Friday, May 11 10am to 4:30pm
Saturday, May 12 10am to 4:30pm
Sunday, May 13 10am to 4:30pm

AND

Saturday, May 19 10am to 4:30pm
Sunday, May 20 10am to 4:30pm

After being saved by purchase in 1980, this is the former Milwaukee Road rail line under re-construction for continued service in 2011 near Kimball, South Dakota.

From TRAINS Newswire:
Bill Janklow, savior of Milwaukee Road’s South Dakota rail lines, dies
Published: January 12, 2012

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Bill Janklow, a 16-year governor of South Dakota who pushed through a sales tax that paid to save much of Milwaukee Road’s rail network in his state, has died. The controversial and brash former Republican governor was 72, and died today of brain cancer.

With most of Milwaukee’s network in the state under embargo, Janklow called the state’s legislature into special session. He tasked the body with identifying rail lines critical to the state’s infrastructure, then finding a way to purchase them. The legislature created a temporary 1 percent sales tax to fund a $25 million rail purchase program. On Nov. 13, 1980, the state purchased 760 miles of secondary trackage from Milwaukee’s trustee for $18.75 million.

In an interview with TRAINS author Jerry Huddleston prior to his cancer diagnosis, Janklow recalled how he convinced Burlington Northern President Dick Grayson to operate the lines.

“We had some BN lines in the state, and they were cripples and dead-enders. And so as we talked, I said, ‘You know, Grayson, you’re running coal trains just as fast as you can run them across North Dakota. You ought to return your cars through South Dakota.’”

After negotiations at BN’s St. Paul, Minn., headquarters, Grayson agreed to become the designated operator of the state’s newly purchased routes. The first train ran June 6, 1981. BN-operated routes included Aberdeen-Mitchell, Chamberlain-Mitchell, Canton-Mitchell, and Elk Point-Mitchell. In 2005, BN successor BNSF Railway purchased all but the Chamberlain route, and operates them to this day.

A year after BN began operating the so-called “core lines,” the state acquired 480 miles of track from Ortonville, Minn., to Terry, Mont., formerly part of Milwaukee’s transcontinental main line. Janklow again convinced the legislature to purchase the line, and leveraged his relationship with BN, convincing the railroad to operate the line under contract. It purchased the line outright in 1990.

Greetings from Hill City!

Here is a great commemorative gift for the HO model railroader or
collector on your Christmas list, or for yourself.

SDSRM 2011 commemorative HO scale 50′ box car – Limited edition of 50
Manufactured exclusively for the SDSRM by Accurail Models

$24.95 each
SD residents please add applicable sales tax – $1.87 per car
USPS First Class shipping – $6.00 (1 car); $11.00 (2 or more)

Available at the Museum after December 7, or by check at:

SDSRM
Attn: 2011 Commemorative Car
PO Box 1070
Hill City, SD 57745

Own a piece of our Museum history with out first commemorative, as
well as support the Museum.

November 30 – December 23
(Wednesdays through Sundays)
10AM to 4PM
EXCEPT on December 10, 17, and 23 10AM to 6PM*
* Holiday Express trains operating on the 1880 TRAIN – Please call 605-574-2222 for reservations

December 27-30
10AM to 4PM

MUSEUM CLOSED
December 24 and 25, December 31, January 1-3, 2012

Admission: Adults – $5 each * 12 and under – FREE
Questions? Please call 605-574-9000 or 605-877-6629

South Dakota State Railroad Museum Gala
and Railroad Hall of Fame Ceremony

October 22, 2011 – 6:00PM
Sylvan Lake Lodge Ballroom –
Custer State Park

Join us for an evening of elegance and entertainment
to benefit the South Dakota State Railroad Museum

An outstanding menu, excellent wines,
live and silent auction items, Hall of Fame ceremony,
new exhibit announcement, music and dancing
Generous co-hosts: Custer State Park Resorts

Cost: $75 per person – seating is limited!
call 605-574-9000 to reserve tickets and meal choices
(Chicken, Shrimp, or Vegetarian)
Dress: Business attire – black tie or vintage dress optional

Custer State Park passes supplied free to ticket buyers.
Special room rates are available at Sylvan Lake Lodge -
please reference SDSRM to receive a discounted room rate
Phone (605) 574-2561 * info@custerresorts.com

South Dakota Railroad Hall of Fame
2011 inductees

Railroad employee (active or retired)
Alex Huff

Railroad employee (posthumous)
Jerome M. (Jerry) Drager

Friend of Railroading
Mildred Fielder

Paul Redfield Preservation Award
Lynn A. Anderson

Friend of the SDSRM
South Dakota Wheat Growers Association

http://www.sdpb.org/tv/shows.aspx?MediaID=59933&Parmtype=RADIO&ParmAccessLevel=sdpb-all

A fun, suspense-filled train excursion to benefit the
South Dakota State Railroad Museum (Appropriate for all ages)
You are encouraged to ride in costume – a spy, cowgirl, whatever!

Departing from the 1880 TRAIN’s Hill City Depot
on Saturday, August 20 at 6:45pm

Someone is breeding an evil threat to the Black Hills, and the clever passengers aboard the SPY TRAIN will help identify the traitorous culprit(s). You won’t want to miss the fun as railroad detectives, innocent bystanders, and spies ride the rails.

It will be a most excellent adventure; and in the end, everyone
(good guys and bad) will get … their JUST DESSERTS!
(captivating confections created by the famous Alpine Inn)

$40 per ticket/$75 per Couple
A limited number of tickets available

Can it be! Yes, American celebrated its Bicentennial 35 years ago this month!

How many of you were around to witness the red, white and blue that America’s railroads displayed on its locomotives and cars? Here are three locomotives that visited South Dakota on multiple occasions during that celebration – Enjoy the sights, but enjoy and be thankful for your freedoms every day!

Here are some details on the upcoming rebuild of the upcoming Dakota Southern Railway’s ex- Milwaukee Road line between Mitchell and Chamberlain from former DS principal Alex Huff:

Bids have been let. Rail will be a mix of #2 relay 136#, 132# and 115#. Heaviest rail will be laid west of Mitchell, stepping down to 115# into Chamberlain. Material has begun to arrive, as has track machinery for the prime contractor. Contractor was expected to begin work, putting in relay 9′ x 7″ x 9″ ties with spike holes plugged, this past week. There may have been some delay due to rain the first part of the week. To my eye, the ties appear to be changeouts where concrete ties replaced wood. Two competing elevators are proposing to build 110 car shuttle facilities at Kimball. Investment will include 8,000′ turning loops, 2.5 to 3.5 million bushel elevators, etc. at an estimated cost of $26 million each. Kimball is about 40 miles west of Mitchell. Estimated carloadings is 6,000/year. Big change from 65# rail and grass track.

Here is a mystery location and date photo here at the Museum – does anybody have any ideas, or guesses?

My own guess? Somewhere west of Mobridge on the Milwaukee’s main to the Northwest – maybe around 1910…