Jeff Haertlein – Gift Shop Manager

Jeff first visited Mid-Continent in 1965 and officially joined as a volunteer in July of 1969. One of his volunteer duties became overseeing the gift shop in 1973, a role he has continued to this day. Moving to North Freedom in 1975 was critical in running the shop. He has greatly enjoyed running the gift shop all these years and takes pride in the fact that Mid-Continent has one of the finest museum stores around.

It would be remiss to not mention Jeff’s wife, Cindy, who has given him immense support in helping Jeff run the gift shop. They met in 1971 while Cindy was working at the museum, and they were married in 1976.

Aside from his role with the gift shop, Jeff also volunteers in the Restoration Department, gives museum tours, and is part of the team that creates the museum’s annual wall calendar. Jeff’s dream is to see Mid-Continent build a Visitor’s Center building which would contain the gift shop. He is very appreciative of visitors’ and members’ continued faith as the Haertleins continue to operate the gift shop.

Ed Ripp – General Foreman of Steam Power

Ed joined Mid Continent in November of 1995 while he was still in high school.  He helped where he could as he was only 16 at that time.  As time went on, Ed was able to provide aid in the engine house working on the steam locomotives. 

When he graduated from high school, he went to Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and studied Diesel and Heavy Equipment. 

After graduating, Ed worked at FABCO for 5 years working on Caterpillar construction equipment.  He then started his career as a heavy equipment operator for the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad in the Maintenance of Way department.  There was a 2-year period when he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the same department. 

Ed has helped with several other steam locomotive operations in the Midwest, which has deepened his knowledge of steam locomotive operation and maintenance.

Through the years in the engine house, he has assisted with inspection, maintenance, and repairs to the diesel locomotives. 

Richard Colby – General Foreman of Rolling Stock

Richard Colby has been with Mid-Continent since 2011, joining in his senior year of high school. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville with a Bachelors in History, and from Southern New Hampshire University with a Masters in Public History. For nine summers, Richard was on the summer train crew at Mid-Continent, and has been volunteering in many areas of the museum since becoming a member. He is an assistant manager at a large bookstore, and has been working there for a few years now. A lifelong rail enthusiast, Richard has a model railway at home, as well as a boxcar and caboose at Mid-Continent.

Nick Vertein – Superintendent of Engineering

Nick Vertein is a fourth generation member of Mid-Continent and has officially been a member since 2007. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a Bachelors Degree in Communication: Media Studies. He worked at the museum for 3 summers during his college years as the weekday Conductor and still volunteers on Train Crew to this day, while also volunteering in other departments as well. Such as the Mechanical, Restorations, Dining Services, Buildings and Grounds, and finally the Engineering Department.

Nick has been employed for the last 5 years at the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad in their Maintenance of Way Department as a Track Laborer and an On-Track Machine Operator. He plans on combining the experiences he has gained both from Mid-Continent and professionally at the WSOR to lead the Engineering Dept. for the benefit of both the Museum, it’s equipment and volunteers, and the public who comes to visit us every year.

Dave Bierman – Roadmaster

Growing up in Sauk City for Dave, meant regular visits to Mid-Continent starting from the age of 2. After years of visiting, he became an active member in 1981. Dave has had the pleasure of participating in the unique amalgamation of human creativity, melded with the physical elements, resulting in the heritage that is Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society. 

Bierman has dedicated his 42 plus years as a member to primarily the engineering, operating, and mechanical departments. But he has also had very close association and involvement with every facet of Mid-Continent.

His 42 years and going professional railroad career with the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad and predecessors continues has included working in the operating department as a conductor and engineer, mechanical department as a locomotive machinist, and engineering department. His career has included a heavy emphasis on structural and civil railroad engineering, project development and management, hydrology, geology, heavy equipment operation and maintenance, railroad maintenance, railroad safety rules and railroad operational efficiency.

Railroading is a shared skill, one of camaraderie and passion, of sharing and passing of knowledge and experiences, forward, generation to generation. Members of Mid-Continent foster this tradition well, both inside our organization and to our patrons. He believes it is the museum’s most valuable asset.

Jeffrey Lentz – Office Manager – Superintendent of Operations

Jeffrey Lentz first visited Mid-Continent at age 3 which helped spark a life-long interest in railroads. He joined Mid-Continent first as a ticket agent beginning in 2001, then moving to the train crew in 2004. Lentz continued volunteering while attending college, earning a Bachelors and Masters degrees in Geography, with research emphasis on the use of geographic information systems in support of transportation safety.

Lentz was invited to join Mid-Continent’s administrative staff in 2010. His work is often behind the scenes on tasks like accounting, marketing, museum publications and digital communications, and coordinating employees and volunteers, although you can still frequently catch him working aboard the train as a conductor or giving museum tours.

Colin O’Brien – Training Officer of Trainmen/Conductors

Colin O’Brien is a third-generation life member of Mid-Continent who has been volunteering with the organization for nearly 20 years. Colin is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Spanish and a master’s in teaching. He has been teaching high school Spanish for a decade and enjoys combining his passion for education with his love of railroading while volunteering at Mid-Continent. Aside from his role as Secretary and on the board, Colin is also the museum’s safety training officer, teaching the next generation of volunteer trainmen and conductors at Mid-Continent.  

Colin lives in North Liberty, Iowa with his two sons and an extremely supportive wife, Molly. Colin spends his summers restoring his family’s Baltimore and Ohio caboose.

Rick Thiele – Dispatcher – Collections Manager

Rick joined Mid-Continent when he retired from the printing industry in 2006. He has had a lifelong interest in railroading, and Mid-Continent has given him the opportunity to be involved with trains. Rick and his wife Betty live in a home in La Crosse, WI and the pair have been married for 40+ years. They are also proud to mention their basement is home to a model train layout.

Both are fond of working with all the different people at the museum, volunteering where they can. In addition to Rick being the Dispatcher and Archivist (Collections Manager), Rick and Betty also log all the volunteer hours in the computer system. On top of that, Rick volunteers as a Conductor and enjoys working on the trains with his grandson, Casey.

Some of Rick’s other hobbies include fishing (in summer or winter) and bowling. He also spends many volunteer hours with the 4000 Foundation in La Crosse. The foundation’s center of attention is CB&Q 4000, a Hudson 4-6-4 steam locomotive which was shrouded at one time to pull the Zephyr trains between Chicago & the Twin Cities. It is cosmetically restored and resides in Copeland Park in La Crosse.

Bill Buhrmaster – Restoration Department Manager

Bill Buhrmaster is a life member of the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society and for the past 50+ years has been active as a volunteer at the museum. Bill has a mechanical engineering degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago, Illinois. Bill lives in the western suburbs of Chicago, has been married to his wife Elizabeth for over 40 years and together they have 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren.

Bill worked as an engineer in the petroleum industry for 35 years and retired in 2015.  At the Mid-Continent Railway Museum he has followed in the footsteps of his father Ray W. Buhrmaster that has been active since Mid-Continent first began operations at North Freedom. For the past 20 years Bill volunteers as the Restoration Department Manager. In the capacity he leads and coordinates the restoration and preservation projects on the historic railroad equipment at the Museum.

He is responsible for the museum’s collection of historic rolling stock which includes one of the county’s largest collection of wooden passenger cars (25 cars) dating from 1864 to 1910.  As the Restoration Manager he has been involved in the preservation and restoration of some 20+ pieces of equipment at the museum. This has included restoration of passenger cars, freight cars and steam locomotives (cosmetic). The outstanding restoration work results achieved are thanks to a very talented and committed group of volunteers. He is dedicated to accurately restoring the museum’s historic equipment for the public to view and experience.

Jeff Huttenburg – Superintendent of Dining Services

Jeff is a retiree who has been a member of Mid-Continent since 2012. He has served on the board of directors, was a member of the Coach Shed #2 Building Committee, and the New Storage Building Committee. Jeff has also spearheaded and worked on various projects at the museum. 

He is looking forward to helping Mid-Continent become a debt-free and self-sustaining museum that can continue to show visitors the golden years of railroading by providing train rides (diesel and steam) and historically accurate exhibits. 

Andy Spinelli – Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds – General Foreman of Diesels

Andy Spinelli has a passion for trains, both full-sized and model versions. He also collects and restores antique farm tractors, engines, and printing presses. Andy has been a volunteer at Mid-Continent for over 12 years. 

Andy is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a degree in Education. More than 20 years ago he started working at the family-owned paper manufacturing business. Today, Andy is the general manager and president of the business, which continues to grow under his leadership. 

Andy has served as past director at Salt Creek Society of Model Engineers, a director, vice-president, and president of McHenry County Antique Farm Equipment Association of Illinois, and is the founder of Spinelli Equipment Museum, which he built at home. 

Andy and his wife Jami have been married for over 20 years. They have two teenage children, David, and Mary. The entire family can often be found volunteering together during Mid-Continent’s special events. 

Vacant – Director of Visitor Services

Member Services – Office Staff