WC 104         
WC 104 caboose on display at Smith Park, Menasha, WI on 24 Apr. '15. Built by Haskell & Barker Car Co. and delivered to the WC in Jan. '09. Numbered SOO 99079 while on their roster but restored as WC 104 when it was presented to the Menasha Historical Society by Leonard Murray, president of SOO, in Jul. '71, during 100th anniversary celebration of founding of WC at Menasha. The protective shelter, designed to mimic a SOO depot, was donated by George Banta, Jr., a Menasha industrialist and railfan. The dedication ceremony was held on 18 Jun. '72. The caboose received a recent facelift and will be rededicated on 16 May '15, hopefully it will be open for tours. The shelter originally had station signs with SOO logos on both ends, but those signs have disappeared. A nice plaque was also part of the original display, but has also disappeared.
Date: 4/24/2015 Location: Menasha, WI Views: 424 Collection Of:   T. P. Bruss
Author:  T. P. Bruss
WC 104
Picture Categories: This picture is part of album:  Northeast WI, Spring 2015
Share
User Comments
Name Type Comments Date
Richard Hopfensperger General The old names harken to a proud past in Menasha. Gone is WC, Banta Corporaion, SOO ; I guess it's fitting that the station signs and plaque are gone too. Torn away to be forgotten. Of course I doubt there was any poetic symbolism in mind when the perps ripped off the community and took them. I could be mistaken though, perhaps the park and rec department took them down to prevent just such a thing. 5/6/2015 10:23:05 AM
T. P. Bruss General I share your appreciation of Menasha's proud past. I also share your skeptical hope that the Historical Society removed them in order to save them. 5/11/2015 2:16:37 AM
T. P. Bruss General During the rededication ceremony on 16 May ’15, I learned that there are conflicting reports about the disappearance and fate of the original plaque. Even worse, the station signs simply “disappeared years ago.” There is some interest in having them reproduced and remounted at this unique local historic site. 5/21/2015 4:04:23 AM

Add a Comment:  
Please Log in to leave a Comment.  
Link to this page: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4175291