Jeffrey Lentz, Author at Mid-Continent Railway Museum

Timber for D&R #9 Pilot, Running Boards

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Jeffrey LentzSeptember 7, 2022

Although there was no official volunteer session for the #9 in August, Fletcher and I made up for our absence last month with a run to Westfield, WI.

It was there, at the DW Sawmill that we picked up some beautiful white oak timbers that will eventually be used to rebuild the #9’s pilot, and the running boards that once flanked her boiler.

We thought this was going to be a cakewalk, but we learned otherwise as we ran into many small obstacles. Nothing horrible, just the standard rain, traffic, time, poor directions, unplanned fuel stops, and the shocking reminder that the Amish do not take credit (lol). But Fletch and I rolled with the punches and delivered the timbers to the museum late on Saturday. Many thanks to Jeff Huttenburg for sticking around at the end of his long day to help us out. After our long day we had to get home, but we took a couple of minutes to run over to Coach Shed #1 and set our eyes for the first time on that tender, with her fresh, new, and beautiful coat of paint. If you haven’t seen it yet, stop on down to check it out, and keep your eyes out for our next volunteer session.

Montana Western #31 Fund Drive a Success

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Jeffrey LentzSeptember 16, 2022

Matching Grant Secured

The $10,000 matching grant challenge for the Montana Western #31 gas-electric motor car that was announced on August 1st has now been fully matched by donors. Museum members and donors expressed overwhelming support of the museum’s plan to bring Montana Western #31 back to operational condition. All of the available challenge grant dollars were matched by donors in less than three weeks!

Further donations to the Montana Western #31 project are still welcome and needed. The funds raised to date should cover most or all of the Winton engine repair, but there are several other areas of repair to the motorcar that will involve costs as well. Further donations received will be used for these other areas of repair necessary to make #31 operational. Any funds received beyond what is required to make it operational will then be used toward cosmetic work on the motorcar (window repairs, paint refresh, interior repairs, etc.) and toward future upkeep.

Donate Online

Donate quickly and securely online with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account.

Donate Online

Donate by Check

Send a check payable to Mid-Continent Railway Museum to:

PO Box 358
North Freedom, WI 53951

Please write “Montana Western #31” on the check memo line.

Donate by Phone

Donate with a credit or debit card by phone with a call to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum administrative office (Monday-Friday) at 608-522-4261 or toll-free 800-930-1385.

Learn More

Check out the motorcar’s history on the Montana Western #31’s Roster Page
Take a guided tour inside Montana Western #31 and other railcars during Mid-Continent’s annual Vintage Rail Car Tours event (October 1 & 2, 2022)

Montana Western #31 on public display while being named a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 2002.

Next Steps

With some funds now in hand for the project, the real work can move forward. The first step will be to remove the Winton gas-electric engine from the car so it can go to a specialty repair shop. A backlog of other projects means the contract repair shop will not be able to begin work until spring/summer 2023. Once engine work on the engine begins, it is estimated to take approximately eight months to complete.

Simultaneously, Mid-Continent volunteers will have a list of repairs to complete to the car’s other components at Mid-Continent that are necessary before the #31 can return to service. Items known to need attention are:

Repair the leaky radiator, including pressure testing and re-soldering
Clean out rust from the fuel tank, pressure test it, and weld any weak spots
Repair several windows that do not open easily
Repair a broken door
Repair a sliding door in the engine compartment
Inspect the brake system and make any repairs necessary
Evaluate and possibly mount the roof-mounted auxiliary radiator
Inspect other areas for potential degradation/damage, including wiring systems, traction motors, etc.
Repaint some underbody components
Repair leaks in motorcar roof

Project Timeline Factors

The question everyone now wants to know is, “When will Montana Western #31 be operational?” The answer depends on many factors making it difficult to provide an estimate. The Winton engine repair is anticipated to be completed in 2024; however, as the list above indicates, there is a lengthy list of additional tasks that must be completed.

How soon #31 can be made operational after the engine is reinstalled depends on the availability of volunteers to complete the above list of repair and inspection items, whether or not there are any major unforeseen issues discovered once repairs begin, and how much additional fundraising will be necessary to complete the entire list of needed repairs. Simply put, it is currently too early in the process for Mid-Continent to provide a timeline for the completion of the Montana Western #31. Look for future project updates to be posted on our website as work commences.

Become a Project Volunteer

The best way now to make sure #31 becomes operational as soon as possible is to volunteer to help with the repairs. Volunteer work sessions on #31 are expected to start in spring 2023 with the removal of the Winton engine. If you wish to be contacted when volunteer sessions are announced, please use the below sign-up form. This list will be provided to the project’s lead volunteers.

D&R #9 Tender Repainted

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Jeffrey LentzAugust 9, 2024

July 30 – August 2, 2022; I have no idea who Wayne Dyer is, but he once said “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” And if you look at the #9 now, this could not be more true. For four days (Saturday, July 30 to Tuesday, August 2) our hard-working crew transformed the coal tender of the D&R #9 to something that is almost unrecognizable to us younger folk. But, I have to imagine for those that knew the #9 in its younger years, it will bring back great memories of its heyday.

The work began on Saturday by dragging the tender out of Coach Shed #1. Once the journal boxes were prepped to keep sand out, the rest of the day was spent blasting the old paint off. The blasting continued for over 5 hours until the heat became too uncomfortable, and the tender was shoved back into the coach shed to prevent dew from accumulating on the bare metal.

Sunday saw the completion of sandblasting operations, and once complete, the tender was blown off and shoved back in the coach shed where she was wiped down with a solvent to clean off any impurities.

Monday saw the first primer and base go on the tender. The boys worked hard together in a symphony of moving ladders, running supplies, and keeping the paint flowing. They also worked late, and by 7 pm, they had applied 2 coats of base on almost 80% of the tender, but the intense heat prevented them from completing it. For a 3rd night, the tender was put away in the coach shed.

Tuesday was the final day of work, and the boys started early to beat the heat. The tender was rolled out once again, and the last coat of base was applied to the west side of the tender. With all base coats complete, the crew switched over to the application of a clear coat and had that done in 2 hours. Once complete, the tender was once again shoved back into the Coach Shed, roped off, and all tools and equipment were picked up. The crew tied up at 5 pm for the last time on this job.

With the wrap-up on Tuesday evening, the D&R #9 tender has its first coat of fresh/new paint in what we believe to be over 30 years. And it looks great. With a total of 38 working hours from start to finish, I want to send a heartfelt thank you to the following members for their time and hard work that made this part of our restoration such a huge success: Mike Laabs, Jeff Haertlein, Frank Fisher, John “JT” Titus, his friend Andrew Cervenka, Jay Slinde, Richard Colby, Ed Ripp, Kevin Pickar, Elena Burdick (16 years old), and everyone else that was there to help. A special thanks to Chris Burdick for his time, services, equipment, skill, and materials that were the foundation for getting this job done. And special thanks to Steve Pahl for leading the way on the ground. None of this would have been possible without all these amazing volunteers. With that, we will keep charging forward with this restoration. Thanks for following along, and we are looking forward to our next step.

Jason Reiman, D&R #9 Project Lead

“Before” photo taken in 2021. Jason Reiman photo.

First primer coat begins being applied after sandblasting. August 1, 2022.

Chris Burdick (right) gets ready to begin painting the tender’s fireman side while Steve Pahl, Sr. (center) and Jeff Haertlein (left) mix paint inside Coach Shed #1.

Chris Burdick applies clear coat to the D&R #9 tender. August 2, 2022.

$10,000 Matching Fund Drive for Montana Western #31

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Jeffrey LentzFebruary 4, 2024

Mid-Continent is home to the oldest surviving, and largely unmodified, gas-electric motor car built by the Electro-Motive Corporation, Montana Western #31. For 35 years now its engine has been silent, but with your help #31 will be repaired and returned to operation to once again delight visitors with rides along Mid-Continent’s rail line.

About Montana Western #31

Built in 1925, it was the 30th such car built by EMC. Not a locomotive, but not just a car either, #31 contains a 52-person capacity passenger compartment, a baggage compartment, and an engine compartment housing a 6-cylinder model 106A Winton gasoline engine powering a General Electric main generator which supplies electricity to a traction motor mounted on #31’s front truck.

Montana Western #31 was named a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 2002.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

This type of car, sometimes referred to as a doodlebug, was used on branch lines and shortlines when steam passenger trains were not warranted. A self-powered motor car like #31 could be operated by a just a two-person crew, a motorman and conductor.

The 31 was donated to Mid-Continent in 1966. Following a 4-year restoration, it began operations at Mid-Continent in 1972. It continued to operate occasionally until 1987 when the car was removed from service, in need of repairs to its original Winton engine. Since that time it has been a stationary display piece inside Mid-Continent’s Coach Sheds waiting for time and funding to repair its rare Winton engine.

Montana Western #31 provided rides at Mid-Continent in the early 1970s.

The Plan: Return #31 to Operation

Now the time for waiting for repairs is over! Mid-Continent has a plan to put this car back into operating condition so visitors can once again enjoy a ride aboard this historically significant car, but your help is needed to make that happen. Mid-Continent has secured a $10,000 matching grant from one of the museum’s board members for the #31 project. This means your donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar until the $10,000 goal is reached.

Update

Donors have successfully matched all of the available $10,000 of matching funds from the grant. Read the update…

Please consider donating now to make your donation go twice as far and help Mid-Continent bring this unique car back to life. Funds received will be used to make repairs to the original Winton engine. Any funds raised in excess of what is needed for the motor repair will be used toward other repairs needed to make the #31 operational once again, including light radiator work and roof repairs.

When complete, plans call to make the Montana Western #31 available for rides during select museum special events. This will give visitors a unique experience that hasn’t been available at Mid-Continent for over three decades.