Midwest Central Railroad facts for kids
The Midwest Central Railroad is a special heritage railroad located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. It uses narrow gauge tracks, which are narrower than regular train tracks. You can find it inside McMillan Park, where the big Old Thresher's Reunion event takes place.
The railroad is run by a non-profit group. Its main track is a 1 mile (1.6 km) loop. Trains travel around the loop in a clockwise direction. A special signal system helps keep the trains safe. There are two stations on the loop. The north station has an old depot from Hillsboro, Iowa. The south station is a newer building.
Amazing Steam Locomotives
The Midwest Central Railroad has six steam locomotives. These are old-fashioned trains powered by steam! Two of them are ready to run. Three others are waiting for important checks on their boilers. One locomotive has a new boiler and is waiting to be put back together.
- No. 6 is a powerful 2-6-0 steam engine. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1891. This engine first worked for a railway in Virginia. Later, it was sold to Argent Lumber in South Carolina. The Midwest Central bought No. 6 in 1960.
- No. 9 is a unique Shay locomotive built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1923. It's a Class C engine, meaning it has three trucks and weighs 80 tons. This engine used to work for the West Side Lumber Company in California. The Midwest Central got No. 9 in 1966. For a few years, it was leased to the Georgetown Loop Railroad. No. 9 came back to the Midwest Central in June 2019.
- No. 16 is a smaller 0-4-0 tank locomotive. It weighs 18 tons and was built by Henschel in Germany in 1951. It was originally made for a different track size. But it was changed to fit the Midwest Central's 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge track. No. 16 is currently waiting for a detailed check of its boiler.
- No. 2 is another 2-6-0 engine made by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1906. It came to the Midwest Central with No. 6 from Argent Lumber. No. 2 ran for many years. Its boiler eventually needed to be replaced. A new boiler is ready, and the engine is waiting to be put back together.
- Coahuila y Zacatecas No. 1 is a 2-8-0 engine built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1897. It used to work for a narrow gauge railroad in Mexico. This railroad mainly carried iron ore and helped thousands of mine workers. CyZ No. 1 originally burned wood, then coal, and finally oil. Its boiler needs repair.
- Argent No. 1 is a 2-6-0 engine made by H. K. Porter in 1914. It first belonged to a lumber company in North Carolina. Later, it was owned by Argent Lumber. After that, it was part of a theme park in Florida. The Midwest Central bought Argent No. 1 in late 2018. It arrived in April 2019. Its boiler needs a lot of work.
The railroad also has two Plymouth diesel locomotives. These came from a company in Pennsylvania. They were changed to fit the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge track. No. D14 is used regularly, and No. D9 is being restored. There's also a small gasoline switcher called Frederick Snare No. 2. A Ford Model A fireman truck and a Ford Model T foreman truck are also part of the collection.
Cool Railroad Cars
The Midwest Central has many interesting railroad cars. Its passenger cars were built right at the Midwest Central shops. Some were made from old Southern Pacific flat cars or East Broadtop Railroad coal cars. Others were custom-built.
There are three cabooses. One is made of metal and came from the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. Another is a rare caboose from the Bellevue and Cascade narrow gauge line. The third is a wooden caboose built on a flatcar frame.
The railroad also has two D&RGW boxcars and one D&RGW gondola car. Plus, there are many flat cars from the D&RGW and WPYRR. Some of these flat cars have been fully restored.
Fun Events to Enjoy
The Midwest Central Railroad hosts three main events each year that you can visit:
- Old Threshers Reunion: This big event happens for five days, ending on Labor Day. It's a great time to see the trains in action!
- Midwest Haunted Rails: This spooky event takes place on the last three Friday and Saturday pairs in October. On those Saturdays, you can also ride the "Great Pumpkin Train."
- North Pole Express: Get into the holiday spirit with this event! It runs on the three Saturday and Sunday pairs starting Thanksgiving weekend.
You can also rent the railroad for special occasions. During the times when events are not happening, you might see equipment moving around for repairs.
