ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A restoration project along the Fox River is bringing safety to the shores of the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, and the new rock wall could help future development at the site.
With the snip of some oversized scissors, the new shoreline stabilization project is officially complete.
National Railroad Museum officials say high water levels in 2020 eroded more than 1,000 feet of shoreline, and were beginning to undercut portions of the main museum track.
“With anything here, you’re looking at ballast. You’re looking at rail ties. You’re looking at the rails themselves. And what the condition is for all of those things,” said Daniel Liedtke, National Railroad Museum Curator.
Liedtke tells FOX 11 the new white rocks are designed to keep part of the Fox River’s bank in place, leaving the passing trains, high and dry.
“By having that shoreline stabilized, then we can just worry about maintenance of the track. We don’t have to worry about ground eroding underneath.”
Museum leaders say the initiative represents a foundation for future projects at the site, including possible improvements like more train tracks, an outdoor patio, and expanded classroom space inside.
“We are here to hold our collections which are our trains, and our railroad objects in the public trust into perpetuity. And then, we use those collections to create exhibits, and educational programs and will engage students, help teachers, and bring families in our diverse communities together, in a shared history,” said Jacqueline Frank, National Railroad Museum CEO.
A history that continues to be told, through the exhibits, and the people who lived it.
“It’s always a great thing to be able to read these descriptions from a book. But it’s much better if you can talk to somebody, and get that personal story,” said Liedtke.
The restoration work cost about $300,000.
A grant from the non-profit group called the 1923 Fund, and the City of Green Bay paid for the project.
