Explore the sounds of steam-era railroading with Mid-Continent Railway Museum’s online Audio Archive. These files were donated to Mid-Continent’s archive and are provided here for your listening enjoyment.
The Paul Swanson Collection
A collection of steam locomotive audio recordings made by Paul Swanson at Mid-Continent Railway Museum between 1993 and 2000.
Snow Train 2000
A collection of recordings taken during Mid-Continent’s February 2000 Snow Train event featuring Polson Logging #2 (a.k.a. Saginaw Timber Company #2).
| Climbing South Bessemer Hill with the six-car dinner train, Friday evening, February 18, 2000. |
| Climbing South Bessemer Hill with the six-car dinner train, Friday evening, February 18, 2000. |
| Starting out of Quartzite Lake for the last return trip to North Freedom, Sunday, February 20, 2000. |
| At Devil’s Chair, returning on a last trip to North Freedom. February 20, 2000 |
| Running around train at North Freedom, from north end of depot platform, February 20, 2000. |
Snow Train 1998
A collection of recordings during Mid-Continent’s Snow Train event, February 1998 featuring C&NW #1385.
| C&NW #1385 passing through LaRue. |
| C&NW #1385 passing by Devils Chair. |
Snow Train 1994
A recording featuring Saginaw Timber Co. #2 and WC&C #1 at Mid-Continent’s Snow Train event, February 1994.
| ST #2 and WC&C #1 doublehead, departing North Freedom, westbound. |
Summer 1993
A collection of recordings featuring Western Coal & Coke #1 at Mid-Continent, recorded in summer 1993.
| Eastbound at Devils Chair |
| Departing LaRue. |
| Entire westbound trip, North Freedom to Quartzite Lake, recorded from tender deck. |
| Departing (Quartzite Lake?) |
| Eastbound, Wood Curve to Summit, recorded from tender deck. |
| Departing North Freedom, westbound. |
The Tom Zorko Collection
A collection of recordings from excursions of Mid-Continent Railway Museum’s Chicago & North Western #1385 locomotive through Iowa in 1983 and 1984.
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 WB at Division St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ01) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 EB at Division St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ02) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 Lv Depot with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ03) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 Ar Depot with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ04) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 EB at Division St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ05) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 WB at Marion St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ06) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-8-1984 EB at Marion St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ07) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-10-1983 WB at Division St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ08) |
| CNW 1385 Boone Iowa 9-10-1983 EB at Division St with Pufferbilly Days train (File TZ09) |
| CNW 1385 Missouri Valley Iowa 9-23-1984 EB ferry move toward home (File TZ10) |
| CNW 1385 Woodbine Iowa 9-23-1984 EB ferry move toward home (File TZ11) |
| CNW 1385 Ar Dunlap Iowa 9-23-1984 EB ferry move toward home, PR stop (File TZ12) |
| CNW 1385 Lv Dunlap Iowa 9-23-1984 EB ferry move toward home (File TZ13) |
| CNW 1385 Ar Denison Iowa 9-23-1984 EB ferry move toward home, PR stop (File TZ14) |
| CNW 1385 Lv Denison Iowa 9-23-1984 EB ferry move toward home (File TZ15) |
| CNW 1385 Crescent Iowa 9-21-1984 on a back forth shuttle trip from Council Bluffs (File TZ16) |
Any reproduction, retransmission, republication, or other use of all or part of the audio files on this page is expressly prohibited unless prior written permission has been granted by the appropriate copyright owner. All other rights reserved.