AG RAIL HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2013 - THIS SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 17th & 18th

Come on down to The Railroad Museum, Sioux City this weekend and help us celebrate the working relationship between the railroads and the great American farmers. Lots of displays will be set up for you learn about or teach your kids about the "good ole days". Live music, awesome food, trains, tractors, kids activities, operating model railroads, live antique threshers in operation, an antique tractor pull, petting zoo, pony rides and see an actual railroad roundhouse turntable in operation! There are lots of cool things to see and do at the AG Rail Heritage Festival. See the list below for times and more information about what is going on. We can't wait to see you!

Special admission fees for this event are:

• $6 for adults
• $4 for kids 12-18 years old
• Free for kids 0-11 with the paid admission of an accompanying adult.

Kids Activities – All Day

Motorcar Rides – All Day

Tractor Parade – 11:00am

Kids Pedal Tractor Pull – 1pm

Antique Tractor Pull – 2pm

Petting Zoo – All Day

Pony Rides – All Day

Turntable Demonstrations

(Saturday 10:30am, Noon, 2pm, 4pm, 5:30pm)

(Sunday 10:30am, Noon, 2pm, 3:30pm)

Music – All Day

Food  - All Day

Beverage Garden – Opens at Noon

Model Trains – All Day

Hay Rides – All Day

Ugliest Truck Contest

Noon – 4pm (Saturday Only)

Antique  Farming Demonstrations

West Field (threshing, plowing, shelling)

Northern Pacific Caboose #1318 gets a 100th Brirthday Present - New Paint!

With the help of a $1,000.00 grant from Security National Bank in Sioux City, Iowa. Volunteers of The Railroad Museum, Sioux City have been busy over the past 5 months saving another piece of American History. Northern Pacific Caboose #1318 was built in 1913 at the Tacoma, WA shops of the Northern Pacific Railway Company. This 24 foot wood caboose needed quite a bit of love to help restore it. One entire wall was severely rotted and required the wall supports to be jacked up so the wood and structural supports could be replaced. Two bunks and a table were also reinstalled to meet the original blueprint designs. Many external pieces of wood also needed to be replaced and new windows installed throughout. Although the restoration is not 100% with the upgrades, paint and repairs the caboose is now physically sound and our visitors will be able to see another beautiful piece of America's past.

This past Saturday, August 3rd, 2013, found our volunteers and volunteers from Security National Bank working side by side repainting the caboose back to it's original colors. Many people may remember this caboose as one the yellow cabooses that used to greet people at the KD Stockyard Station shopping complex that was built in the former Swift pork packing plant in the Sioux City Stockyards. Below are some before and after pictures of the painting party held this past Saturday. If our plans hold together and the weather cooperates the caboose painting will be complete and will be on outside display for all to see and walk through during our 11th Annual Ag/Rail Heritage Festival coming up on August 17th and 18th, Saturday 10 am - 6 pm and Sunday 10 am - 4 pm.

Our wonderful financial supporter and volunteers from Security National Bank. Thank You!

Northern Pacific Caboose #1318 returns back to it's original colors. This wood caboose was built in 1913 at the Northern Pacific Shops in Tacoma, WA. Happy 100th Birthday!

Interior view of the two newly re-installed bunks and folding table with the original two tone paint freshly applied. For those that have been in this caboose recently it was dark and dingy and hard to see. We have actually used it as a haunted caboose the past two years during our Halloween event. It is now bright and cheery.

Here is a look at the cupola area of the caboose. With the new windows and fresh paint it has really brightened up the inside of the caboose. The open area under the cupola seating originally had sliding doors and was used for storage. We intend to leave this area open, enclosed with plexiglass and lighting and house artifacts and other displays in this area in the future.

This is an actual picture of caboose #1318 while still in service. As you can see it was even in pretty rough condition at the time this undated photo was taken.

Here is a clearer photo of a sister caboose # 1324 which may give you a better idea of what the finished appearance of #1318 will look like when completed.

Gilchrist Foundation grant will boost site improvements

The Railroad Museum has been selected by Security National Bank to receive a $37,000 grant award from the Gilchrist Foundation of Sioux City. The funds will be used to transform and furnish the sand drying house as an audio visual theater for speaking and lecture events, film festivals, and other multi-media presentations. Funds are also earmarked to furnish and redevelop the oil house and store house foundation areas as an outdoor amphitheater. The funding is from the Gilchrist Foundation, a family-based foundation with a mission to further the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family in the arts, wildlife, conservation, public broadcasting, medical care and disasters. Security National Bank serves as trustee for the Gilchrist Foundation.

"Cruisin to Sioux City" Car Show , Satuday July 27th from 10 AM - 4 PM

Come attend the 2nd Annual "Cruisin to Sioux City" Car Show at the Railroad

Museum this Saturday from 10 AM - 4 PM.  Come see all the classic 

automobiles, street rods, and specialty vehicles.  Check out the railroad 

exhibits, take a train ride on the motor car, and enjoy all the classic 

cars. There will be food vendors, rock-n-roll music, and lots of fun for 

the whole family. 

All cars are welcome, and dash plaques will be presented to the 

first 100 cars. 

We Need Your Help!! Please Donate.

We are changing our name to something simple! The Railroad Museum, Sioux City

 

Over the years we have learned that our name The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is just too much of a mouthful for people to say or remember. Our name was modified, changed and substituted by many, even to include our own volunteers and the press. Last year we participated in a Branding Triangle survey and workshops in conjunction with JD Gordon Creative Labs a marketing consultation and creative services firm here in Sioux City. Although the name The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is the most accurate name for our in-side the fence part of the rail yard complex it also was very misunderstood.  Through our surveys and workshops we found that some folks thought the name represented a shopping mall or shopping center, some thought it was still an operating railroad and even others had no idea what the name meant at all. Only a few knew what we were about and even then still refereed to us as the railroad museum. Well, you don’t have to hit us over the head with a stick (too many times) for us to clue in. So, if you can’t beat them … join them. Many wonderful and intriguing names were dreamed up and tried out and yet as we learned, simple is best.

Our new name The Railroad Museum, Sioux City; it pretty much says it all. And it actually works better for our vision of the future and our long range goals. The Railroad Museum name encompasses the entire 31 acre complex. The actual Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District name will still be a part of the overall museum complex and location naming. The historic district is actually everything that is inside the fenced in area of the museum grounds. Due to the fact it is a Historic District there are certain guidelines and stipulations that we must follow to protect its historic integrity. Outside of the fenced area of the museum grounds we have a large riparian timberland area to our south and east to which we have designated as Nature Zones to help show off and protect the natural wonders and some of the critters surrounding the rail yard. To our west is a large field which is bordered by the Big Sioux River and a timbered river bank and our Historic District west fence.  This area encompasses our agricultural area for our antique farm equipment that is displayed during our AG-Rail Events in August. But, parts of it will also be repurposed into what we are calling our Railfield Recreational Area. This area will have play pockets built to give children a chance to play and burn off some energy in railroad themed learning and playground areas. This same area will also serve as a trail head connector between the City of Sioux Cities Big Sioux River Trail system and a proposed Stone State Park Trail System.

Also, although we are located in the old Milwaukee Road locomotive servicing shops we are not a Milwaukee Road only focused museum. We want to teach people about all the railroads that operated in and still work in our regional area. Sioux City once had 6 of these Roundhouse servicing facilities so we have a lot of history to cover and a responsibility to remember those other important work sites that so many people worked in, for and around.

So come on down to The Railroad Museum, Sioux City. We are still the same great place with the same great volunteers….we just now have an easier name to remember us by.

Crusin" to Sioux City Classic Car Show Postponed Until Sunday, May 26th

Due to the current and forecasted future rain and possible hail for today (Sunday May 19th) the Crusin' to Sioux City Classic Car Show has been postponed until next Sunday, May 26th. The show will be held at the same time from Noon- 4 PM.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but hopefully we'll get to see everyone next Sunday.