One of winter's last blasts of cold temparatures, snow and ice did not slow volunteers on Saturday, March 7, 2009. SHRA volunteers are beginning the process of cleaning out the debris and wood rot from the machine shop building in preparation of the major reconstruction that will take place in Fall 2009 and Spring 2010. The cleanup is necessary to allow the architectural and structural engineering firms access to the building for measuring the building for design plans and testing the structural integrity of the building to determine the amount of restoration work that will need to take place.
As a result of the historic preservation work and reconstruction effort, the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District will redevelop the machine shop as the MRHD Industrial Heritage Museum. The building will house an exhibit featuring a circa 1890s Corliss Stationary Steam Engine, a Frick refrigeration compressor, and a Worthington refrigeration compressor. The steam engine and compressors will be the largest surviving artifacts from the KD Station, former Swift packing plant, which is scheduled for demolition this summer. Efforts are underway to salvage the steam engine and compressors for transport to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops. The additional space in the machine shop building will be used for the display of large railroad equipment used by the different divisions of the railroad. For example, track building equipment may be displayed.
Major funding for the reconstruction of the machine shop building is being provided through grants from the Federal Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation, Vision Iowa Community Attractions and Tourism Program administered by the Iowa Department of Economic Development, Historic Sites Preservation Program administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa, and an Economic Development Grant administered by the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors. Additional fundings is coming from individual donations. The SHRA needs to raise an additional $50,000. The total reconstruction project is estimated at $750,000.
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