Milwaukee Railroad Shops to participate in Museum Day Event

Milwaukee Railroad Shops to participate in Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day

5th Annual Museum Day to be held September 26

(Sioux City, IA) - On Saturday, September 26, 2009 the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, located in the north Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City, will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day presented by Smithsonian Magazine.

Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions across the country open their doors free of charge to the general public, Smithsonian Magazine readers, and Smithsonian.com visitors. Smithsonian Museum Day is a national celebration of culture, learning, and the dissemination of knowledge. Smithsonian’s Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine. Last year, upwards of 200,000 people attended Museum Day, with all 50 states plus Puerto Rico represented by over 900 participating museums. This year, Smithsonian Magazine expects over 1,000 museums to participate in the special day event. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District was selected as one of the participating museums.

“We are honored to be part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day and to have the opportunity to celebrate this event on Saturday, September 26,” said Jon Wagoner, SHRA president. “Our railroad museum project has an ever growing collection of railroad artifacts that are being donated by area residents for future exhibits. Being part of the 2009 Museum Day event helps our organization to increase awareness about the industrial heritage, cultural and educational phases of preserving the Milwaukee Railroad Shops and how the nearly century-old buildings will be utilized to house exhibits and railroad equipment displays.”

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District features an excellent collection of historic steam locomotive-era buildings dating from 1917. This historic collection features a restored roundhouse with turntable, machine shop building, carpenter shop, sand drying house, and wood sand tower.

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is home to Sioux City’s Landmark Steam Locomotive, Ironhorse 1355, and a collection of railroad cars and artifacts that represent over 140 years of railroad history in the tri-state area. All most all of the artifacts have been donated by individuals, including former railroad workers and their family members. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops is being developed as an industrial science and history museum focusing on the North American railroad industry.

Visitors to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District must present the Smithsonian Magazine’s Admission Card or Coupon for free admission to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District. The free admission coupon is downloadable at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. In addition, the free admission coupon is being published twice a week in the Sioux City Journal. Each downloadable card or coupon provides museum access for two people.

Regular Admission to the railroad museum is $4.00 for adults; $3.00 for senior citizens (age 50 and older); $2.00 for children and students (age 6 to 18); and free for children under age 5 accompanied by an adult. A portion of the admission fee that is collected is earmarked for historic preservation work on the buildings, locomotives, rolling stock and artifact that form the railroad museum’s collections and exhibits.

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is located along the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, State Highway 12, in the north Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City. For more information visit the railroad museums website at MilwaukeeRailroadShops.org or call 712-233-6996.

Ag-Rail Schedule of Events

Click on right photo to expand.

Ag-Rail Festival Set for Saturday and Sunday, August 15th and 16h

(Sioux City, IA) - Ag-Rail, the tri-state region’s annual celebration of its agricultural and railroad heritage, returns to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District in Sioux City this Saturday and Sunday, August 15th and 16th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This festival, now in its seventh year, is one of the tri-state region’s family-oriented festivals that provides over 14 hours of programming focusing on our historical and musical roots in agriculture and railroading. The festival attracts over 65 exhibitors from three states and draws over 3,000 visitors from as far away as Colorado, Illinois and Canada.

The annual Ag-Rail Festival is a signature event produced by the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association in partnership with vintage tractor enthusiasts from the tri-state region interested in the restoration, preservation and safe operation of vintage tractors and historic farm machinery.

Festival-goers will enjoy a variety of country and bluegrass music. The tractor and farm machinery enthusiasts will demonstrate their vintage iron and threshing machinery. The SHRA will provide exhibits and displays of railroad equipment, along with motor car rides. Field demonstrations this year will include oat threshing, corn shelling and field plowing. A tractor pull and tractor parade will be held both days.

Special activates are planned for children, including a kids peddle tractor pull both days. Several model railroad displays, including a Thomas the Tank Engine layout and an O scale layout, will be on display and operational for the public. A petting zoo and inflatable play areas will be open to the public for an additional fee.

This year’s historic railroad exhibits will feature the restored steam locomotive “Ironhorse 1355.” On Saturday, the locomotive will be on display inside the roundhouse building for cab tours and photo opportunities of kids sitting in the engineer and fireman seats. On Sunday, weather permitting, the locomotive will be rolled out of the roundhouse at 9:00 a.m. for public photo opportunities of the locomotive next to the turntable. According to Matt Merk, festival director, “The roll-out of the engine will enable the public to capture photographs of the locomotive in daylight. We are only going to allow day-light photo opportunities on rare occasions. This year’s Ag-Rail Festival is one of those special events where we will bring the locomotive out of the roundhouse.”


Admission to the festival will be $2.00 for individuals age 13 and over – children under 12 will be admitted free with paid adult admissions. Proceeds from the Festival help support the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, the surrounding farmland and habitat areas, and ongoing Festival expenses.

Built in 1917, the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, an official project of the Save America’s Treasures Program and a Preserve America site, is located adjacent to the Big Sioux River and Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, on State Highway 12 in Sioux City’s north Riverside neighborhood – approximately two miles south of Stone State Park.

Due to the reconstruction of I-29 Iowa Exit 151 in Riverside, visitors are encouraged to use I-29 South Dakota Exit 2 and exit east on to River Drive, and turn right to head south on Military Road until reaching the junction of Highway 12 and Military Road. At this junction, turn left to head back north on State Highway 12 towards the historic district, which is approximately 2 miles south of Stone State Park.

All tractors, machinery are welcomed for display – running or not. If you are interested in displaying your vintage iron, tractors, or other historic farm machinery, the historic district will be open on Friday, August 14th, to allow you the opportunity to set up your display. For more information on how you may become an exhibitor, please call 712-276-6432 or e-mail shra@cableone.net.

Volunteers Needed for AG-RAIL 2009

Have you had the desire in the past to be a volunteer, but were afraid that you might not know enough about the Roundhouse Complex to be able to answer questions or help out other visitors? Well, here's your chance to come out and lend a hand! Saturday & Sunday Aug. 15th and 16th is our 7th annual, signature festival - AG/RAIL 2009. This year we are expecting over 4000 people to visit the site over the two days and extra assistance is needed to help us pull this off. We have a varitiy of position openings ranging from ticket booth attendants for the main gate and motor car rides, parking lot attendants, phone receptionist, to Docents and Tour Guides just to name a few. You don't even have to work a full day! We split up our shifts into two hour intervals so you can work a varity of positions or just work one shift and play the rest of the day! If you would like to assist or want more information please drop us an e-mail at shra@cableone.net . There will also be orientation training on Saturday, Aug 8th at 1:30 pm to get you aquainted with the complex and other volunteers. You'll be given a personel tour by our staff to fill you in on the history behind all the buildings and rolling stock to make you more comfortable talking with our guests.

Drop us line and come on down to lend a hand! You won't beleive how many smiles you can put on peoples faces - you'll be glad you did!

Site clearing begins on new exhibit building area

Volunteers have started to remove debris, junk, and tress from the area that will house the new exhibit building focusing on civil engineering and model railroading. The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association is in need of volunteers who can provide general labor and grounds clean up assistance. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the railroad museum on Fridays by calling 712-233-6996 for more details, or e-mail shra@cableone.net.

Volunteers are adviced to dress appropriately for working around shrubbs, plants, and trees; as well as metal and debris. Please wear appropriate shoes and gloves. All volunteers are asked to sign a hold-harmless waiver.

Holiday Hours - July 4, 2009

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District's roundhouse museum and gift shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, July 3rd and 4th, 2009.

Cameron Steam Pump donated for STEAM Locomotion Exhibit

Reporter: Odell Overgaard


A new addition to the STEAM Locomotion exhibit program was added on Friday June 19th. Mark Paulsen of Westway Terminals arranged for the donation of the Cameron Steam pump to the Siouxland Railroad Historical Association. This pump was last used to transfer Molasses from rail cars to storage tanks at the Westway terminal in Sioux City. The pump was in continuous use until three years ago when Westway discontinued handling Molasses. The 5100 lb pump has a steam cylinder is 16 inches in diameter with a 20 inch stroke. The pumping cylinder is 12 inches in diameter. The pump has a 10 inch intake and an 8 inch discharge pipe. In its previous uses, it was located at the barge terminal and used to transfer liquids from barges.

The Cameron Steam Pump likely started out being used in a large Naval ship, such as a battleship, before it was converted to transfer pumping at a local barge station and later at Westway Terminals. The steam pump’s build date is placed in the timeframe of 1900 to 1910.The pump will be joined by the KD Corliss steam engine and Ammonia compressor later this year. Its new home will be in the Former Milwaukee Railroad Machine shop. The Cameron Steam Pump will be restored to operating condition and be on display at the Milwaukee Shops Historic District for all to see. When all restoration is completed, the pump will be demonstrated at events to show how steam technology was adapted and used in the Sioux City industrial complexes.

General information on the pump:

16” cylinder

12” water cylinder

20” stroke

Weight: 5100 pounds

Floor space: 102 in. X 41 in.

Boiler Horsepower needed: 4000 psi