Trains LIVE: Update C&NW No. 1385 — 3-15-2023 — In March 1907, the Chicago & North Western Railway took delivery of a 4-6-0 locomotive from Alco. Construction No. 42187 is an R1 class tipping the scale at 82 tons. The locomotive was assigned road No. 1385 and became part of C&NW’s largest steam locomotive class. No. 1385 was among 325 R1s working for this Midwest granger road. Now 116 years later, No. 1385 is part of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (North Freedom, Wis.) collection and is being restored to operation. It’s time to check in on the restoration. Trains LIVE — update C&NW No. 1385.
Designed for fast freight service, No. 1385 and sisters worked across the C&NW system. Beyond pulling freight trains, the R1s could be found heading secondary passenger trains, switching local industries from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the Dakotas, and working around Chicago. The railroad retired No. 1385 in 1956. The locomotive was acquired by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in 1961 and powered trains there during the first operating season in 1963.
The locomotive has become an ambassador for the Mid-Continent museum. In the early 1980s, it was tapped to pull C&NW’s Prosperity Specials, a system-wide, goodwill train tour. No. 1385 also made a couple of appearances at the front of Great Circus Train, a special run to move historic wagons from the Baraboo, Wis., Circus World Museum to Milwaukee for the Great Circus Parade.
Today, No. 1385 is spread between the museum’s shop in North Freedom, Wis., and Spec Machine in Middleton, Wis. We are visiting Spec Machine to see the work being done on the locomotive itself.
Come along. Trains LIVE — Update C&NW No. 1385.
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Trains LIVE is a regular video segment, recorded live and unscripted from Kalmbach Media. The series began in July 2022.
Trains LIVE features Bob Lettenberger, Trains associate editor, Kalmbach Media staff, and guests talking about railroads and trains in a casual, behind the scenes format. On Trains LIVE we will ask the questions you would like to ask and take you into places not normally open to the public. Trains LIVE also takes you on the road to museums, trackside locations and other railroad-related venues. It is unscripted and presented every other Wednesday at 2 p.m. Central time.
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