Steam & Excursion > Owners of MILW 261 Acquires Former Rock Island Shop in Silvis IL

I'd say this is pretty big news to start 2022

Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, the non-profit that owns and operates Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 261, has acquired the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad shop complex in Silvis, Ill., and plans on turning it into the largest historic railroad equipment restoration facility in the country. 

Sandberg added that there are no plans to move MILW 261, which was restored in the early 1990s and is currently based in Minneapolis, to the facility in Illinois. However, the locomotive could visit the area to lead excursions in the future. The Silvis shop complex is served by BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway and, perhaps most importantly, Iowa Interstate Railroad

https://railfan.com/owners-of-milwaukee-road-261-acquires-former-rock-island-shop-in-illinois/?fbclid=IwAR0D83RBaXKx85Pe2D4c4f5yKfNEe3ZiAXJYVb3yjucc68YKELuRX3HyEIU



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/22 09:35 by Spoony81.

Wow, that is big. I wonder what projects they have up their sleeve? I note that NRE will continue as a rent paying tenant in a portion of the facility, good to have a revenue stream to at least partly support the purchase.

The NRE thing is a real feather in their cap, good business move. As for next, that's a big piece of property and I'd guess that the remediation migfht be a big
number BUT depending on the downstream use it's ripe for some sale and redevelopment. A museum wouldn't interfere with close proximitty retail and high
density housing. 

Out 

The last couple of years  of the Rock's existence, I was employed by Rock, and served 
the last year at that Silvis 'Big House'.  It was a bustling place...especially during the
hard winters, right off the Mississippi !!

Also, in 1985/86, while I was on the RF&P, the Silvis Facility was the winning bidder
to overhaul 4 Potomac Yards' SW1500 locomotives and to 'build' 2 slugs to marry
to the Slug-capable 1500's. ( the  new slugs replaced 2 home-built slugs made from
cabless, 1950-era, Alco former PY switchers...).

Its a HUGE building, two full-length  crane-rails , 2 overhead cranes, built for lifting steam locos...
3-level inspection pits, traction motor re-build shop, air brakes rebuilding & testing shop, etc...
a huge facility.

The complete property presents a whole set of other questions and risks...but, I hope those
questions were explored & resloved before they closed on the sale.

But, its a huge facility, that could handle any steam loco , or diesel loco, rebuild project that
anyone can conceive of..if the knowledgeable, experienced workers can be assembled.

W.
 

Oh how the mighty have fallen! But its good for the club!

Hopefully some of the historically signficant locomotives NRE had hidden away there in the Silvis storage lines have not been scrapped and can simply be donated to jump start the historic collection this group plans to build there in their new facility.   NRE also would have an enormous about of spare parts onsite there that would be of enormous value to anyone looking to restore old locomotives.   Hopefully NRE will donate generously to this new operation.   I suspect they will.

Another huge benefit to this location is the access this group will have to the Iowa Interstate.   I suspect that road would be much more cooperative with special runs than the bigger roads would be.   

This is wonderful news.  

Milwaukee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Another huge benefit to this location is the
> access this group will have to the Iowa
> Interstate.   I suspect that road would be much
> more cooperative with special runs than the bigger
> roads would be.   
>
 Let's hope that it stays that way. A future Iowa Interstate management or successor railroad could refuse to handle historic equipment, following in the footsteps of some of the class 1s.

Art House

Maybe the landlocked ATSF 2926 engine could transfer there....??  This is really amazing news.  Fantastic, actually.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe the landlocked ATSF 2926 engine could
> transfer there....??  This is really amazing
> news.  Fantastic, actually.

2927 is hardly landlocked. They have something not many mainline engines would enjoy - a state-owned railroad.

I've long thought that a centrally located facility, that is fully equipped, woulde/could be THE place for restored steam of many, if not all, varieties/owners, who could then pool their resources and be able to accomplish together what may not be possible seperately.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

agentatascadero Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've long thought that a centrally located
> facility, that is fully equipped, woulde/could be
> THE place for restored steam of many, if not all,
> varieties/owners, who could then pool their
> resources and be able to accomplish together what
> may not be possible seperately.
>
> AA

All well and good except,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,how would ANY of the larger, i.e. main line, steam locomotives get there?

HotWater:

RR Flat Car...is the common way..

Reading 2100 was returned to steam in Canada by Tom Payne.
After 'stiffing' the CN RR freight charges,, he found a potential home for 
2100 in Tacoma, Washington.

One problem:  CN would NOT handle the engine, dead, on-own-wheels for that distance.
He hired cranes , leased a heavy duty flat car, and sent it to Tacoma.

His improvised oil burner arrangement ( through the fire doors!) was unable to generate
enough heat to boil the water... I was there.

The Tacoma train ( one trip) was a flop, and the engine was later seized account he couldn't
afford the payment in the contract that he agreed to, with the Tacoma RR facility...

Now, 2100 is being restored, very nicely, in Ohio...and I hope they have great success. 
It's been badly abused, since slumbering in Streigle's Loco storage lot in Baltimore, MD.
lo, these many decades... We may live to see the day when both 2100 & 2102 again,
double-head out of Tamaqua.. Iron Horse Rambles, here we come!

So, yes you can move them around on flats.. 
See also 1309's trip from the B&O museum to Western Maryland Scenic RR...
on flat cars handled by CSX.

Silvis Shops has two overhead cranes, on common rails, for tandem use --- steam and diesel
locomotives,.. ...so they can easily off-load ANYTHING  they can get through the doors

W.
 



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/22 19:40 by wcamp1472.