Subject: FW: Museum flooded in Central Wisconsin Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:57:03 -0500 Message-ID: <B46BC0C8F6373F43B0A84089442FE921014D9869@MEWMAD1P0129.enterprise.wistate.us> From: "Seymour, Janet I - WHS" <Janet.Seymour@wisconsinhistory.org>
List Serve members,
In response to Rick's request to let the local history list serve know
about flood damage, I'll pass along this notice, which was posted on
another museum list serve.
Janet Seymour
Field Services Representative - Northern Region
Wisconsin Historical Society
c/o Department of History, UW-Eau Claire
105 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire WI 54701
Voice: 715-836-2250
Web: www.wisconsinhistory.org <http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/>
________________________________
Posted on behalf of the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society and
Museum, recently plagued by the extensive flooding in Central Wisconsin.
Reports from Mid-Continent's Collections Manager are that the majority
of the museum's collections of smaller artifacts were removed to higher
ground as the flooding began, but that the outdoor exhibits (railcars,
rail equipment, historic buildings, etc.) have suffered greatly over the
past several days. The Mid-Continent Railway Museum and it's train
operations have been shut down until further notice.
--- Dear List,As many of you know, major flooding in Sauk county has dealt a severe blow to Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Early Monday morning, June 9th, the Baraboo River, which runs adjacent to our property, rose out of its banks after a weekend of very heavy rain. This was no typical spring flood though. The waters rose all day Monday and much of the day Tuesday. The river crested late Tuesday at over 28 feet as measured upstream at Rock Springs, which is more than seven feet higher that the highest stage on record and more than 20 feet above normal.
There is major damage to our museum property. The depot building is flooded several feet above the main floor and the passenger platform has washed away in places. The engine house, car shop, freight house and other small buildings all have several feet of water. The Coach Shed has several inches of water. All diesel locomotives have flooded traction motors. Nearly all the coaches have water above the journal boxes. The GBW 49 and Soo 2645 steam locomotives on the display track have water above the couplers. Copper Range 29 has been spared so far, with water still below the axles. The office building has several inches of water in the basement. There is no word yet on track or bridge conditions.
Obviously, all train operations are suspended until further notice and most likely for the season.
It is too early to tell the entire scope of the damage we have received or how we will go about recovering. For now, we will leave you with some sobering pictures from the museum. Click the links to several photo galleries on the webcam page, including a time-lapse movie from our webcams here:
Following is the official News Release that has been sent to media outlets around the Midwest by Mid-Continent General Manager, Don Meyer. Please feel free to pass the word along to anybody you know who may be interested and able to help in our recovery efforts.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mid-Continent Railway Museum P.O. Box 358 North Freedom, WI Contact person: Don Meyer, General Manager Office: 608-522-4261 dmeyer@midcontinent.org http://www.midcontinent.org <http://www.midcontinent.org/>
We've Met Our Match
For the first time in its 46 years of operations at North Freedom, the Mid-Continent Railway Museum has had to cancel its train rides.
"This is a point of pride for us," says Don Meyer the museum's general manager. "We have always told our guests that the train runs, rain or shine." Even last February's blizzard did not prevent the museum from holding its celebrated Snow Train event. But in this year's flooding Meyer admits the museum has finally met its match.
"The extent of the flood damage is so excessive," he reports, "that it looks like it will be a severe challenge for us to even stage our Autumn Color and Pumpkin Special events in October."
By the time the water crested Tuesday night every building except for the office, the highest point of the property, was inundated with water. The worst hit was the museum's 1894 Chicago & North Western depot.
"This is probably the most recognizable building on our property," Meyer says. "Every visitor walks through its doors to purchase their tickets for the ride. It's where your journey always begins." Now this historic icon has standing water in each of its rooms several inches deep.
Also hard hit is the museum's equipment. "We will literally be stuck in the mud once the water recedes," he admits. "We will likely need to truck our diesel engines to another site for clean-up and repair. The work will simply be too big for us to do ourselves."
The damage from the mud and water will also affect the coaches people ride in. "Nothing will move," Meyer promises, "until each car has its wheels and bearings cleaned and lubricated." So the work will have to take place outside right where the vintage equipment is currently standing for fear of doing further damage.
What is totally unknown at this time is the extent of the damage done to the museum's track. This includes the two bridges that are part of its four-mile route. In the final analysis, the rebuild of the bridges may confront the museum with its most costly repairs. It will depend on what a physical inspection reveals once the water level has gone down far enough for an informed assessment to be made.
All the main roads leading to the museum have been closed due to the high water. Still there have been a few venturesome people who have found a way to get there by locating the back roads that have not been affected by the flooding.
Everyone who makes it has camera in hand. The site of steam locomotives and railroad cars waist deep in the muddy current is just too amazing not to record. Meyer's weekly web log message ruefully refers to the museum's facility as Lake Mid-Continent.
Ironically something else that has been inundated is the museum's web site. Their service provider has asked Mid-Continent's webmasters to remove the link to its two web cams located on the property. Visits to the site were just too numerous for the provider to handle. As an alternative, a gallery of still images is being archived so people can view the water's invasion of the once active rail yard. Follow the links on our home page to view the pictures of the damage.
The museum is operated by the Mid-Continent Railway Historic Society, a Wisconsin not-for-profit corporation founded in 1959. Its collection of wooden cars is purported to be the largest in the country, many of them one-of-a-kind pieces that have been saved from destruction by the dedication of the society's members. Now that same task is confronting them again.
"We'll survive," Meyer says. "It's that point of pride we have about what has been accomplished here since we first moved our collection to North Freedom in 1963." The commitment of the society's members can be summed up in just four words, "The trains must run." And given time they will again.
Donations to aid with the clean-up and repair of the facility are tax-deductible and can be sent to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum's mailing address at PO Box 358, North Freedom, WI 53951. Donations can also be made via credit card through our website, www.midcontinent.org <http://www.midcontinent.org/> . All gifts are gratefully appreciated and will be properly receipted.