Presston (MN) Historical Society MILW Rolling Stock.

[Otto Vondrak]

Thanks for sharing those pictures! Car looks great. When do you start on lettering?

-otto-

[Komachi]

Otto,

More pics to come as work progresses...


Graphics probably won't be put on the car until spring. We're going to paint the boxcar in the "Bilboard" scheme that was on the car when we acquired it.

Now, speaking of graphics...


We had our Novermber meeting last night, and it was suggested that we have a scale drawing of the car done as an aid for the bidding process as well as an aid for the painters to apply the graphics to the car. We will also need this done for the caboose.

I am contacting Kalmbach Publishing, Walthers and a couple other manufacturers and decal companies to see if they can do the drawings for us, but does anyone else have any other suggestions as to who I should contact to do these drawings for us? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

[Otto Vondrak]

I am contacting Kalmbach Publishing, Walthers and a couple other manufacturers and decal companies to see if they can do the drawings for us, but does anyone else have any other suggestions as to who I should contact to do these drawings for us? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Milwaukee Road Historical Association: http://www.mrha.com/

[jeffm2009]

this looks like a great restoration project! i'd be curious to see an update since some time has passed already. do you have any current pictures?

[Komachi]

Not much to update you on as cold, Minnesota winters aren't condusive to progress on outdoor projects.

Also, shortly after my post in November, I was diagnosed with cancer and was out of the loop of the Historical Society's activities while I went through testing and treatments. (I'm in remission now, so all is good... so far.)

Our last meeting of the society was on Thursday, May 7, 2009 and we got a grant from another local civic group to fund the lettering/graphics on the boxcar. So, one of the local printing companies is making vinyl decals for the car and we will hire someone to apply the graphics to the car, so that should be done in the next month or so.


Right now, our big focus is on getting the rest of the funding together to pay off the caboose and ship it from it's location in Wisconsin to the worksite here in Preston.


Sorry, it's not an exciting update, but that's all I have to report for now. I'll post pics of the graphics once they've been applied to the boxcar.

[Otto Vondrak]

I dunno, "in remission" sounds pretty exciting to me. Oh yeah, and MILW graphics are pretty cool, too.

[Komachi]

Update: July 2, 2009.

Boxcar...

The graphics are in the process of being made by the local printing company. The large diamond-shaped MILW logo was a little off, so they're going to correct that before they start applying the graphics to the car. They're also waiting for good weather to apply them to the car (it's been a little cold here lately, which is odd for June in Minnesota, we usually have temps averaging in the 80s around this time, but it's been more coolish, in the 60s and 70s). Hopefully they will get the car lettered before the Fillmore County Fair. But, we'll have to see.


As for the caboose...

We have paid for the car. Milwaukee Road Caboose #992095 officially belongs to the Preston Historical Society. Now, all we have to do is raise the funds to move it from Wisconsin to Preston. The date has yet to be determined, but I will let you know when we are going to do so. I don't know the official route yet, either, but will be between "the Dells" and Preston. At least, that's what I'm thinking.

Will keep you guys posted as I hear things.

[Otto Vondrak]

The graphics are in the process of being made by the local printing company. The large diamond-shaped MILW logo was a little off, so they're going to correct that before they start applying the graphics to the car.

Were you able to get in touch with one of the historical societies to help with lettering diagrams?

[Komachi]

Actually, our president happened to be able to borrow a book about the Milwaukee Road Boxcars from a guy from town here who is a big Milwaukee Road expert (in fact, he's on the board of directors for the MILW Hist. Society). So, we got the graphic dimensions from that source.

So, that's where we are with that.

Incidentally, there was a write-up of our project in the July 7 (2009) Rochester (MN) Post Bulletin. Hopefully that will drum up some interest for our interpretive center.

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager ... 2&a=406711

Preston elevator could store area's history
7/6/2009 6:05:02 AM - By Heather J. Carlson
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
PRESTON -- Venture into downtown Preston, and it's tough to miss the towering, cherry-red grain elevator. At the turn of the 20th century, this elevator served as a bustling commercial hub with farmers dropping off wagonloads of grain. Trains poured into town, collected the grain and delivered it to the big city. But while those wagons and trains are long gone, some Preston residents hope to once again make this grain elevator a community gathering spot. The goal is to transform the elevator into a museum and interpretative center to tell the stories of Preston. "(The elevator) is the only thing left that takes us back as far as the commercial agriculture of Preston," said Dick Petsch, president of the Preston Historical Society. Petsch hopes the elevator project will end up getting funding through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment approved by voters last fall. The amendment included a 3/8 of 1 percent sales tax increase that requires the proceeds be spent on conservation, the arts and historic preservation. The Minnesota Historical Society will be responsible for doling out $2.2 million in historic and cultural grants this year and $4.5 million in 2010.

[Komachi]

I was going to mention this to you guys the other day, but I thought I'd wait until I had a photograph to go with it...


WE HAVE GRAPHICS ON THE BOXCAR!!!!!!!!!


Apparently, this was done in the past few days or so (sometime during this past week, anyway).

There still needs to be a little more of the car data added to this side of the car, and as of today (July 25, 2009), the ends and opposite side of the car have NO graphics applied to them yet.

I know this is more of a teaser than a great shot of the boxcar, but I had to shoot this "on the fly" this morning. The Fillmore County fair was being held this week and parking was at a premium. Also, I apparently shot through some water droplets (there was dew on the windshield this morning), which obscures the "MILWAUKEE ROAD" billboard lettering, but it gives you a rough idea of how the car looks. I'll get some better pictures of it after the rest of the graphics go on the car.



More to come...

[Otto Vondrak]

Excellent. That is one sharp looking MILW boxcar, friend.

[Komachi]

Well, here's a topic I've been negligent about...

I've been busy with a few projects and work, so I haven't had time to run down and snap some shots of the completed graphics on the boxcar. I'm planning on doing so on Thursday... weather permitting.


Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttt....

Last September, or thereabouts, the caboose was delivered to Preston, from its salvage yard in Wisconsin. I was hoping to give you guys a heads-up on the movement, but "those in the know" kept me out of the loop and I didn't find out about the move until after the caboose arrived in town.

Anyway, here are some shots I took after it arrived...


MILW Caboose #992095 sits at the Preston Iron Works (Preston, MN) awaiting work.


A shot of the other side of the car... and a species native to rural Minnesota, the Bobcat. Usually found roaming farms, this one has found a home in this small, industrial complex.


Some of the random bits that have to go back on the car.


One of the trucks sitting next to the body.


Needless to say, not a whole lot has happened since these shots were taken. The economy being what it is, money is tight and work is progressing at a snail's pace. Also, suffice to say that, like many organizations, there are a few members who are running this project... and I'm not one of them. And, like the boxcar, I haven't had a chance to get down to the worksite. So, I can't give you an update as to what HAS been done to it. I'll do a little polking around and see what I can find out, though.

Until the next update...

[mtuandrew]

One of the trucks sitting next to the body.

That is one weird-looking truck. MILW homemade, I presume?

[Komachi]

One of the trucks sitting next to the body.

That is one weird-looking truck. MILW homemade, I presume?

As far as I know, yes, the trucks were home-built by the Milwaukee Road. In fact, those trucks are patterned after passenger car trucks to give the caboose a smoother ride for the crew. And, according to the gentleman who sold the 992095 to us, those beefy looking bars across the top of the sideframes were added duriing a later rebuild to reinforce the trucks (I can't remember the exact reason for the reinforcement off the top of my head (maybe another MILW "expert" can shed some light on this modification?).


I got off work earlier than I expected today, so I took a walk down to both the elevator site and the Iron Works worksite to snap some pictures.


As you would expect with the economy being what it is, our organization is strapped for cash, so not a whole lot has happened to the caboose since it arrived here last September...




The boxcar, on the other hand, looks great!!!


The boxcar and elevator - WIDE SHOT!


Mr. DeMille would be happy, they were ready for their close-up!


The car's data, located under the MILW logo.

And, speaking of...


The MILW LOGO ITSELF!!!! It's a beautiful thing...

[Komachi]

MOAR TRACKS!!!

I know I haven't updated this thread in a while, but... well, the PHS hasn't had a lot of time/cash on hand to do a whole lot.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut...


The trucks for the caboose were taken to GP Truck Painting, a shop in Chatfield, MN that does custom paint work on just about anything (Semi tractor-trailers, cars, farm equipment... cast iron antiques...) and are ready to be placed at the elevator site (hopefully, sometime next week!). Although, as far as I know, not much has been done on the caboose since we hauled it in from Wisconsin.

Also, the second track that will house the caboose has been surveyed and excavated, the rails and ties are down and a little bit of ballast has been sprinkled on. In fact, I was down at the site this morning for an hour, or so, hammering spikes into the ties (just enough to get them set, the city boys will be along in the next day or two to jackhammer them down.

Thought I'd post a quick update on that.