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Colfax Railroad Museum

Coordinates: 44°59′55″N 91°42′14″W / 44.99861°N 91.70389°W / 44.99861; -91.70389
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Colfax Railroad Museum
Map
Location500 E Railroad Ave, Colfax, Wisconsin, 54730
Coordinates44°59′50″N 91°43′30″W / 44.997311°N 91.725025°W / 44.997311; -91.725025
TypeRailway Museum
Websitehttps://www.colfaxrrmuseum.org/

The Colfax Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Colfax, Wisconsin housed in the 1914 Sandstone Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Depot.

Collection

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The museum houses a collection of equipment from railroads that served western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. The collection includes Soo Line caboose number 273, Barney and Smith Car Company heavyweight coach number 991, and Soo Line GP30 number 703, and other cars.

The depot houses the large collection of railroad lanterns, railroad china, and the nation's largest railroad paperweight collection.[citation needed] Exhibits in the museum illustrate the items of material culture that people encountered in their day-to-day activities with the railroads and how technology changed over time.

Steam locomotives

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Locomotive Type Built Retired Acquired Status Image
Coronet Phosphate #5 2-6-2ST 'Prairie' 1911 ? 2014 Static Display

Diesel locomotives

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Locomotive[1] Type Built Retired Acquired Status Image
Soo Line #703 EMD GP30 1963 1998 ? Static Display

Passenger cars

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Railroad Company Operating Number Car Name Car Type Status
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha 301 Railroad Post Office Static Display
Milwaukee Road 917202 Baggage Static Display
Northern Pacific 950 Coach Static Display
Soo Line 991 Coach Static Display

Freight cars

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  • Soo Line, Boxcar #36400

Cabooses

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  • Milwaukee Road #X00127
  • Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern #018
  • Soo Line #256
  • Soo Line #273

MoW equipment

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Canadian National Speeder #154-33

History

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The museum is housed in the third depot to be built in the village. Built from sandstone quarried nearby, this building was constructed between 1914 and 1915 on the foundation of the second depot, which had previously been moved off the site to serve as a personal residence.

In 1958, a large storm tore through western Wisconsin, producing many tornadoes, one of which hit the freighthouse on the depot's west side. The wall of the women's waiting room was rebuilt from the rubble, but the freight house was never restored.

44°59′55″N 91°42′14″W / 44.99861°N 91.70389°W / 44.99861; -91.70389

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "North Shore Scenic Railroad Roster". www.thedieselshop.us. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
Preceding station Soo Line Following station
Wheeler
toward Portal
Main Line Chippewa Falls
toward Chicago
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