> Until I get the other photos scanned, here's
> one from two years ago. They've only gotten
> worse, unfortunately.

> Boyd

Ouch! Those harsh UP winters have taken their toll. Do you (or anybody else) know why they've been left out in the elements like this, and for how long? Are they owned by the same person as the C&NW 4-6-0, or is it a different person/group? Also, is all of the cab and smokebox jewelry long gone or is it safe in storage somewhere? Thanks for the picture.



mckay1995@comcast.net

They belong to the mining museum up there. Don't know the answers to your other questions, maybe someone else knows?

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

Here's a photo illustrating the sad condition of #175. Hopefully she'll be moved and get some badly needed attention soon.
BTW, that's Clint Jones and his son on her tender looking it over.

Boyd


bowens@rypn.org

I presume the Qunicy and Torch Lake engines belong to the Quincy Hoist Association, which exhibits the Qunicy Mine Nordberg hoisting engine. This is one of the world's jewels of industrial archeology, basically a 8,500-foot elevator powered by two inverted V-twin compound steam engines. After about 35 years of operation as a private, nonprofit museum and tourist attraction, this site has begun at attract some serious money to develop itself. The hoist engine house (reinforced concrete) has been stabilized, along with some of the other structures. The headframe still contains the manlift car, ore skips and all the associated hardware. It has a recorded slide show that explains its operation. The engine house has some good interpretive exhibits on mining and the sociology of the mines. (Among other things, I learned that Finlanders, being the least likely to speak English, got all the crummy jobs, but their sons were well-represented on the Hancock High School honor roll.) Sadly, the engine room is no longer entered through the floor. The experience of coming up out of a tunnel and seeing that mammoth engine was really memorable.

To make the mine accessible without reviving the hoist, the solution was to build what must have been an enormously-expensive rack railroad over the edge of the hilltop. A Diesel-hydraulic railcar carries tourists over the edge of the world, down about a 28-per-cent grade to a valley at about the 280-foot level of the mine shaft. The mine is reached by a horizontal ventilation tunnel that was kept open as an experiment station by the mining college until recently. Tourists are carried to the working faces of the mine by a tractor, where mining students give a superb lecture on the geology and labor conditions of the mines.

With the mine as a tourist draw, there may eventually be enough surplus to improve the conditions of the two locomotives. I suspect most of the deterioration occurred while these were in the leaky Q&TL enginehouse. Now they are slathered in the usual park-engine black paint. These are among the most beat-up steam engines I have ever seen, easily matching the Northwestern Steel and Wire 0-8-0's for loose working parts and busted everything else.

The rest of the site is slowly being cleaned up, if not neatened up, which would be a shame, as it's one of the most fascinating junk piles I've seen since the much larger mining museum at Butte.

Now, for extra points, what was the name of O. J. Simpson's detective character in that comedy cop movie, and why? (Hint: the screewriter came from Milwaukee.)

Aarne Frobom

Nordberg? As in Nordberg the Wisconson-based mining equipment maker?

(I know way too much useless knowledge, it's starting to become unhealthy.)

david.wilkins@bardstown.com

Is the old building in the background part of the Quincy Mine museum? I was wondering what location it was; it looked like it would make for interesting exploring.

Is the material being disposed possiblity of interest to museums or collectors? I have read elsewhere on a similiar note that the Bureau of Land Management is taking the old mining equipment around the mouth of mines in Colorado, pushing it into the mine, and sealing them up. Your tax dollars at work on historical preservation.

The setup below was pictured on a message board; linke to the original message below

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> I presume the Qunicy and Torch Lake engines
> belong to the Quincy Hoist Association,
> which exhibits the Qunicy Mine Nordberg
> hoisting engine. This is one of the world's
> jewels of industrial archeology, basically a
> 8,500-foot elevator powered by two inverted
> V-twin compound steam engines. After about
> 35 years of operation as a private,
> nonprofit museum and tourist attraction,
> this site has begun at attract some serious
> money to develop itself. The hoist engine
> house (reinforced concrete) has been
> stabilized, along with some of the other
> structures. The headframe still contains the
> manlift car, ore skips and all the
> associated hardware. It has a recorded slide
> show that explains its operation. The engine
> house has some good interpretive exhibits on
> mining and the sociology of the mines.
> (Among other things, I learned that
> Finlanders, being the least likely to speak
> English, got all the crummy jobs, but their
> sons were well-represented on the Hancock
> High School honor roll.) Sadly, the engine
> room is no longer entered through the floor.
> The experience of coming up out of a tunnel
> and seeing that mammoth engine was really
> memorable.

> To make the mine accessible without reviving
> the hoist, the solution was to build what
> must have been an enormously-expensive rack
> railroad over the edge of the hilltop. A
> Diesel-hydraulic railcar carries tourists
> over the edge of the world, down about a
> 28-per-cent grade to a valley at about the
> 280-foot level of the mine shaft. The mine
> is reached by a horizontal ventilation
> tunnel that was kept open as an experiment
> station by the mining college until
> recently. Tourists are carried to the
> working faces of the mine by a tractor,
> where mining students give a superb lecture
> on the geology and labor conditions of the
> mines.

> With the mine as a tourist draw, there may
> eventually be enough surplus to improve the
> conditions of the two locomotives. I suspect
> most of the deterioration occurred while
> these were in the leaky Q&TL
> enginehouse. Now they are slathered in the
> usual park-engine black paint. These are
> among the most beat-up steam engines I have
> ever seen, easily matching the Northwestern
> Steel and Wire 0-8-0's for loose working
> parts and busted everything else.

> The rest of the site is slowly being cleaned
> up, if not neatened up, which would be a
> shame, as it's one of the most fascinating
> junk piles I've seen since the much larger
> mining museum at Butte.

> Now, for extra points, what was the name of
> O. J. Simpson's detective character in that
> comedy cop movie, and why? (Hint: the
> screewriter came from Milwaukee.)

> Aarne Frobom


Donkey Engines

james@survivingworldsteam.com

I know a manufacturer by the name of Nordberg made Corliss cross-compound steam engines. Not sure what else.
An older gentleman I knew took his engineering class from Northwestern Univ. up to visit the manufacturing plant in the 1920s. Was it in Milwaukee?

> Nordberg? As in Nordberg the Wisconson-based
> mining equipment maker?

> (I know way too much useless knowledge, it's
> starting to become unhealthy.)

> To make the mine accessible without reviving
> the hoist, the solution was to build what
> must have been an enormously-expensive rack
> railroad over the edge of the hilltop. A
> Diesel-hydraulic railcar carries tourists
> over the edge of the world, down about a
> 28-per-cent grade to a valley at about the
> 280-foot level of the mine shaft.

Hey, you've inadvertently given an answer to my posting about cog/rack railways nearly a month ago. Certainly, this is a more modern example, but it fits. Add this one to Pikes Peak, Mt. Washington, Green Mountain and the Madison grade. Thanks.


Pictures of Quincy Mine cog railway (scroll down)
mckay1995@comcast.net

The sad condition of C&NW 175 might spark thoughts on private ownership of such artifacts. Before moving north in the 1960s, the 175 was displayed in a park at Winona, Minnesota. It was not in the best of shape, but relatively intact. After moving north, it was partly dismantled and the original tender apparently scrapped in a vain attempt to make it run again, but has lain derelict ever since. For the good of the engine, it would probably have been better to remain a rusting park display - at least it would have remained more intact.

ryarger@rypn.org

The following link is to the photos I promised.

Boyd


Q&TL Photos
bowens@rypn.org

This is also up there at the mining museum.

Boyd



bowens@rypn.org

> The sad condition of C&NW 175 might
> spark thoughts on private ownership of such
> artifacts. Before moving north in the 1960s,
> the 175 was displayed in a park at Winona,
> Minnesota. It was not in the best of shape,
> but relatively intact. After moving north,
> it was partly dismantled and the original
> tender apparently scrapped in a vain attempt
> to make it run again, but has lain derelict
> ever since. For the good of the engine, it
> would probably have been better to remain a
> rusting park display - at least it would
> have remained more intact.

While I know the #175 looks pretty rough, I will give my opinion on it's outward condition. I believe I heard that Clint has most of the parts for the engine. Some of the parts were removed if for no other reason so they wouldn't get stolen. The #29 lost one of her injectors/check valve and firedoor to thieves. The jacketing was removed years ago so the deterioration isn't near as bad as some park engines I have seen. The boiler shell was painted {when I don't know} and it looks in pretty good condition compared to many. While I have a real liking to the #29, I wish we would of gotten the #175 instead because of the better condition. Of course un less someone has gone inside and did some boiler inspection work it may be just as worn out as the sister engine #1385. Where ever she goes and who ever eventually works on her, I wish them the best. Regards, John. PS by the way my inspection and opinions are from just looking around a little. I did not go in the firebox or look in great detail.



springfield@tds.net

As a former employee of the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay from 1984 to 1989, I learned of the history of C&NW #175, like whenit pulled the Museums first excursion to Three Lakes, WI., in 1957. Then it was supposed to become one of the first locomotives donated to the museum. But for some reason, it wasn't. And there began its strange journey. I just learned that it was in Winona, Minnesota, in the 1960's. And it's possible that I actually saw it in the U.P. at Calumet, MI., in 1969, when I was 10 years old and our family took a summer vacation, so we took a ride on the Copper Range RR., with Keewenaw Central No. 29, with a coach and a caboose. Hopefully, when Mid-Continent repairs it, I'll ride with it once again. But 175 comes into view once again, because after I started work at the Museum in 1984, then in 1987, they had a Million-dollar fund raiser to build a new "Roundhouse area" for 5 steamers and a North-ward extension of the Mccormick Pavillion, to cover Big Boy No. 4017, and even C&NW 175! But none of those plans worked out. Because in 1989, our Director was suspiciously fired and others came in who did not share in either his, nor our, ideas of proper restoration. This is when the "FAKE" steamer made of Sumter and Choctaw No. 102, came into existence. A Frankensteins monster combining part steam and diesel, so that two historic locomotives were made into one horrible abomination, that has been a complete failure, with numerous breakdowns. But they refuse to see the error of their ways and continue to try and make it work, with no hope of success. I think these two engines should just be restored as static units and displayed as historic pieces. It would have been nice to hace C&NW 175 in the Museum as the only mainline locomotive in the collection to actually have worked in Green Bay. But then with the Museums' past history of mistakes, perhaps it is better if someone else has it and will make it operational, again. If you do, please sign me up as a member. I don't have a home computer, because I'm using one at the library right now. So here is my Mailing address if anyone wants some of "inside information" about our so-called "NRRM". Steven E. Solway, President, Green Bay Live Steamers Union, 1331 Bellevue St., Lot 229, Green Bay, WI., 54302-2146, Phone: 1-920-469-0011. Thanks for listening.

Hello

I've heard of this thing before, any pictures of it? I'd be really curious as to see some specifics on the thing. Call it morbid curiosity perhaps...

Dave Crosby

Bing@epix.net