The 457 in 2002 In the locomotive's early years at East Park, L.T. Danahey, a retired Milwaukee switchman, served as the guide and protector of the engine. He gave tours, educated the public, and helped maintain the 457. During the years after Danahey's watchcare, the locomotive fell into disrepair and became an eyesore waiting for the scrap pile. The site was fenced off from the public and the locomotive and tender continued to deteriorate. Vandals and rust took their toll on the locomotive.
In 2003, fearing its total loss, railroad buff, author, and historian Gene Green, a Chapin, Iowa native, began documenting the engine's design and dimensions. In the process, he attempted to generate local interest in cleaning and painting the engine so at least it did not disgrace the Park.
After much personal dedication to the project, and needing to return home to El Paso, TX, Gene asked Mason City Volunteer Coordinator Mary Zishka to find help for the cause. Volunteers of every age turned out with enthusiasm to assist with cleaning, scraping, and painting the locomotive and tender.
By the spring of 2005, the engine had been cosmetically restored and was reopened to the public with volunteer support on weekends. The Friends of the 457 committee was established to guide the work of restoration and preservation, in cooperation with the Mason City Parks & Recreation staff. Additional fund-raising allowed for construction of a "passenger platform" and shelter in 2007 to minimize weathering, and in 2008 a small building referred to as the "Sales Depot" was built by the Clear Lake High School Industrial Arts department, with materials donated by ASSA ABLOY Curries MFG. In early winter of 2008, an authentic, original M&StL locomotive bell was donated by a church camp from northern Minnesota.
One major item of restoration still nagged at the "Friends". The Boiler Jacket. We speculated that sometime in the 1970s, asbestos abatement prompted the removal of a rusty jacket, and it was not replaced. Much discussion occurred over the pros and cons of attempting to construct a new jacket. It was difficult to find information sources, and early contacts with metalworkers made it appear to be an extremely expensive project. But the locomotive did not really appear authentic without a jacket. Additional fund-raising and careful research allowed the "Friends" to engage the services of a metalworker to begin constructing a custom boiler jacket in late 2011. The site was closed to the public and the work continued all through 2012. Additionally, the body of the tender was raised, rotten deck planking was replaced, and the jacket and a new paint job was completed in June of 2013 in time for Cannonball Day!
The focus then shifted to preservation of the 457 Rotary Cannonball. The immediate concern was erosion surrounding the NE corner of the shelter and platform. This was addressed by the Friends in a proposal for a landscape design to protect and enhance the site, and eventually became the Cannonball Gardens Project. Construction of a three-tiered retaining wall with landscaping for recreation began in fall of 2014 and concluded in 2017. Again, cooperation between the Parks Department and the public for fund-raising made this endeavor a success. The enhanced site relies on volunteer help to maintain the Gardens. Erosion of the NE corner of the hillside under the platform is no longer a concern.
More Information:
You can keep informed about progress, and learn how to assist in preservation and display of the 457 by following on this website, and on Facebook at Friends-of-the-457 and at Cannonball Day.