The Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a railroad museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, United States. The museum consists of static displays as well as a 7-mile (11 km) round trip ride aboard preserved railroad cars.
History[]
The route map of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.
The rail line used by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a spur off 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 (4.8 km) 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 (0.80 km) 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 (120 to 150 m) 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 (9,800 L) of water per minute. A similar fate befell the Iroquois Mine in 1914, at which time it was pumping 4,500 US gallons (17,000 L) 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.
In 2023, the museum hosted a 60th anniversary celebration event on May 27, marking 60 years to the day that the first train pulled passengers along the 7-mile route.
Locomotive Roster[]
- Current Locomotives:
| Number | Images | Heritage | Type | Builder | Built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1385 | 
|
Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | 4-6-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1907 | Undergoing operational restoration | It was one of the first locomotives the museum owned, used from 1963 to 1998. |
| 9 | 
|
Goodman Lumber Co. | Shay locomotive | Lima Locomotive Works | 1909 | Static display | The only Shay locomotive in the museum. |
| 4 | 
|
U.S. Army Railroad | GE 45-ton switcher | General Electric | 1943 | Operational | |
| 29 | 
|
Copper Range Railroad | 2-8-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1907 | Static display | This is the only Copper Range locomotive left to be preserved. |
| 7 | 
|
John Morrell and Company | ALCO S-1 | American Locomotive Company | 1944 | Operational | |
| 22 | 
|
Lake Superior & Ishpeming | 2-8-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1910 | Static display | |
| 9 | 
|
Dardenelle and Russellville Railroad | 2-6-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1884 | Undergoing cosmetic restoration | |
| 1256 | 
|
U.S. Army Railroad | Baldwin RS-4-TC | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1954 | Operational | It was sold at an auction and donated by the winning bidders to the museum. |
| 2645 | 
|
Soo Line Railroad | 4-6-0 | Brooks Locomotive Works | 1900 | Static display | |
| 701 | 
|
Consumers Company | 0-4-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1914 | Awaiting cosmetic restoration | This was the very first locomotive the museum owned. |
| 49 | 
|
Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western Railroad | 2-8-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1929 | Static display | The only preserved locomotive from the Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western Railroad. |
| 10 | frameless | Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri Railroad | EMD NW2 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1949 | Operational | It was known as Domtar #1001. |
| 988 | 
|
Milwaukee Road | ALCO RSC-2 | American Locomotive Company | 1947 | Static display | |
| 2 | 
|
Wisconsin Sand and Gravel | HL-18 | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1928 | Operational | |
| 31 | 
|
Montana Western Railway | Doodlebug (railcar) | Electro-Motive Corporation | October 1925 | Undergoing operational restoration | |
| 1 | frameless | Western Coal and Coke | 4-6-0 | Montreal Locomotive Works | September 1913 | Undergoing operational restoration | |
| 3 | frameless | Wisconsin Power and Light Company | 30-ton switcher | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1952 | Operational |
- Former Locomotives:
| Number | Images | Heritage | Type | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4960 | 
|
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | Steam | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Now operational at the Grand Canyon Railway. |
| 2 | 
|
Polson Logging Co. | Steam | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Under a 15-year overhaul at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. |
| 9 | 
|
McCloud Railway | Steam | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Now on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse. |
| 401 | frameless | Alabama, Tennessee and Northern | Steam | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Now on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse. |
| 29 | 
|
Lake Superior & Ishpeming | Steam | American Locomotive Company | Undergoing overhaul at the Grand Canyon Railway. |
| 6 | frameless | Central Illinois Public Service Company | Steam | Vulcan Iron Works | Awaiting restoration at a Private owner |
| 5 | 
|
Central Illinois Public Service Company | Steam | H.K. Porter, Inc. | Awaiting restoration at the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway. |
| 30 | frameless | Milwaukee Road | Sedan inspection car | Dodge | Now on static display at the Illinois Railway Museum |
| 6721 | 
|
New York Central Railroad | Steam | Alco’s Schenectady, NY, works | Now on static display at the Utica Union Station. |
| 440 | 
|
Union Pacific Railroad | Steam | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Now on static display at the Langlede County Historical Society. |
| 2 | frameless | Louisiana Cypress | 2-6-0 | Lima Locomotive Works | Private owner |
| 1 | frameless | Warren and Ouachita Valley | 4-6-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Private owner |
Visiting Locomotives[]
| Photograph | Locomotive | Build date | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Flagg Coal Company No. 75 | December 1930 | Vulcan Iron Works |
Trivia[]
- In 1959, a group of rail enthusiasts from the Milwaukee area had joined 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. 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.
- In addition to the depot, other railroad structures moved to the museum's location include a crossing shanty, crossing tower, section shed, and water tower. Additional structures have been built new to house and maintain the collection but attempts were made to make the structures appear period appropriate.
- 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 (1.3 km) south to serve the quarry. Operations continued until 1962 when the quarry ceased operation. The rail line was slated for abandonment soon after.