising and work to reach the phase of #1385’s restoration where test runs can begin. Mid-Continent will work with the winner to arrange a date for the #1385 Cab Experience that works for both parties. If for any reason the prize cannot be awarded or a mutually agreeable date is not available, the winner will be provided a Mid-Continent Railway Museum gift card equal to the Fair Market Value and redeemable toward any publicly available tickets.
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!
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, 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!”
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.
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.
