Another party in the trestle bridge collapse is the Gopher State Railway Museum.

The group uses the area near the sugar factory for storage while its museum is under construction in New Prague.

However, with the track out, the museum’s vintage railway pieces are stranded on the wrong side of the river.

Mike Lehne, Chaska resident and museum president, reports on a few of the items at the sugar factory.

* An NSP No. 4: “It has been sitting at the plant since 1999. The locomotive still runs but the batteries are old and about to be recycled. We won’t put new batteries in it till it is sitting in New Prague as the cost is expensive over $400 each and there are eight.

“Built in 1940 by Electro Motive Corporation for the CB&Q Railroad. Originally numbered 9146, it was transferred to CB&Q subdivision Colorado and Southern as 155. It was then transferred to Fort Worth and Denver as 601, after the BN merger it became 103. The locomotive was sold to NSP in 1973 and was used at the NSP High Bridge Plant till it was donated to Gopher State Railway Museum in 1999. Reddy Kilowatt is painted on the side of #4 which was the symbol of NSP.”

* A tool car: “GSRM’s tool car is equipped with two hoists, a generator, a grinder, a work bench, all our hand tools and is storage for all of our track tools. Our tool car was used in ballast cleaning train in its prior life. Some of the lettering is still visible.”

* A CB&Q (Chicago Burlington and Quincy) caboose: “CB&Q 14534 was built in Galesburg as number 79 in 1871. This waycar is in excellent condition for its age. It was donated to GSRM by MTM in 1995. Either way the caboose will be trucked out, as it will never be track-worthy because of its age.”

Museum update: Many people might know the museum from its elaborate train floats that appear in local parades.

Here is Lehne’s update on the museum construction and upcoming parades – including Chaska parades on May 20 and July 28.

“Our efforts are staying with our site construction at New Prague. We paid off our land last year, one year early.

"This year we are going to be working like crazy to earn funds for the construction. Take a look at our summer parade and appearance schedule. This is our biggest year ever for giving train rides! We are going to have so much fun and so are our guests!

“The steam train will get another coat of paint in my backyard again this spring. Our first parade is the American Legion parade in Chaska May 20, so I have to get busy.”

To visit the official Gopher State Railway Museum site (with pictures of the mentioned items, and a complete parade schedule), go to: www.gsrm.org

The Gopher State Railway Museum’s children’s site is www.chugchug.org.