Happened to stumble across some info on this private operation today. It appears that the name has been changed as above; I believe it was previously known as the Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum. They own four steam locomotives including an operable 0-4-0 (formerly a tank engine) and Soo Line 2-8-0 # 2425. That is old news. What is NEW news is that they continue to add to their rail collection!

From Annandale, Minnesota:

1. A Great Northern double door heavyweight baggage car; # 258.

2. A car described as a Pullman 12-1 sleeper with a BN MofW number; 968456.

3. A double sheathed Minneapolis & St. Louis wood box car # 4520 (ex-Iowa Central)

From the McHenry, North Dakota rail museum:

4. A Russell snowplow.

The McHenry auction (upcoming at that time) was discussed previously here on RyPN. McHenry was the terminus of a Northern Pacific line and was rather unique in that it had a "loop" at the end for turning equipment, somewhat like an "out and back" model railroad plan. The snowplow was described as being built by Russell in 1937 but there is no indication of the original railroad that owned it. May we assume it's ex-NP?

The move of these four cars to the operation there at Chisago City seem to have been done quietly. I don't recall any info here on RyPN, but if it WAS previously reported, my apologies for this duplicate info.

Those boys there at the IRP seem to be doing a rather nice job of railroad preservation!

Les

I think the biggest problem is that they currently do not have an active website. I stumbled across what it used to be (ironhorsecentral .com) at the end of a youtube video, but it did not work. They currently have an active facebook page, but as comes around time and time again there are many on this site that do not use facebook.

Looking through the facebook page, I am quite surprised at the equipment collection they have. Lots of interesting pieces of rolling stock hiding at that museum! Definitely an impressive private collection.

Stuart -

Yes. An obviously I didn't quite go far enough down that Facebook page. Turns out that they also got the little 20-ton Whitcomb (s/n 13219 1/42) from the McHenry auction. They also picked up the old steel cab from White Pass & Yukon narrow gauge 2-8-0 #69 that they are going to put on their Northern Pacific 0-6-0 #927. They also found an ex-Soo Line tender for NP # 927, needed since the 927 was a NP tank engine when it was acquired. And also disclosed is that they have a blue print for Northern Pacific Russell snowplows numbered 29-32 identifying the owning road for the plow. Maybe someone will be able to determine just which one it is!

And finally, they also secured the open air box car used for passengers by the old Kettle Moraine Railway in North Lake, Wisconsin. Revealed through a separate blue print is the fact that this was originally a 1928 built Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern boxcar in the 715600-716499 series. Four different companies built cars in this series. Would be interesting to know exactly which car this is. This might be the only piece of CTH&SE equipment still in existence! Finally, they also acquired and moved a two bay open top hopper car to Chisago City. Although not identified, my guess is that this very well may be the ex-Colorado & Southern hopper from the North Lake collection.

Whew!

Les

Les and group,

This car has not previously been discussed in the "Surviving Pullman" thread, and after doing some searching tonight, I couldn't find any info concerning the car's original name. I'll ask around to see if anyone might have an answer.

Jeff -

Thanks for making the correction in the SUBJECT line for this thread. However....it IS Chisago City and not Chicago City. I am a native of Chicago, Illinois and whenever I see Chisago I want to type it with two "c's"! So when I saw the correction today, I thought, how the heck did I do that? Then I saw your correction. Anyway, appreciate your concern. If you want to change it back, that is up to you.

Have a great day!


Les

Jeff -

No problem. Thanks for your diligence!

BTW, I found an old photo that I had taken about 3 and a half years ago of the two bay coal hopper at North Lake, Wisconsin. Looking at that photo and the posting of the move of the car on the Ironhorse Railroad Park facebook page, there's no doubt that they are one and the same car. Looks like I might have to update the old two bay hopper car thread!

Les

We worked with Eric on these cars. I believe he said this may be an ex-NYC car.

Has anybody checked those Andrews trucks for cast-in data? This can be a useful way to determine a car's origin, although it's certainly not definitive, since trucks can be changed out. However, they look like the same type that were original equipment on USRA hoppers and other cars of that vintage. There's a good chance they are original.

Tom

If all goes as scheduled and planned, Erik will be moving the 1889 Quebec Railway Light & Power coach #124 Built by Jackson & Sharp out to the Ironhorse Railroad to be with another Jackson & Sharp coach he has from the same era from West Chester, PA.

Not certain if the previous poster's information is exactly correct, as the 124 is the car from West Chester PA. I wonder what other car is the J&S car. Perhaps the tool car is an old baggage car? The most complete roster I have seen is this photo log from 2009:
http://www.trainweb.org/chris/chicst.html

The other Jackson & Sharp car is Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic No. 221, a first class coach built in 1888.

This was the Ironhorse Central roster in 2011. There have been some additions and changes since that time.

Steam Locomotives
No. 1 0-4-0T H. K. Porter 1914 ex– Dresser Trap Rock
No. 4 0-4-0 H. K. Porter 1923 ex– Dresser Trap Rock
No. 927 0-6-0 Baldwin 1896 ex– Northern Pacific Railway
No. 2425 2-8-0 Alco (Sch) 1909 ex– Wisconsin Central/Soo Line

Diesel Locomotives
No. 2 S-4300 BLH 1956 ex– Bucyrus-Erie

Motor Cars
M-6 4-wheel IHC 2006 Built new by Erik Thompson

Passenger Cars
No. 221 First Class Coach Jackson & Sharp 1888 DSS&A
No. 1989 Sup. Car Wason Car Co. 1870 ex– Northern Pacific Railway
No. 529 Coach Pullman 1955 ex- Northern Pacific Railway
No. 2756 Triple Combine Milwaukee Shops 1938 ex– Milwaukee Road (CMStP&P)

Freight Cars
No. 8011 Wood Boxcar Pullman 1894 ex– D&IR (AT&SF reefer)
No. 54109 Flatcar Shoreham 1937 ex– Soo Line (1921 reefer car)
No. 54203 Flatcar Shoreham 1937 ex– Soo Line (1921 reefer car)
No. 135292 Wood Boxcar Pullman 1926 ex– Soo Line

Work Equipment
No. 276 Dynamometer NP/Baldwin 1928 ex– Northern Pacific
No. 69928 Kitchen/Cook DWP Shops 1952 ex– DW&P (rb 1916 boxcar)
No. 70010 Bunk Car DWP Shops 1946 ex– DW&P (rb 1916 boxcar)
No. 70037 Bunk Car DWP Shops 1940s ex– DW&P (rb from CB&Q boxcar)
X-3000 Tool Car Duluth Mfg. Co. 1892 ex– Duluth, Missabe & Northern
- Rail Truck International 1940s ex– Duluth & Northeastern

Cabooses
No. 6 Wood Caboose EJ&E Shops 1919 ex– EJ&E/Duluth & Northeastern
No. 119 Wood Caboose Missouri Car & F. 1887 ex– Soo Line
No. 206 Wood Caboose American Car & F.1906 ex– Soo Line
No. 572 Wood Caboose DSS&A Shops 1913 ex– DSS&A
No. 1666 Wood Caboose NP Como Shops 1907 ex– Northern Pacific Railway
No. 0870 Wood Bay wind. Milwaukee Shops 1910 ex– Milwaukee Road
No. 02212 Steel Bay wind. Thrall 1956 ex– Milwaukee Road