NelsonLloydUpdate… Valley City, ND  (KCSi-T.V. News)  —  Lloyd  Nelson of Valley City will be inducted into the Railroad Hall of Fame,  Sunday, August, 25, at Mandan, ND.

News from the Museum:  The Public is invited on Sunday from 1 to 5 PM, to visit the Railroad Museum for RAILROAD DAYS.  Join us for a day full of special activities. There will be a Hobo Banquet, serving Hot Dogs, Brats, and Beans from 1 to 3 PM.  We are located at 3102 37th St NW  Mandan, ND 58554.  (701) 663-9322

There will be a Live Steam Presentation by Ed Duke of Hensler, ND, giving rides to boys and girls all day on the “Sky Line Railway”. Other special events include a Speeder Display and Demonstrations by John Beck and Jerry Olson; Modelers are invited to have questions answered; and Railroad Old Timers will be present to visit with and tell old railroad stories.  Come and enjoy and view new displays in the  “NP and Hall of Fame Building” and the “RR Maintenance of Way Shop”.

Then at  4:00 PM , “Lloyd A. Nelson” an Northern Pacific Railroad Agent-Telegrapher of Valley City will be inducted into the North Dakota Railroad Hall of Fame.  Lloyd Nelson started in 1958 as a telegrapher and worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad, then the Burlington Northern after the merger with the Great Northern Railroad and others, then with the BNSF Railroad. He retired in 1998 after serving as Administrative Assistant to three Regional Supervisors (Bridges and Building, Maintenance and Equipment).  Lloyd and his wife, Donna, have held a yearly “Railroad Field Trip” for Valley City second graders for the past 18 years. They taught them about trains and how they operate; about a telegrapher job and about safety around trains and equipment.  They also tour a large model railroad.  Lloyd volunteers and has played piano at Sanford HealthCare in Fargo.  He served in the North Dakota National Guard for 30 years with service during the Desert Storm and retired in 1992 as Command Sergeant Major and received the North Dakota Legion of Merit.  He has saved many railroad artifacts during his years with the railroads and has constructed a replica depot to display his collection.

The Railroad Museum has a new Portable Bunk House exhibit.  During the early years of railroading, every ten miles, a railroad had a section crew that had to maintain the railroad tracks and also had to provide such crew with a place to sleep. If accommodations were not available in a community, the railroad would provide the section crew with housing either in an old box car or a constructed portable bunk house.  Casey Wieland took on the project of building  a replica 1910 NP portable bunk house. It is his Boy Scout Eagle project. He has been responsible for acquiring funds for its construction, supervising fellow scouts and parents in the construction phase, and finalizing a report to be approved before he will earn his Eagle Award. The Railroad Museum thanks him for choosing this project at the Railroad Museum. It will open for viewing during Mandan Railroad Days.

The day will also include a  “Railroad Photo Contest” sponsored by the Railway Credit Union. Cash prizes will be awarded in 2 divisions: Early Railroading Division (Photos prior to 1970) and the Modern Railroading Division (photos after 1970). Individuals interested in submitting a Railroad Photo, should bring the Photo to the Railroad Days by 1:00 PM on Sunday, August 26th.

The Railroad Museum is located off I-94 at Exit 152, and North on Old Red Trail to 37th Street.  Follow the RR Museum Signs. Admission is Free, however donation are welcome. For questions call the Museum at 663-9322.

CSi Photo by Matt Sheppard, at telegraph demonstration during Pioneer Days at Frontier Village, Jamestown, ND