This week rain and flooding hit a real slice of Americana, as the historic old railroad cars met the water at the ever-popular Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin. The Baraboo River flooded its banks 7 feet higher than the previous record, creating much concern and grief for the museum, and all railroad aficionados.
Museum property is flooded, and the passenger platform is washed away in places. All diesel locomotives have flooded traction motors. There is a real threat that the season’s operations may have to be cancelled. Sad pictures and more than enough reasons to care can be found here.
In their time of need I ask all my readers to make a donation to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum, P.O. Box 368, North Freedom, WI 53951. Anything will help them at this time of unexpected woes. I know there are a fair number of you that come here to read….I ask that you please help this worthy cause. I have never used this blog for anything like this before.
There is a real need to assist the museum at this time. Much work will be required to allow for the needed train restoration projects to continue, and the working train schedule and museum functions to resume as quickly as possible. We can not afford to lose this piece of our past. It just is too precious to not care about.
I have been known to wander among the old beauties that lay silent and stately after the wondrous journeys they all must have made in their day. Climbing where I probably should not have to get a better feel for a train car or engine was due to my love for the giants. Imagine the stories they could tell!
Please help this cause today. And thank you!
Technorati Tags: Mid-ContinentRailwayMuseum, , NorthFreedom, Trains, Wisconsin, Flooding
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
thanks greg……i as a volunteer, before getting married, spent a lot of time on the museum property working on equipment and operating as well. for years, i was a brakeman, conductor, crew-caller, and laborer.
this incident is very depressing to me. the museum will continue, but it is going to need financial help from loyal antique transportation lovers!!
Thank you for this appeal, and thank you to your readers who respond. The clean-up is about to begin. It will require lots of labor and lots of money. Anything that your readers can send along will be very much appreciated. They can donate directly to the relief fund through the Museum website at http://www.midcontinent.org. $100 would be great; $52 would be the cost of four tickets to ride; $26 the cost of two tickets. Thank you to each who responds.
thanks,