Welcome to the Midwest Railway Preservation Society
An Evening of Photography at the Historic B&O Roundhouse -- Saturday, May 11
Including three "scenes" specially set up for the evening. Click here for details .
A recent article on the Modern Metals website about MRPS and the 4070 features a detailed description of the work we are doing on the 4070, with quotes from Steve Korpos and Charley Sedgley. Click here or on the image at left to go to the article on the Modern Metals website.
Call for Vounteers
You can have an experience of a lifetime helping work on our vintage locomotives and rolling stock. We need more volunteers who are willing to help restore these historic pieces. Be part of history. Call Steve Korpos at 216-781-3629.
Now Published - Archive Issues of Marker Lights Newsletter
Reading past issues of Marker Lights is an excellent way to learn about MRPS. We encourage you to read them and get to know Midwest Railway Preservation Society. You will learn about the magnitude of the work which has been and is currently being done.
Top Projects of 2013
Recently an MRPS board member who has been involved with MRPS for many years told Steve Korpos, our roundhouse foreman, that he/we have accomplished more this past year than we have in the last twenty years. What does this mean to you - MRPS member, volunteer, friend? At a recent budget planning meeting of the Finance Committee, we discussed the projects which will be part of the fiscal year budget of 2013. Following is not necessarily in priority order with the exception of the top six projects, which are our most important:
Project Approximate Cost
1. Historic B&O Roundhouse inspection for staying up to code
$4,000
2. Repairing the turntable to allow the rolling stock in and out of the roundhouse for work
$30,000
3. Inspection of our Grand Trunk Western Mikado #4070 with respect to work in progress and meeting required operational deadlines
$4,000
4. Purchase of support equipment to get projects done
$6,000
5. Complete restoration of the Amtrak diner and kitchen cars recently donated to MRPS by a benefactor to not only restore them to their original Pennsylvania Railroad glory, but to meet Amtrak certification requirement so we can use them on the road and lease them out for fan trips.
$250,000 (benefactor is financing this)
6. Repair or replacement of Glenwill Station roof
$9,000
7. Rebuild locomotive #561
$40,000
8. Repair 3 Pullman cars to display (not road-worthy) status
$TBD
9. Repair the Illinois Central car to display status
$TBD
10. Repair caboose (not the B&O caboose, which is completed) for display
$8,000
11. Purchase a support building (pole barn) to house new rolling stock until long-term project of roundhouse rebuilding is accomplished
$58,000
12. Install new heat system for the roundhouse
$TBD
13. Paint twelve vintage cars for display status ($1,500 each)
$18,000
14. Restoration work on the 4070: sandblast boiler, ultrasound boiler test
$50,000
15. New trackwork for entire yard - all track and balast has been donated, only cost to be contractor labor
$TBD
There will be other incidental costs associated with these priorities which will be discussed at the next budget planning meeting. For now we wanted to let everyone know what is in the works for this year.
Virtually all this work will be done by volunteers, with donations from individuals and grants from foundations. If you are willing to donate the cost for one of these projects and have your name associated with it, please contact the MRPS office by email or call 216-781-3629. Of course we also need volunteers to help with the work involved with these projects.
The really big projects, i.e. the multi-year projects include complete restoration of the 4070, restoration of stalls 6-10 within the next two years, eventual restoration of stalls 11-15 which no longer exist, and restoration of the old brick storage building into administrative offices and railroad museum. Major gifts will be needed.
Emily's "Infrastructure" Blog features MRPS
It is our pleasure to recommend to you the wonderful article about MRPS written by Emily Sharp in her blog "Infrastructure." It is based on Emily's recent visit to the Historic B&O Roundhouse. Emily has posted many photos along with her story about her visit. Click here to visit her blog page featuring MRPS.
An Open Letter to Our Friends
from Board President Don Zeyer & Roundhouse Foreman Steve Korpos Jr
Our organization is on the move in the truest sense. Our goal is to elevate awareness of all the work we are doing for preserving Cleveland's railroad heritage. Click here or on the image at the left to read our letter.
Thanks so much for your interest in the Midwest Railway Preservation Society.
Board President Don Zeyer
Roundhouse Foreman Steve Korpos Jr
The Midwest Railway Preservation Society is entering a new era in its 50+ years of dedication and unbelievable hard work by its members and volunteers. It is an era of taking big steps in building public awareness of our organization.
This video is a quick look at the Roundhouse and the yard on May 26, 2012. Some may see a lot of old things. We see history and a vision of our future. VIDEO Roundhouse foreman Steve Korpos walks us through the 1914 Pullman given by MRPS friend John Birmingham. It is one of only two of its kind remaining.
VIDEO
Our videos can be seen in their full format, many of which will be HD, on the new MRPS YouTube channel . These two are the first of many videos to be published on our YouTube channel.
MRPS seeks to no longer be a relatively unknown jewel in Cleveland's crown. This web site is a significant step in that direction. With your help, we will become a well-known jewel by getting the word out that the Midwest Railway Preservation Society is one of Cleveland's most dynamic nonprofit (and charitable) organizations.
We want to excite the mind and educate the public, young and old. We want to become a destination for Clevelanders and tourists as one of Cleveland's and Ohio's notable railroad history, preservation, restoration and education organizations.
Roundhouse foreman Steve Korpos does a great job of keeping our Facebook page updated with the latest information and photos. Click here to go to the MRPS Facebook page.
