Hey guys, Just joined the site the other day. My hometown of Preston, Minnesota was once a part of the Milwaukee Road's Iowa & Southern Minnesota Divison (in fact, it was once on a little narrow gauge railroad known as the Caledonia, Mississippi & Western and was the western most terminus of said road). I am the Vice President of the Preston Historical Society, and we have acquired two pieces of Milwaukee Road rolling stock (well, we own one outright and are paying off the other one) that we are in the process of restoring and will eventually place said equipment next to our 1902 vintage grain elevator as part of our interpretive center that will tell the story of the railroad and agricultural heritage of our small village. I have posted pictures of our projects on another railroad discussion site, but am currious to know if you guys would like me to post my images here as well? The pieces of equipment in question are a steel, 40', ribbed-sided, boxcar that was home-built by the Milwaukee Road at it's Milwaukee shops in 1939 and a caboose (#992095) that is also a steel, ribbed-sided product of the Milwaukee shops that was errected in 1951. The boxcar is the piece of equipment that is currently being restored, while the caboose is sitting in a storage yard in Wisconsin, awaitig funds to complete the purchase of said caboose, and move it to Minnesota. Just thought I would ask before I started posting.
Komachi- Welcome to TrainBoard! Please note that we not only have our Milw Fallen Flag Forum, but also a small TrainBoard Milw Group available. You can usually link the photos from wherever they are uploaded. You can post them via attachment, use our own photo site RailImages... Boxcab E50
The Elevator/Interpretive Center. Thanks, Andy. Well, here ya guys go. I'm going to start with a few shots the elevator, though, as that will be the centerpiece of the interpretive center and give you an idea of where the equipment is going to be placed. That's what the elevator looked like before it was restored. The boxcar and caboose will be placed on tracks on the grassy area in front of the east elevation's loading dock. Here she is in her new dress. Again, that grassy area to the right is where the tracks are going to go (where the elevator's siding and the main line were originally located). The siding track replaced, moved a few feet over to accomodate a future platform to facilitate access to the boxcar, which will house displays in the future. Here's a shot of the tracks, looking south, across East Fillmore St. at Preston Dairy and Farm. Behind P.D.& F. was the Preston yard, Depot, "Armstrong" turntable, roundhouse, ice house, water tower, etc.. All history now. The last, surviving, railroad-specific structure was the roundhouse, which was used as a garage by Preston Dairy and Farm until the structure was razed in 1996, I believe (I can't remember if they tore it down when I was in high school or college). The elevator is one of a handful of structures that were served by the railroad that still survive. The old coal shed was converted to a motel (which is next to the elevator) and the old brewery is a private residence. But, that gives you a quick overview of our future interpretive center. Next up... The 1939 vintage boxcar.
WOW!! I never knew that existed!! Welcome to Trainboard, thanks for sharing the pic's, can't wait to see the boxcar, and above all, keep us posted!!
Boxcar images I. Back in 2006, a small contingent of PHS members, myself included, went to Prarie du Chen to scope out some MILW cabooses we were told were for sale or donation to historical societies... only to find out such was not the case. (We were offered a gutted car that was in mid-transformation to an office for $7,800...) Disheartened, we came back through Calmar, Iowa on our way home and saw a rusty, old boxcar sitting on a siding. Rib-sided and sporting a faded Milwaukee Road diamond... just like the ones that used to roll into Preston. So, a quest was begun by yours truely to acquire the car (former IMRL boxcar #100001). After a year of negotiating with Cedar Rail Holdings (the car was owned by the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern and was being used as storage for welding equipment for the MOW department) (and a little help from the City of Calmar), I was able to secure the car for our historical society. Here are some shots of the boxcar as it sat on its siding in Calmar... This was our perspective of the boxcar as we drove past it back in '06. A 3/4 view from the A-end of the car. And a 3/4 view from the B-end of the car. A good shot of the faded Milwaukee Road logo... and some shmuck named "Komachi." Next, moving day.
Boxcar Images II: The Big Move I. On March 26, 2008, the car was moved from Calmar to Preston. A Sebastian Crane Service of Postville, Iowa was contracted to lift the car and its trucks onto the lowboy trailers. Scheevel (pronounced "SKAY-val") and Sons Construction of Preston, Minnesota hauled then hauled the boxcar to its new home here in Preston. Here are some images from the lift... The overall scene. The car being swung into position to be loaded on the lowboy. Being secured on the trailer. And the trucks as well.
A Word From Our Supporters. Because they did a wonderful job helping us, here's a plug for our movers... Sebastian Crane Service of Postville, Iowa. Scheevel and Sons Construction of Preston, Minnesota. The move would not have been possible without their assistance.
Are there any historic photos from town which could be (with appropriate permission) posted? Boxcab E50
Boxcar Images III: The Big Move II. On March 27, 2008, the boxcar was moved from the lowboy trailer and placed upon some temporary cribbing (belive it or not, bridge timbers that were given to one of our society members by either the Milwaukee Road, or the scrappers when they were dismantling the line through town!) so the car can be worked on. Unfortunately, I don't have a good shot of the crane, but Minnowa Construction of Harmony, Minnesota unloaded the car for us here in Preston. The car was picked up and the truck driven out of the way. The Bobcat, skid-steer was used to gently guide the car onto the cribbing. One of the trucks, sitting in front of the Preston city shops (the other set of trucks was loaded on the same trailer as the boxcar. Because the car hung over the back of the trailer, it was used as a counterweight). The car and trucks sit on their cribbing, awaiting work. Next up, a few shots of work in progress.
I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty I... Here are some shots of the car being worked on... A few of us society members removed the wood from the interior walls of the boxcar to prepare it for welding work (old, dry wood and sparks don't exactly play well together). Here's a shot of the boxcar's number, stenciled on the insides of the doors. I do belive that the number reads #34588. A few of the parts were removed to facilitate work, and the car was sandblasted. A boxcar in the nude. There are a few rust spots on the car, these are the worst ones, located on the B-end of the car.
Work Pics II. After the car was sandblasted, you could still read some of the information in "ghosted" imagry! The trucks were also sandblasted. You can very easily read all the casting information on the sideframe (note the "C.M.St.P.&P." on the lower left member. And a coat of primer.
Work Pics III. A look at the rust damage that's on most of the ribs. An "original" patch on the boxcar, which, ironically, has been cut off and re-patched, due to corrosion damage. There are also other, small holes here and there. This hole is by one of the door tracks on the car. A look at some of the patched ribs on the car. And now for something completely different... THE CABOOSE!!!!!
MILW Caboose #992095. After the fiasco in Prarie du Chen, we had almost given up on getting a caboose for our collection. A chance meeting with a former resident of Preston got us in touch with a gentleman in Wisconsin who has a few Milwaukee Road Cabooses (he was in the railroad salvage business) and we went to inspect the cars he had on hand. All were in some state of disrepair (they were being worked on at the Milwaukee Shops when the Bankrupcy court handed the MILW over to the Soo Line), but caboose #992095 was decided to be the best example of the group. The caboose was among the last group of steel, ribbed-sided cabooses built by the Milwaukee Road's shops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Our boxcar is among the first group of home-built boxcars built by the Milwaukee in 1939... so, in a sense, we have a set of "bookends" of home-built equipment in our collection.) Can you find the boxcar hiding in this picture? Caboose #992095 has learned how NOT to be seen. Actually, here it is, sitting on cribbing among the pines. A sapling growing up around the bay window. The Milwaukee Road diamond has seen better days, but it's still there among the rust and peeling paint. Next up, a view of the interior.
MILW Caboose #992095 Part Deux. An overall view of the interior. The conductor's desk, complete with light and radio. In the lower right of the photo are the steps which were cut off one end of the caboose. There are also handrails that mount to the roof, next to the ladders stored inside. An ice box, water tank and sink.
MILW Caboose #992095 Part III. The Conductor's seat in the bay. A storage closet and the WC. And that concludes my images thus far. I will keep you guys posted as work progresses on our projects.
WOW!! What an incredible job you and the crew are doing!!! Keep up the great work!! And more pic's please, I wanna see the outcome of this!! By the way, is there a website for donations? Or maybe a local trust to mail in donations, 'cause I know every dollar helps!!
