Vintage Train Restoration Gaining Steam

A century-old locomotive is on track to run again soon near Baraboo. It’s been undergoing a drawn-out restoration at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum for years, but the end of the line is finally in sight.

Engine No. 1385 dates back to 1907, and it spent nearly 50 years traveling throughout the region along the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, hauling freight. The steam-powered engine was taken out of service when the company pivoted to diesel in 1956, but its journey was just beginning.

In 1960, the Railway Historical Society of Milwaukee purchased Engine No. 1385 for $2,600. In 1963, it moved to its current location in the town of North Freedom and was used to pull tourist trains. In the 1980s, it was leased back to the C&NW railroad for PR purposes and was also used to pull the Circus World Museum train to Milwaukee for the annual circus parade. It continued short runs into the 90s before it was finally pulled from service for good in 1998, and it went into storage.

While there was some work done on the engine, the restoration really started chugging along in 2011, when the Mid-Continent Railway Museum received a substantial matching grant from the Wagner Foundation, and a small army of volunteers from around the state and the country got down to business turning back the hands of time.

Through it all, the project has been 100% privately funded. They estimate that volunteers have completed almost $3 million in repairs over the past 15 years. And they’re now trying to raise the last bit of money to finish the job. At the start of the year, they estimated they needed $300,000 to get Engine 1385 rolling again. And, as of early August, they had raised $130,000. If they can reach their goal, they expect it to finally return to the rails by this winter.

If you want to learn more about the 1385 and how you can get involved with the restoration effort, visit the Mid-Continent Railway Museum’s website. You’re able to make online donations there. Or, if you want to stick to the old-time theme, there is information on how to make contributions via telephone or through the mail.