Sioux City History Preservation Week/National Train Day Event is a Success

The Sioux City History Preservation Week/National Train Day event, hosted on Saturday May 7, has started out the 2011 tourist season at the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District on a very positive footing. This year’s event was by far the most successful spring event we have ever hosted. The weather was beautiful and the newly refurbished Machine/Blacksmith Shop and the operating HO scale Nebraska Central Railroad were instant favorites among new and repeat visitors to the railroad museum complex.

According to Siouxland Historical Railroad Association (SHRA) President, Larry Obermeyer Jr. the preliminary attendance figures for this one day event are currently somewhere between 750 and 1000 people. A review of visitor registrations found that 19.2 percent of all the visitors were from a 30 mile radius of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Based on the minimum attendance figure of 750 this percentage equates to about 144 visitors from the Sioux Falls market area. This is a 15 percentage point increase versus normal attendance.

In addition to the uptick from the Sioux Falls market we also drew approximately 5.5%from the Omaha, Nebraska market area or nearly 50 visitors. This is extremely good considering the competion of the well established Omaha market areas National Train Day events that were hosted by the Union Pacific Museum, the Durham Museum, and the Fremont, Nebraska, Elk Horn Valley Railroad. This market area was up about 2 percentage points over normal attendance. The remainders of the visitors were from the greater Sioux City area.

Many positive comments were heard from our repeat visitors about the progress that has been made over the past year. Comments referring to the additional buildings being brought on-line allowing us to display more artifacts and the many improvements in the grounds presentation and upkeep have helped to provide a very fun and positive experience to all our visitors.

SHRA Vice President, Matt Merk stated, “It’s very rewarding to hear these encouraging comments from our guests. It proves that the vision of this private non-profit organization and its 100% volunteer work force believe in its potential as a very important educational and entertainment destination. It also shows that the efforts of our 57 volunteers that logged in over 14,000 hours of sweat equity into this complex last year have not gone unnoticed and the people of Sioux City do appreciate what we are trying to accomplish.”

Sioux City History Week & National Train Day - Saturday, May 7th

Our first big event of the year is schedule for Saturday, May 7th running from 10am till 4 pm. This year we are combining two events into one fun filled day. This year, along with anchoring the week long Sioux City History Week celebrations we are also celebrating Amtrak’s 40th birthday with National Train Day festivities.

Over the fall and winter, progress has not stopped at the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District located in the Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City, Iowa. As a matter of fact, improvements are coming in leaps and bounds. The dedicated group of volunteers has been busy and so have the construction crews. The newly saved Machine/Blacksmith shop will be open for public viewing. This is the future home of the St Louis Corliss steam engine that we saved from the bottom of KD Station before it was torn down. You can talk with the people involved with its rescue and find out the latest updates on the restoration and plans to bring it back to life. Also on display will be some old belt driven lathes, drill presses and other machines that would have actually been used in the machine shop.

Our newest building, the civil engineering exhibit hall will be open and our feature exhibit the Nebraska Central Railroad will actually have trains running on it for public display for the first time in over 15 years. This 75 foot x 15 foot HO scale layout has been getting worked very hard since it was reassembled from storage last fall. If you saw it last fall at AG/Rail you’ll be amazed at the progress that has been made. The buildings are lighted once again, track has been removed, replaced and re-wired. Buildings that we originally thought were destroyed beyond repair have been masterfully put back together and returned to their rightful spots on the layout. While there is still a considerable amount of work yet to be done, you'll be pleased and excited over the progress that has occured. Please give our dedicated model railroad volunteers a firm handshake and a resounding WELL DONE for the amount of work that has been accomplished in such a short period of time.

Other things you’ll note are the many new interpretive display boards that have been added to increase your enjoyment and learning while looking at the various exhibits. A new feature being added for this event is the Hayrack Ride Tours. Jump on the hayrack ride and learn about the complex as you travel around the complex from one location to another. Jump off at a building and go inside and learn more then get back on the hayrack and travel to the next stop. You are sure to learn something new, fun and fascinating while visiting the complex on this ride. If you still would like to learn more about Sioux City and its relationships with the railroads you defiantly won’t want to miss the one and only Dr. Rudy Daniels giving another one of his great talks in the Machine/Blacksmith Shop at 1:30 pm. Also, if you get hungry, you can feed your family and help others in need the same time. The Trio Group from WITTC will be on hand with hot eats. All the proceeds from the food sales go toward scholarship funds and other worthwhile charities that this wonderful group provides for.

Make your plans now! Invite your friends, neighbors, grandparents, grandkids, aunts and uncles this is the family outing you’ve been waiting for. Come celebrate Sioux City and the railroads. Come on out to the Milwaukee Railroad Historic Shops at 3400 Sioux River Road, “Where history, science and technology are coupled together”.
Admission: $5 for adults, $2.50 for kids. Motor car rides are $1.

Machine/Blacksmith Shop Restoration Nears Completion

Late in the fall of 2010 contractor Audino Construction started the refurbishment of the Machine/Blacksmith Shop. Another historical industrial building has been saved with help of grants from Federal and State agencies the Iowa State Transportation Enhancement Act and Vision Iowa providing the majority of the funding for this project. This structure during it's heyday was home to hundreds of skilled machinists, blacksmiths, welders, and pipfitters. Operating the largest and most sophisticated machinery in the tri-state area from the 1920's and into the 1950's . This building will find new life as an industrial display hall featuring industrial steam machines and other tools and machines used during this time frame. The staring exhibit will the 1911 St. Louis Corliss steam engine that we saved from the basement of the former Swift Pork Packing plant (KD Station) in the Sioux City Stockyards just days prior to it's demolition. The work accomplished by Audino Construction during the fall and winter has included; re-tuck pointing all the brick work, replacing the roof, removing the old rotted window frames and replaced them with all new windows, re-opened doors that that have been long covered and closed by concrete, and installed new freight doors at both ends of the building.

Future fund raising will be needed to accomplish repair of the floor, building the Corliss foundation and installation of electrical and HVAC. We are gradually winning the reclamation battle of this industrial complex and converting it into what will become a nationally recognized science and technology museum that all of Siouxland will be proud of.

The wheels of progress turn slowly but just like the great steam trains of the past we just keep chugging along. Come on out and check us out, you'll be glad you did. The Milwaukee Railroad Historic District; Where railroad history, science and technology are coupled together.

Vote daily for UP Excursion to Sioux City

Reminder, please be sure to vote for Sioux City as part of the Union Pacific Excursion program. The link is as follows:

http://x.up.com/6871

Vote for Sioux City and Live Steam

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You can help bring a live steam locomotive to Sioux City! That's right. See one of the the few remaining living, breathing, giants from the past. Right here in your very own backyard. The Union Pacific Railroad is asking YOU to vote for the next scheduled stops for it's two world famous steam excursion trains. Click on the banner above, watch the short video and VOTE FOR SIOUX CITY!

Vote once --- vote often -- JUST VOTE! This is one opportunity you really don't want to pass us by.

Schedule Sneak Peek for Halloween at the Roundhouse

Here's a special sneek peek at the schedule of events that we have planned. If you're looking for something fun to do as a family this is eactly what you're looking for. We hope to see you there!

You're Invited! Halloween at the Roundhouse

It's that time of the year again. The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping, and the days are growing shorter. YEEAAA! That can only mean one thing. Halloween at the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is just around the corner. Save the date! This is an all out total family fun fest that you definitely do not want to miss. It's only 4 hours long! So come early and stay for the whole event, it will be over before you know it. And there is one thing for sure.... you'll be glad you did. There is more parking this year so bring your friends & neighbors we don't want anyone to miss out.