Construction and revenue service

From 1901 to 1908, the Chicago and North Western (C&NW) Railroad ordered 325 R-1 class 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler" locomotives from the American Locomotive Company's (ALCO) Schenectady, New York plant and the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and they were the most manufactured class of steam locomotives on the railroad.^[1] Equipped with 63-inch (1,600 mm) diameter driving wheels and a tractive effort of 30,900 pounds-force (137 kN), the R-1's were the most powerful class of locomotives on the C&NW, until the introduction of the Z class 2-8-0's in 1909.^[4] When first built, the R-1 locomotives' route availabilities were drastically limited, so the C&NW had to reconstruct their rail infrastructure to accommodate them.^[5] By 1939, the R-1's were permitted to travel all across the C&NW system, when necessary.^[5]

While they were primarily used in freight service, some R-1's were also used to pull passenger trains, such as the commuter services around Chicago, Illinois.^[4] No. 1385 was one of twenty-five R-1's to be built by ALCO in March 1907—the first of four batches of R-1's to be built throughout that year.^[6] The locomotive was mostly assigned by the C&NW to work within the Lake Shore Division, which consisted of lines that led to iron ore mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.^[4] Beginning in 1915, the C&NW installed superheaters in all their R-1 locomotives, and No. 1385 was one of the last R-1's to receive superheaters, being rebuilt at Ashland, Wisconsin in March 1931.^[7][8] No. 1385's last commercial assignment on the railroad was to serve as a yard switcher at Iron Mountain, Michigan in the summer of 1956, before its revenue career ended; it became the very last steam locomotive to operate at Iron Mountain.^[4][9]

Since it had several months of flue time left, No. 1385 was towed to Green Bay, Wisconsin to serve as a stationary boiler for a C&NW-owned freight house.^[4][9] In the spring of 1959, the R-1 was towed again to Escanaba, Michigan, where its boiler was used to thaw frozen iron ore.^[4][9][10] No. 1385 was also retained as a backup for steam-heating passenger trains, since it had been modified with steam-heating equipment.^[9][10] By 1961, with the C&NW acquiring electric generator cars, No. 1385's steam-heating capabilities were no longer needed.^[10] By that time, No. 1385 was one of only two steam locomotives remaining under C&NW's possession, with the other being fellow R-1 No. 175, and the railroad was looking to have them both sold off.^[10][11]

Early preservation years

In 1960, members of the Railway Historical Society of Milwaukee, Wisconsin entered negotiations with the C&NW about acquiring one of the two R-1's.^[4][10] The railroad offered to sell the still-operable No. 1385 for its scrap value of $2,600, while they asked for more money for No. 175, due to its heavier weight.^[4][10][12] The Historical Society decided that buying No. 1385 was the better deal.^[10] To raise funds, the Society formed the "Enginemen's Operating Club"; each member would be asked to loan $100 to the society for a span of two years, and any member who contributed would be rewarded with privileges to help operate and maintain the locomotive.^[4][10] Twenty-nine members contributed to the Historical Society's needs, and they managed to purchase No. 1385 directly from the C&NW on November 24, 1961.^[4]

Following the purchase, the Historical Society began to look into relocating out of Milwaukee and into a location with enough space to store their growing collection.^[13] The society then reached an agreement with the Hillsboro and Northeastern Railway (H&NE) to have their collection stored in Hillsboro, and the group changed its name to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (MCRM).^[11][13] No. 1385 was moved from Escanaba to Hillsboro in early 1962, and while it was repainted for display, it never operated on the H&NE.^[13] The museum soon operated a celebration train for its grand opening on May 26 from Hillsboro to the H&NE-C&NW interchange at Union Center.^[4][14][15] No. 1385 participated in the ceremonial moment by breaking through a banner, but it wasn't in operation, as it was pushed by another locomotive.^[14][15]

By the end of 1962, the MCRM decided to relocate their collection again.^[13] Simultaneously, the C&NW obtained permission to abandon their Rattlesnake Line, a 4.2-mile (7 km) branch line that lies between North Freedom and a quartzite quarry near Rattlesnake.^[13][15] The MCRM bought the Rattlesnake Line from the railroad on May 17, 1963, and the museum did some minor repairs on No. 1385 to have the locomotive operate for their first excursion season on the branch.^[11][15][16] The R-1 performed its first run on the new MCRM line on May 27, and it subsequently pulled tourist trains for the MCRM for ninety-four days.^[1][15][16] By the end of 1963, No. 1385 began experiencing boiler problems, so it was removed from service, and the MCRM's trains continued to be hauled by other locomotives, such as Dardanelle and Russellville (D&R) No. 9.^[15][17][18] In the early 1970s, work began to return the R-1 to active service.^[11][17]

During the process, No. 1385's original tender, which held a capacity of 7,500 U.S. gallons (28,391 L) of water and 10 tonnes (9.8 long tons; 11.0 short tons) of coal, was found to be in poor condition, so the MCRM searched for a replacement.^[11][17] In 1972, the museum purchased a smaller tender (No. X-263579) from the C&NW, and it was formerly paired with an older R-1, holding a capacity of 5,400 U.S. gallons (20,441 L) of water and 9 tonnes (8.9 long tons; 9.9 short tons) of coal.^[11][17] No. 1385 returned to service for the MCRM on July 29, 1973, and it would be paired with the smaller tender for the next several years.^[1][11][17] A decision was also made to reduce the R-1's boiler pressure from 200 psi (1,379 kPa) to 150 psi (1,034 kPa) for the tourist operations.^[19] As the museum acquired and leased other locomotives, including D&R No. 9, Western Coal and Coke No. 1, and eventually Saginaw Timber No. 2, No. 1385 would swap places with them as it rotated in and out of service.^[15][18][20] During the 1970s, C&NW's Madison, Wisconsin trainmaster, Chris Burger, familiarized the MCRM, and in doing so, he became fond of the No. 1385 locomotive.^[15][21]

Chicago and North Western steam program

By July 1981, following the start of the early 1980s recession and the bankruptcy of the Milwaukee Road, the public opinion of railroads around the Milwaukee area was souring, and C&NW management explored ways to publicize their company's healthy operations.^[15][21] Chris Burger, who was promoted manager of the road's Wisconsin Division, proposed an idea of a steam program to the C&NW’s Vice President-operations, James A. Zito, and the C&NW’s President, James R. Wolfe, and Burger felt No. 1385 would be the ideal locomotive for the program.^{[15][21][22][lower-alpha 1]} Wolfe envisioned the benefits, but he also felt the company couldn't afford to support a full-blown program with the ongoing recession.^[15][22] Burger subsequently proposed a limited operation on the Wisconsin Division during the 1982 National Transportation Week, to which Zito and Wolfe approved.^[15][22]

Burger approached the MCRM's board of directors about the C&NW leasing No. 1385 for the operation, and he requested the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to inspect the R-1 for eligibility to operate on the mainline.^[15][23] The MCRM board approved the lease, and the FRA gave their approval, but they also stated the running gear needed repairs that required a drop pit.^[15][23] Burger contacted the C&NW's repair facility in Green Bay, where railroaders with steam experience, including motive power foreman Al Kawalek, were still employed.^[15][23] To prep No. 1385 for the long-distance operations, MCRM crews extended the coal boards on the tender for extra coal capacity, they paired the locomotive with a Milwaukee Road auxiliary car for extra water capacity, and they installed a multiple-unit device to control diesel locomotives.^[11][23][24]

The R-1 left North Freedom for a two-day run to Green Bay on April 9, 1982, and the journey was unannounced as to not attract public attention.^[23][24] After it arrived in Green Bay, Kawalek's volunteer crews used a drop pit to strip the locomotive of its driving wheels and axle boxes for reworking, and they made minor repairs to the tender.^[23][24] On May 11, No. 1385 performed a test run northward to Oconto, where it subsequently met a southbound C&NW inspection train led by EMD F7's and hosted by the railroad's Vice President-Transportation, Edward Burkhardt.^[23][24] Upon arrival in Oconto, the F7's broke down, and Burger arranged a power switch to have No. 1385 take the inspection train to Green Bay, with Ed Burkhardt sitting behind the throttle.^[23][24]

The 1982 National Transportation Week began on May 15, when No. 1385 was displayed with the "Prosperity Special" train in Green Bay for the Chicago and North Western Historical Society (C&NWHS) convention.^{[25][lower-alpha 2]} The train, consisting of an EMD GP50, six modern freight cars, a caboose, and two business cars, was created as a public spiritual message of optimism that the C&NW invested in new motive power and rolling stock, despite the ongoing recession.^[22][23][25] On May 16, No. 1385 pulled the Prosperity Special from Green Bay to Milwaukee.^[23][24][25] En-route to Milwaukee, No. 1385 stalled from the multiple-unit device controlling the GP50; the device was set to move in reverse while the control was set to move forward.^[23] After being displayed at Butler Yard in the Milwaukee-area for several days, the Prosperity Special traveled to Chicago, Janesville, and Madison for display stops, before the operation ended in North Freedom, on May 25.^{[24][25][lower-alpha 3]}

Following the success of the Prosperity Special, George Maybee, manager of C&NW's Iowa Division, asked if it were possible for No. 1385 to pull public excursions out of Boone and over the Kate Shelley High Bridge.^[26] With arrangements being made, No. 1385 pulled the excursions in Boone in September during the annual "Pufferbilly Days" event with two C&NW F7's and three bilevel passenger cars on loan from Metra, and all trips were filled to capacity.^[24][26] Following the Pufferbilly Days event, Burger again asked Wolfe and other C&NW management to initiate a full-blown steam program, and they gave their approval, with Ed Burkhardt providing financial support for the program.^[24][27] On December 17, the C&NW signed an agreement with the MCRM to lease No. 1385 for the next four years.^[24]

The boiler, frame, and running gear of No. 1385 in storage on February 6, 2010

After traveling from Boone to Chicago for display at Madison Street Station, No. 1385 returned to Green Bay to undergo an FRA-mandated overhaul.^[24][26] Kawalek's volunteer crews removed the tubes and piping from the boiler, but due to a lack of available replacement tubes, No. 1385 was shipped on December 13 to the Milwaukee Boiler Manufacturing Company.^[24][26][28] In Milwaukee, crews replaced part of the rear tube sheet and placed a patch on the boiler.^[11][24] In early May 1983, the R-1 was returned to Green Bay for reassembly, and on May 30, No. 1385 traveled to Butler Yard.^[24][28] In Butler, Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Hilton arranged for the locomotive to participate in the "Butler Railroad Days" event by pulling "Butler 400" excursion trips, and No. 1385 carried over 4,500 passengers during the event.^[24][28]

In the ensuing years, the C&NW would help groups raise funds by making 1385-led trips available for them to sponsor.^[28][29] No. 1385 would travel across other portions of the railroad's network, traveling as far west as Council Bluffs, Iowa, as far south as Des Moines, Iowa, and as far north as Duluth, Minnesota and Escanaba.^[24] The locomotive also ran along routes in Iowa the C&NW had acquired from other companies, such as the Chicago Great Western (CGW), the Minneapolis and St. Louis (M&StL), and the Rock Island (RI).^[24] With C&NW trackage rights, the locomotive travelled on the Milwaukee Road to Winona, Minnesota and the Burlington Northern (BN) to Superior, Wisconsin.^[24]

In 1985, following a twelve-year hiatus, the Circus World Museum (CWM) of Baraboo, Wisconsin, hosted the annual circus parade in Milwaukee, and arrangements were made for No. 1385 to power the CWM's "Great Circus Train" on the C&NW main line on July 10.^[19][30][31] For 1986, the C&NW created a full slate of trains for No. 1385 to pull, including a series of fundraising trips for the MCRM.^[27][28] That same year, an insurance crisis broke out within the railroad industry, causing premium prices to go up, and most of C&NW's slated 1986 trips were cancelled.^[27][28] No. 1385 only operated three trains that year; a C&NW employee open house in May, that year's Great Circus Train on July 8, and the Pufferbilly Days special in September.^[27][32]

On July 7, 1987, No. 1385 was tasked to lead that year's Great Circus Train, but as it began to depart Baraboo, the R-1 suffered a superheater failure and sputtered.^[20][33] While the train continued to Janesville behind an EMD SD60, No. 1385 was quickly towed back to the MCRM to undergo emergency repairs by museum workforces.^[20][33] The discovered cause of the failure was a nipple bolt breaching open, resulting in one superheater unit bending out of shape.^[34] The removal, repairs, and re-installation of the superheater took twelve hours for twenty members and all the museum volunteers to complete, and the progress was monitored and televised by a Milwaukee television station crew.^[34][35] At midnight, No. 1385 was towed to Janesville to catch up with the CWM train, and despite the train having a slight delay in departing Janesville, it arrived in Milwaukee on schedule.^[34][35]

After the event, the CWM train returned to Baraboo behind diesel locomotives, while No. 1385 ran to Chicago for display at Madison Street Station for the sesquicentennial of the city.^[28] While the MCRM continued to keep No. 1385 in working order, the insurance crisis caused the C&NW to undergo dramatic changes, with routes continuing to be abandoned and sold off, divisions being consolidated, and workforces being cut.^[27][29] The C&NW's management also changed after 1986; Wolfe died of cancer, Zito retired from the railroad, Burger left for Central Vermont (CV), and Ed Burkhardt left to create Wisconsin Central (WC).^[15][27][36] New management of the railroad had no interest in running steam, with President Robert Schmiege feeling the use of No. 1385 reinforced the image of trains being low-tech antiques.^[29][36]

Final years of 20th-century operations

With No. 1385 without a host, but still FRA-certified for mainline service, the MCRM looked into running the R-1 on other railroads while helping communities that still wanted to sponsor steam excursions.^[27] On October 11, as part of MCRM's annual ''Fall Color Weekend'' event, No. 1385 was paired with C&NW EMD GP7 No. 1518, which was borrowed from the Illinois Railway Museum for the occasion.^[37] On October 31 and November 1, No. 1385 pulled three excursions each day on the Wisconsin and Calumet (WICT) between Brodhead and Monroe, Wisconsin, and the trips were sponsored by the Broadhead Historical Society, Jaycees, and Lions Club.^[27][37] During its tenure on WICT, No. 1385 assisted another EMD GP7 in pulling a grain train.^[27] After returning to North Freedom, the R-1 underwent some major boiler repairs, with a new smokebox being fabricated.^[8][38] No. 1385 subsequently returned to WICT to pull yearly fall excursions on the railroad's main line in 1988, 1989, and 1990.^[27] Throughout 1991, the locomotive remained in North Freedom to receive additional boiler repairs; scale was cleaned out, and old boiler tubes were replaced.^[27]

No. 1385's driving wheels undergoing repairs at the Strasburg Rail Road on July 18, 2014

In June and July 1992, the MCRM operated No. 1385 on a 1,000-mile tour over the Wisconsin and Southern (WSOR) and the WC, and WSOR owner Bill Gardner and WC owner Ed Burkhardt both generously allowed the R-1 to operate on their rail lines.^[24][27][39] On the WSOR, No. 1385 pulled freight trains between Horicon, Cambria, and Oshkosh, and on the WC, it pulled public excursions between Wausau and Merrill.^[27][39] During its tenure on WC, No. 1385 climbed a 1%-plus grade of the railroad's Byron Hill.^[27][39] During the Fourth of July weekend, the locomotive pulled excursions on the WSOR from Horicon to Brown Deer in the Milwaukee-area.^[27][39] After having carried over 8,600 passengers on the WSOR and WC, No. 1385 returned to North Freedom on July 6, with an ALCO C415 locomotive in tow for donation to the MCRM.^[27]

In July 1993, during that year's National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) Convention, No. 1385 was scheduled to pull a "Mid-Continent 400" excursion to LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, where passengers were to be transferred from a Metra train to the excursion for a ride on the WSOR to Janesville.^[40][41][42] That year's Great Flood landlocked the MCRM, as their interchange with the C&NW at North Freedom was washed out by heavy rain.^[42][43] As a result, convention officials cancelled the Mid-Continent 400 trip, and No. 1385 was used to move ballast cars, while ticket-buyers generously donated their refunds to the MCRM's needs.^[41][42][43]

In 1994, after No. 1385 pulled the MCRM's annual Snow Train, it was discovered that the locomotive's left front driving wheel hub had moved inward on its axle.^[38] Consequently, No. 1385's driving wheels had to be removed to undergo repairs.^[44][45][46] The wheels were trucked to Norfolk Southern's shop complex in Birmingham, Alabama, where many cracks were discovered under the layers of black paint, so they had to be gouged and rewelded.^[38] Repairs on the running gear took 1,000 hours of volunteer labor and cost $60,000 to complete.^[47] By September 12, the wheels returned to North Freedom and were reinstalled on the R-1, and No. 1385 returned to service again on October 2.^[47] That same day, the locomotive was repainted as Delaware, Lackawanna and Western (DLW) No. 1053 to be filmed with the museum's authentic DLW passenger coaches for a documentary, and it was slated to be shown at Steamtown National Historic Site of Scranton, Pennsylvania.^[6][47][48] In the spring of 1995, the C&NWHS hosted their annual meet at the MCRM, with No. 1385 performing some photo runbys for the meet.^[49] On June 30, 1998, No. 1385 was removed from service to undergo firebox repairs.^[1][12]

21st-century renovation

On May 18, 2000, No. 1385 became listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[1] Without an operable steam locomotive, yearly visitor attendance at the MCRM plummeted, so museum officials planned to return steam operations to lure visitors back.^[12][50] They initially estimated that repairs on No. 1385 would cost $125,000 to complete, but a closer inspection revealed that the locomotive would require a full-blown $750,000 rebuild to operate again, and it was discovered that the condition of No. 1385's boiler reached the point of no return.^[12][50][51] The project was subsequently stalled by varying challenges, including a lack of funding, the Great Recession, and a 2008 flood that damaged the museum's property, and the R-1 was stored on a side line, for the time being.^[12][50][52]

In 2011, Wag-Aero co-founders Dick and Bobbie Wagner arranged for the Wagner Foundation to donate a $250,000 matching grant to the MCRM, and they made a solemn promise to help further fund No. 1385's rebuild.^[12][51][53] It was re-estimated that the project would cost $2 million to complete, making it the most expensive restoration project in MCRM's history.^[12][50][54] The museum contracted SPEC Machine to help restore the No. 1385, and after the locomotive was disassembled, the frame and running gear were shipped to SPEC's machine shop in rural Middleton, Wisconsin.^[12][52][54] Afterward, the frame of the front pilot truck was replaced, and the driving wheels were sent to the Strasburg Rail Road's restoration shop in Pennsylvania to be repaired before returning to Middleton.^[52][54]

Progress on the project required some tools to be custom-made, and a number of old photos, books, encyclopedias, and blueprints were used as references.^[54][55] No. 1385's wooden cab was sent to Fond du Lac, where it served as a model for a replacement to be built.^[52] A new welded boiler for the R-1 was initially planned to be constructed by Hamon Deltak of Plymouth, Minnesota, but in 2016, construction on the boiler began by Continental Fabricators in St. Louis.^{[54][56][lower-alpha 4]} In 2017, the frame and running gear were removed from SPEC's machine shop, lifted via crane, and rolled into a larger adjacent building, which was built specifically to house No. 1385 for the remainder of its rebuild.^[53][56]

In September 2019, the new boiler was moved to Middleton, lifted via crane, and fitted onto the frame.^[56] Following the lock-downs during the COVID-19 pandemic, restoration work on the locomotive continued at a slower pace, but SPEC's owner, Steve Roudebush, set the project as a high priority.^[12][51]