Mid-Continent has an important opportunity to salvage items from derelict railcars in Minnesota that can be used to improve Mid-Continent’s collection

Cazenovia Southern #2 (Mineral Point & Northern #202) at North Freedom, 1999; Jeff Haertlein photo

Objectives

Raise $10,000 to cover the costs of buying and shipping railcar parts for use in future Mid-Continent restorations, thereby saving the costly need to reproduce them from scratch

Succeed in raising the funds by September 30, 2014

Apply any excess funds raised toward restoration of Cazenovia Southern No. 2, a locally significant passenger car

Why Your Help is Needed

Within the Mid-Continent Railway Museum collection of equipment we arguably have one of the better collections in the country for wooden passenger cars. Each wooden passenger car has its own significance and importance to the collection. One particular car stands out as being the most historically significant car to Mid-Continent due to it meeting all of the criteria for our collection pieces AND it operated on a railroad in Sauk County, less than 25 miles away from North Freedom. This car is the Cazenovia Southern combine (ex-Mineral Point & Northern).

Read more about Cazenovia Southern No. 2 (ex-Mineral Point & Northern) by visiting it’s listing on our Equipment Roster page.

The car arrived at North Freedom as a car body only (no trucks, draft gear, platforms, etc.) on July 14, 1999. The car is largely unknown due to the fact that it is sitting under a tarp next to the freight house and northeast of the MCRM office. Due to the importance and significance of this car it is surely deserving to be restored to operating condition. In order to do this the car will have to wait its turn to be routed through the MCRM Car Shop, not to mention raise the necessary funds for restoring the car. While it will be a number of years before the Restoration Department can tackle this restoration project there is a call for help RIGHT NOW that will position the car to be completely restored in the future.

Due to the fact that the car is a body only we are desperately in need of the appropriate passenger car trucks, draft gear, brake equipment and related iron parts to restore this car. If Mid-Continent had to reproduce these items it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’d certainly prefer to not do this so we have been constantly been looking for opportunities to acquire the necessary parts from another car.

With the recent passing of Don Lind (owner of the Minnesota & Western RR, Annandale, Minnesota) it came to our attention that his collection of rolling stock was up for sale. Within the collection there were three heavily deteriorated passenger cars that could be sources for the parts we are in need of. In late April Mid-Continent members toured the site and confirmed that the necessary and appropriate parts for the Cazenovia Southern combine are available. Since then a price has been agreed to with the seller and a plan to remove, load and transport the parts from Annandale, Minn. to North Freedom has been initiated.

 Update 10/21/2014: Mission Accomplished!

Our mission has been accomplished with the generosity of donors and the hard work of Mid-Continent Railway Museum volunteers. The campaign to salvage items for use on the Cazenovia Southern coach-baggage car and other equipment has been a great success! The goal of $10,000 was reached and exceeded, totaling $10,250 with the help of 18 contributors.

DONOR ROLL

• Becker, Peter
• Bloohm, Jeff
• Buhrmaster, William
• Busse, Jim
• Dipping, Richard
• Dorner, Tom
• Drifke, Lawrence
• Harrington, Mike
• Jax, John
• Kloss, Ronald
• Maginniss, Leigh
• Mathias, Stuart
• Mennenga, Jerry
• Moore, Michael
• Polaske, Robert
• Theroux, Matthew
• Wartinbee, Ron
• Wolfmeyer, Pamela

VOLUNTEERS THAT ASSISTED AT ANNANDALE, MN

• Buhrmaster, William
• Busse, Jim
• Dipping, Richard
• Ham, Chuck
• Lichter, Skip
• Merzdorf, Randy
• Miller, B G
• Potthast, Richard
• Saulvola, Dean
• Schmidt, Floyd
• Theroux, Matt
• Wantz, Dave

In terms of volunteers, Dave Wantz’s help was very significant as he made some 14 trips to the Annandale, MN site to assist with site preparations and parts removal. Dave was assisted many times by Minnesota resident and Mid-Continent member Chuck Ham. Racking up the most miles driven to help on the effort was Richard Potthast who made five trips to the Annandale site. Driving over 3,000 miles (total) as he hauled parts back to Mid-Continent.

The trucks and car parts purchased from the Minnesota & Western site are now safely and neatly stored away on the MCRM property. From all aspects, this effort has been a success and a tremendous boost to the eventual restoration of the Cazenovia Southern car.

The car must still wait in line for a turn in the Car Shop and further fundraising will be needed to pay for additional materials to complete the project but this is crucial first step. The quick actions of museum leaders, the generosity of donors, and the dedication of volunteers all allowed Mid-Continent Railway Museum to seize this opportunity and will pay dividends many times over when restoration of Cazenovia Southern No. 2 begins in earnest.

If you wish to contribute toward the future restoration of Cazenovia Southern No. 2, please visit the donation page and write “Cazenovia Southern #2” on your check’s memo line or on the printable donation form. Alternatively, consider donating to the broader “Wood Car Restoration Fund” to help speed along current restoration projects in the most efficient manner possible.

Collapsed railcar at former Minnesota & Western site being dismantled for parts.

Volunteer Richard Dipping applies linseed oil to protect the 7-ft (wheelbase) truck salvaged from Wisconsin Central No. 331, a car formerly in the Minnesota & Western collection. These trucks will ultimately end up underneath Milwaukee Lake Shore & Western No. 63, replacing the inaccurately sized trucks currently used.

One of the two newly acquired 8-ft trucks from the Minnesota & Western site is carried into storage at Mid-Continent Railway Museum. This item will be repaired and put to use under Cazenovia Southern No. 2 when restoration of that car is completed. No. 2 did not have it’s own trucks when it was donated to Mid-Continent Railway Museum in 1999.