You could have been there enjoying a prime filet or salmon, dancing to theParisota hot club afterwards, even chocolate and honey tasting. All that and more.We had a wonderful time with our guests, laughing our way through dinner andtapping our feet to some solid, classic jazz.Thanks to our many patrons who came out tonight to be with us.

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Semaphore Newsletterof the

MinnesotaTransportation

Museum

February 2016

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In this issue:1

Valentine Dinner2

Twin Ports Report

3NP 1102 Report

4Staff Recognition

5National Train DaysMembership Program

6A History of Dresser

Trap Rock

10Coming Events

11BNSF Legacy display

12Security Proceedures

&Volunteer Information

131876: Snow on the Northern Pacific

Fantastic Valentines dinneron the Empire Builder!

Tonight was amazing!!! Thank you again!! We will be back!

Trying new venue plans, our dining car staff puton a Valentine’s dinner at the roundhouse Saturday Feb. 13. Andrew Tighe reported thatClara Sharp claimed the Facebook sharing contest prize and enjoyed herself and a guestat the dinner. Many were dressed up for theevening in 40’s attire. We had good advertisingin local media which can only help ourreputation in future years. Some came as far asMilwaukee, Iowa and outstate Minnesota.

What’s next? How about Poor Boy sandwichesfor April 15. Jazz at Jackson event or KentuckyDerby dinner. Our reputation is growing! Tripadvisors andFacebook have us rated at 4.5 stars.Highest in our area.! Dancing to Parisota Hot Club group.

Seating was set up for couples and two - 6 person tables.

New Wood Shop!

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February 2016

twin ports GN 1084Here is a status report from Larry Paulson,our own “foreman” of the Twin Ports project.Wood trim panels for the wall spaces be-tween the window frames are being fabri-cated by Bill Hawley our master carpenter.they come complete with working call but-ton. Bill also will be building a new servicebar to install in the former buffet space. An-other wood materials project is fabricatingnew masonite interior window frames. With all the old interior trim removed, Larryand crew are needle scaling all soft andrusted metalwork. As areas are cleaned upand repaired where needed, metal rust pre-ventative POR 15 is applied to seal up thecar from the inside. All wiring is beingstripped out and replaced. We have about7500 feet of new wire to pull. “That’s goingto take some time to accomplish”, saysLarry. The next project now underway is thetaking up of the floor. Since the old floor un-derlayment is a layer of gypcrete. Gypsumconcrete is a building material used as afloor underlayment used in wood-frame andconcrete construction for fire ratings, soundreduction, radiant heating, and floor level-ing. It is a mixture of gypsum plaster, Port-land cement, and sand. So it’s a mess toremove. Jobcore is giving an assist to thatproject. Once the gypcrete is out, they canasess the corrosion to the steel frame andsheeting and repair whee needed. Newflooring will be 3/4” marine grade plywoodwith new carpet and linolium floor cover-ings.The exterior skin is about done. There are acouple of holes left to help with new wiringaccess. Then 1084 will be moved outdoorsfor sandblasting. New paint should be readyto apply late Summer - early Fall.For the mechanicals, we need to take offthe water tank and fix or replace. The oldtriple valve brakes will be replaced with thenewer ABD brake system. Then there is thenew generator which Larry is still contem-plating where he is going to hand to theunderside.

New interior wallpanels to bridge thespace betweenwindows.The newcall button is nearthe bottom of thepanel. Below: Restorationwork underway onthe historic GreatNorthern 1084 "TwinPorts" train car.Work being donetoday by studentsfrom TCU JobCorps.

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february 2016

NP 1102 triple combine in the shop for winter workWhile here at the roundhouse in the non-operating season, 1102 is getting some wear and tearrepair. Corrosion control on the exterior with patching to the sheet metal. The roof is being re-paired by calking for weatherproofing. One door and six windows will be replaced. All new Wis-consin oak with the old hardware and safety glass reused if possible. Bill Hawley has completedone window so far. The old mortar and tennon joints have been replaced with biscuit and gluejoints. The raw wood will have a wood preservative applied before painting. All the work will bedone before the car leaves for Osceola in the Spring

Door and six windows are in the rebuilding process on NP 1102. Part ofthe winter maintainance period in theshops at Jackson Street Roundhouse.

(Continued on page 5)

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February 2016

Every year the Min-neapolis Chamber of Commerce’s DRIVE Council awards one person in the Twin Cities with the title of Emerging

Leader of the Year, and this year it is beingawarded to our very own Outreach Coordinator,Danielle Enblom! Danielle is being recognizedfor her work in the non-profit world over the lastten years, as her work with the TransportationMuseum, and her engagement and leadership inthe greater community. Danielle’s position at the Transportation Mu-seum is a culmination of her work and educationhistory. She has an undergraduate degree inUrban and Sustainability Studies from the Uni-versity of Minnesota, a diploma in TraditionalIrish Music from University College Cork, and amaster’s degree in Dance History from ITTralee, in Ireland. The passion and expertise inthe areas of history, culture, anthropology, andresearch (from her post-graduate studies), andtransportation and urban development (from herundergraduate studies), have aptly merged atthe Transportation Museum. Program develop-ment, education, and community based workhave always been at the root of her career path.Prior to moving into the museum world, she hasworked as a professional musician and dancerin the form of education and performance, as adance historian, and in educational and programdevelopment. She currently teaches music atthe Center for Irish Music in St. Paul (where shepreviously worked for three years establishing amore extensive summer education program).She performs as a fiddle player and percussivedancer in various groups throughout the TwinCities, and is in the process of developing aneducational series, based on arts, cultural iden-tity and integration, which will launch in the

Outreach Coordinator, Danielle Enblom receives Emerging Leader Award

spring of 2016. Her performing has brought bethroughout the United States and Europe overthe last decade, which has been a wonderfulexperience; however, her passion has alwaysbeen in education and community work. WithState Arts Board Legacy awards, grants fromthe Irish Music and Dance Association, andtwo educational fellowships from the Univer-sity of Minnesota and the Republic of Ireland,Danielle has brought arts and cultural studieseducation into Minneapolis and St. Paul Pub-lic Schools, to rural communities throughoutMinnesota, as well as to Germany and Irelandover the course of the last decade. Her entre-preneurial motivation that has served her inthe performing arts, has also proved valuablein her position at the Transportation Museumwhere she’s been influential in bringing newinitiatives into the museum and helping Erik tobuild partnerships with organizations such asWoman’s Advocates, Model Cities, the St.Paul Saints, Nice Ride, Metro Transit, the Cy-cling Alliance, the Transportation Alliance,Twin Cities Kids Club, Family Fun Twin Cities,and MN Children’s Hospitals have allowed themuseum to have a greater impact in our com-munity and provide richer programming. Danielle’s engagement and leadership in thebroader community ranges from the museumworld, to the arts world, to general communityinvolvement focused on critical issues. She iscurrently helping to establish North Star Con-nect, Minnesota’s new emerging museum pro-fessionals group. Danielle also engages withthe Minnesota Association of Museums andwas selected as their Emerging Museum Pro-fessional 2015 Conference awardee. Daniellealso sits on the Traditional Music Committeefor the Irish Fair of MN, and volunteers andparticipates in community involvement as

much as possible. This has included participa-tion with organizations such as the youth development non-profit Project Success, Sanford Middle School, Minneapolis CommunityEducation, Eat for Equity, Transit for LivableCommunities, and Lionsgate Academy for children with Autism.

If you’d like to learn more about Danielle’s workas a performing artist you can visit her website –www.DanielleEnblom.com

National Train DayLast year’s National Train Day was an incrediblesuccess, and this year, The Transportation Mu-seum, Union Depot, Ramsey County RegionalRail, and TCMRM are gearing up for an evenbigger celebration over the course of TWOdays. Danielle Enblom and Erik Johnson areworking with the Union Depot and TCMRM tocoordinate planning. There will be a couple ofvisiting exhibits for the event (which will be an-nounced in a newsletter soon), an evening din-ner event, and of course 2 days of family filledfun. The Transportation Museum hopes volun-teers will get on board with this big event andwants to make sure everyone is kept in the loopand up to date one where volunteers can helpout. Therefore, Danielle and Erik will be holdingsome volunteer meetings in April to prepare forthe weekend. As usual, the best place to stay upto date on developments is the events page onthe website and the newsletters that get sentout a few times a month. So keep an eye out orinformation coming in March, and be sure tospread the word!

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February 2016

New Membership Programto be Launched in MarchYou may have noticed an email to our member-ship last month thanking everyone for theirmembership applications, and to watch for infor-mation on a new membership system, at whichpoint we will be sending out a great new mem-bership packet that is designed by MemberPlanet, an online membersip program that willbe enhancing how we deal with our members.Danielle Enblom and Erik Johnson have beenresearching membership management pro-grams over the last couple of months, and havefinally found one that is comprehensive and fitsthe Transportation Museum’s needs. This will bean exciting addition to our museum. We willhave more streamlined membership sign upsand renewals, a more effiecient member cardsystem, intelligent member management thatwill help us learn about what each individualmember wants to learn about to make sure fam-ilies are getting information for families, peopleinterested in after hours events get that informa-tion, and so on. The program also includesevent and volunteer management options thatwill help us be more effective and efficient. Theprogram we’ve chosen has great reviewsamongst other museums and non-profits, iseasy to use, and will help us reach our mem-bers in a more professional and streamlinedway. There will be more to come on this inMarch, so keep an eye out for a newsletter!

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What follows is an article on the history of the Dresser Trap Rock. Which is kind of important to ouroperations on the Osceola & St. Croix Railway

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What else would you like us to know? _______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please submit a summary statement, of up to 350 words, for the election ballot, describing why you would be interested in serving on the MTM Board of Directors:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact: Nominating Committee: Dick Mullen…rvmullen@msn.com Home 651-459-3659 Cell 651-271-0980 For the MTM Office: Contact Executive Director: Erik Johnson 193 Pennsylvania Avenue East St. Paul, MN 55130-4319 Ph:651-228-0263 PLEASE RETURN NOMINATIONS by JANUARY 31 2016 TO : Nominations@trainride.org Or mail to: MTM : ATTENTION NOMINATING COMMITTEE 193 Pennsylvania Avenue East St. Paul, MN 55130-4319

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is article is part of the book St. Croix Tales and Trailsby Rosmarie Vezina Braatz

Available for purchase in theOSCVR depot gift shop at ouroperations in Osceola WI.

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February 2016

February

July

March

April

May

June

Coming Events

Board meetingsare on the thirdThursday of everyother month.

February 18thApril 21stJune 17th

December 2015 -Letter and nominationform sent to member-ship, to nominate Directors.

January 31st, 2016 -Deadline fornominations.

February 15th, 2016 -Nominating Committeeadvise nominees, supply forms.

February 28th, 2016 -Candidacy forms due.

Annual MeetingMarch 17th, 2016

2/17 1030 Tots ‘n Trains2/18 1830 MTM B of D Meeting2/20 1200 b’day party PARTY CAR+3/27 0900 JSRTR Code class

1030 Graeme b’day 3yo1330 Jacqueline b’day 9yo

2/28 1400-1800 MGRS model party

3/2 1030 Tots ‘n Trains3/5 0900 JSRTR Code class

1200 Car Club chili feed Garry Y3/10 1900 TCD/NMRA3/12 0900 JSRTR Code class3/16 1030 Tots ‘n Trains3/17 tbd MTM Annual Meeting3/19 0900 JSRTR Code class3/27 ------ Easter3/30 1000 Owatna Senior gr 22s

4/2 0900 JSRTR Code class4/6 1030 Tots ‘n Trains4/9 1600 Butler/Nelson Wedding Reception4/14 1900 TCD/NMRA4/16 0900 JSRTR Code class4/20 1030 Tots ‘n Trains4/21 1830 MTM B of D Meeting4/30 1100 Opening Day OSCVR4/30 - 5/1 National Train Days

5/3 1100 OSCV Dining Charter5/4 1030 Tots ‘n Trains5/8 ------ Mothers Day5/12 1900 TCD/NMRA

1100 OSCV Dining Charter5/14 1200 C&NW Convention 140 box lunches5/18 1030 Tots ‘n Trains

6/11 1100 OSCV Dining Charter6/17 1830 MTM B of D Meeting6/19 ------ Fathers Day6/21 1100 OSCV Dining Charter6/30 1100 OSCV Dining Charter

7/23 1030 Matthew b’day

11. Red River train in service at Fargo ND.

12. 1958 – Minnesota Centennial train on Stone Arch Bridge. Each car depicted different Minnesota historical highlights and was opened at scheduled stops along its route.

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february 2016

This month continues alook at the LegacyIllustrated History Tourlocated in the GreatNorthern Railway Drover’s Coach.

Here are the next twophotos from the display.

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February 2016

Minnesota TransportationMuseum Corporate Office

193 Pennsylvania Ave ESt. Paul, MN 55130-4319651-228-0263contact@trainride.org

Osceola & St. Croix ValleyRailway

PO Box 176114 Depot RoadOsceola, WI 54020715-755-3570joanna@trainride.org

Jackson Street Roundhouse

193 Pennsylvania Ave ESt. Paul, MN 55130-4319651-228-0263contact@trainride.org

Classic Buses

193 Pennsylvania Ave ESt. Paul, MN 55130-4319651-228-0263contact@trainride.org

Minnehaha Depot

Minnehaha Depot c/o MTM193 Pennsylvania Ave ESt. Paul, MN 55130-4319651-228-0263contact@trainride.org

Executive DirectorErik Johnson erikj@trainride.org

Newsletter EditorWarren Plaisance651-308-0456warrenplais@gmail.com

When folks park in the west/back lot on days when the roundhouse isn’t open,not everyone who is in Bay D remembers to look thru the building to see who is stillhere when they leave. There are manypeople who come and go in the office area onlyand don’t think about the rest of the building.

In an effort to reduce instances where the front end of the building doesn’t know who’sin the other endof the building, please do the following:

There is a clipboard with a list on it near the alarm panel in the front/east lobby. If youare working inbays A – C or the west yard, please note it on the list in the front/eastlobby. Simply put your name,where you’re working, and when you expect to leave.This DOES NOT REPLACE THE SIGN-IN

LOGS at the back door. This is a courtesy for anyone in the building.

Everyone, please remember to check the entire building and both parking lots beforeyou set the alarmwhen you leave. Hopefully, this list will make that easier.

AssetsOver 200 volunteers spent over 27,000 hours in 2015 working on equipment, runningthe train and talking to our guests. And this is only what was tracked or reported.There are those of you who are never recognized for what you do because you wish toremain anonymous. But know that you are included in our thanks.

The numbers below reflect the volunteer to visitor ratios for the Museum, JSR andOSCVR. The Shop is reported for the total Museum visitors since they work for bothmajor venues. For those of you who are wondering, the Minnehaha Depot reports goto the Historical Society.

Shop hours total 10362.25 for 29568 visitorsJSR hours total 7355.75 tor 15354 visitorsOSCVR hours total 5450 for 14214 visitors

Grant applications often want to know how many hours our volunteers put in and put avalue on those hours. This year it's $23.

You folks are our greatest assets. Simply . . . Thank you.

Many of you ask for hours for tax purposes. As the numbers above may indicate, it's abig job to track all of it. The number of days worked will no longer be provided. Every-one has calendars, please note which days you come to any venue on your own. Barbwill continue to provide total hours to anyone who asks for tax purposes or employermatching grants. Just send a request to mtmbarb@gmail.com.

SecurityProceedures

A correspondent of the St. Paul Pioneer Press,who went through from Fargo to Bismarck on thefirst train of the season which ran over theDakota Division of the Northern Pacific thusdescribes the return trip: 'It is unnecessary todetail the retreat [comparing it to Napoleon'sretreat from Moscow]. It is enough that we hadhad our Borodino and Moscow. We did not expectto pass the Beresina, but we did before reachingthirteenth 'siding.' The wind had been blowingall day. About three o'clock p. m. snow began tofall, and the blasts from the southeast wereterrific. Stand it! Face it! No. Those terriblewind-gusts, carrying snow so thick that noobject can be seen three paces distant, hurledwith a force of seventy miles per hour, are morethan poor, weak man can endure. Out on the openspaces we must grope as in the dark, and if longexposed lie down and die. In the cuts one wouldsoon smother, or, facing the wind, freezestanding upright. Here we are for the night.Drifts ahead of us, drifts behind us; the wholeatmosphere one solid drift, mountains high! Whatan overpowering storm. The whole earth with allits great weight in utter confusion and withterrible impetus appears to be driven along bythe storm king, whose relentless fury destroyseverything it touches, screaming, shrieking,howling hideously along, no friendly wood orelevation to check its appalling force andpower; the cars rock to and fro; the windsearches every crack and cranny, and the finesnow sifts as through a thousand pores. Face it!See how quick the tender flesh reddens and thecheeks tingle and smart as the snow, frozen intothe finest powder and each kernel the point of aneedle driven at a velocity of seventy miles perhour, strikes sgainst them! Gust after gustwhistles by, and the great rush of the storm islike the tremendous tumult of an alpineavalanche. It roars and tears along the livelongnight without abatement, each successive gustcoming with continuous fierceness, and as itwhirls by another takes its place, filling thegreat void around with deafening sounds.'Here we are! and what a prospect for reachingFargo!'The morning breaks. The sun rises, but it isnot the sun of Austerlitz. The winds are lulled;

1876: Snow on the Northern Pacific

The Blizzard of 1966 hit south central North Dakotavery hard. Near Linton, this Northern Pacific Railroadengine was severely damaged by snow.

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1870’s Northern Pacific snowplow train Brainerd Minnesota

General George Armstrong Custer’s last winter

morning. Not a man injured during the sixteendays of fight on the plains, aud no oneseriously frosted.'This in many respects has been an eventfulexpedition, but time and space forbids too muchof detail. Before closing we would like to saythat the cuts on the Dakota division should betriple fenced, or it can never be kept open. Oneinch of snow-fall on these plains will fillevery cut from Fargo to Bismarck. Tree plantingwould be better. But until the company is betterprepared to plant trees, fences must beconstructed or the road closed in winter.'"

Reference :Railroad Gazette, Mar. 24, 1876, p.131, cols.2-3.Source :http://lhldigital.lindahall.org/u?/rrjournal,37

the cold is intense. Notwithstanding all this,savory odors of steak and coffee come from theCommissary departments, and we are safe. Thestorm has spent its fury. Superintendents Towneand Lewis are equal to the emergency. A reserveplow and pusher is ordered up from Jamestown,and we move forward to meet them. Everything isin order, snow and all; men work eagerly,engines run lively at drifts, the weathermoderates, the snow flies before the plows, andat 4 p. m. we meet the outcoming plow nearCrystal Springs, and reach Jamestown at dark.'Tuesday morning the expedition moves onFargo, and find the cuts full; but, after aday's hard fight, reach the latter place at 9p. m., bringing back our material and machinery,excepting engine No. 10, in good condition andready to be sent back with General Custer in the

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