Sauk City rail museum proposed

By Jeremiah Tucker, Sauk Prairie Eagle

With plans already underway to build a new museum in Mazomanie, the North Freedom-based Mid-Continent Railway Museum is exploring the possibility of opening an interactive railroad museum for children in Sauk City as well.

"I want to have things you will bring your kids to see and engage in," said Don Meyer, the manager of Mid-Continent. "Modern technology would allow us to create an experience where your child could see what it feels like to drive a spike into a railroad tie."

Meyer’s idea for a Sauk City railroad museum was made possible by Wisconsin and Southern Railroad’s recent offer to transfer the operating rights for the track between Mazomanie and Sauk City to Mid-Continent upon learning the non-profit railroad museum wanted to expand.

The offer would allow Mid-Continent to run trains between Mazomanie and the village of Sauk City, however, it would mean the end of Sauk Prairie’s decade-long effort to convert the track between Mazomanie and Sauk City into a bike-and-snowmobile path.

Meyer said Wisconsin and Southern’s offer was a public-relations move by the railroad’s CEO Bill Gardner to build support for rebuilding the Sauk City rail bridge and laying new track to the United Cooperative plant on Highway 60.

"It's very blatant that Bill Gardener sees an opportunity," Meyer said. "You mention Bill Gardener’s name in some communities, and they’re ready to bring out the tar and feathers, and you mention Mid-Continent and people like Mid-Continent."

Meyer wrote on Mid-Continent’s blog in an Oct. 19 post, "The WSOR’s gambit is to use us to leverage the rebuild of the bridge."

Meyer said he’s willing to play along because he believes the railroad’s offer could benefit both Mid-Continent and the Mazomanie and Sauk Prairie communities.

"If it were just a robber baron thing where he was going to rape the local populace, no I wouldn’t support it," Meyer said.

Meyer said the combined economic benefit of rail service to the United Cooperative plant, and the tourism dollars from his proposed railway museum in Sauk City could be a boon for the area.

Sauk City Village President Jim Anderson said he doesn’t believe Meyer’s proposal is strong enough to compensate for the loss of a multi-use trail that could potentially connect Sauk Prairie with Madison, Devil’s Lake State Park and the Wisconsin 400 State Trail.

"Rails to trails will also be a multi-use trail in the wintertime," Anderson said. "I doubt very seriously there’s anyone that spends more money than snowmobilers."

Prairie du Sac Village Administrator Alan Wildman said tourism dollars isn’t the only benefit of rails to trails, rather a trail system would likely be used more often by local residents than the train rides offered by Mid-Continent.

"Part of me is also concerned that it’s going to be splitting the facility up in North Freedom," Wildman said. "I can’t comment too much on it because I haven’t seen any official proposal submitted to the village."

Meyer said most reaction, however, has been positive, although the proposal attracted both encouragement and opposition online.

A long-time member of Mid-Continent Historical Society Jim Neubauer wrote on a recent blog post by Meyer: "Train operation on this line will put an enormous demand on our personnel (the volunteers) to operate in both locales. Such operation will divide our patronage -- not enhance it. Mr. Gardner will get out of maintaining the line since he has only trackage rights."

Meyer said that as operator of the line, Mid-Continent would be responsible for maintaining the track, but Wisconsin and Southern would pay for rebuilding the bridge, the new track and updating the track between Mazomanie and Sauk City to handle the heavier freight loads bound for United Cooperative.

Mazomanie village clerk Susan Dietzen said Meyer presented his proposal for a railroad museum to the village board.

"Like I said the board didn’t take any action, but it seemed like it was interested in (his proposal)," Dietzen said.

Meyer said both the Mazomanie and Sauk City museums are in the earliest planning stages,

"I hope we can convince folks in Sauk that this would be a good idea should we get that bridge rebuilt," Meyer said. "We are now members of the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce."

At a meeting Tuesday, the Pink Lady Rail Commission approved a motion to recommend a meeting of all interested parties to discuss the potential tourism and economic impact of the museum expansion and any future developments with rail service into Sauk City.

At the meeting Wisconsin and Southern spokesperson Ken Lucht said it had no plans to rebuild the Sauk City rail bridge, rather it was exploring it as an option.

"We can't make any decisions until we meet with the village," Lucht said.

-- Baraboo News Republic reporter Christina Taylor contributed to this article