Railroad Days
This weekend at Quincy Mine
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FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP -- The Quincy Mine Hoist Association (QMHA), in partnership with the Quincy & Torch Lake Railroad restoration volunteers, is celebrating the region’s rich mining heritage Friday and Saturday with its biennial Railroad Days. The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Quincy Mine location.
Railroad Days is completely open to the public, free of charge, and opens up the historic, newly renovated Quincy Roundhouse to the community. The weekend offers a rare opportunity for local residents and tourists alike to step onto an active historic restoration site, meet the craftsmen, and see massive pieces of early 20th-century iron up close.
The centerpiece of the weekend is the historic site's crown jewel: the Quincy & Torch Lake Railroad's Locomotive No. 6. Visitors are invited to come check out the recently restored 1912 Baldwin 2-8-0 narrow-gauge steam locomotive, which served as an absolute workhorse for the Quincy Mining Company. Attendees can meet the crew involved in the preservation process, climb inside the engine’s cab, and view ongoing work on its historic stablemates.
This year's event will also feature a newly restored, historic trackworker handcar. Visitors can climb aboard and physically operate the handcar along 70 feet of track laid inside the roundhouse.
"We will be pulling Locomotive No. 6 outside for viewing and ringing the bell," said Chuck Pomazal, one of the event’s chief organizers. "Visitors can also come see a historic rock car being rebuilt, Tender No. 1 standing ready for paint, and take a look at the brand-new track laid in front of the water tank."
Pomazal, a retired civil engineer from the Illinois Department of Transportation and an avid model railroader, leads a dedicated team of six to eight volunteers. Driven by a shared passion for trains and local heritage, the crew has dedicated the past quarter-century to preserving the history of the Quincy Mining Company's unique short-line railroad.
Unlike commercial tracks of the era, the Quincy & Torch Lake Railroad never transported civilian passengers. Built and owned exclusively by the mining company, the narrow-gauge line served just two grueling purposes: hauling copper-heavy rock down the hill to the company’s stamp mills on Torch Lake, and hauling coal back up the grade to power the mine site’s ravenous boilers.
According to Pomazal, the first Railroad Days debuted in 2018 with the intent of becoming a biennial tradition. However, the 2020 global pandemic lockdowns derailed those initial plans. Since bouncing back, the volunteers have successfully locked the celebration into a steady rhythm, welcoming the public back to the rails on even-numbered years. The open house provides the group a vital opportunity to share their preservation accomplishments--including the structural stabilization of the historic roundhouse--directly with the community.
Historians like Pomazal and volunteer Paul Meier continue to expand the public’s understanding of Copper Country transportation history. During the event, visitors will be able to look through extensive albums of historical photos and see the step-by-step physical labor that went into rescuing these engines.
The historical celebration perfectly aligns with a broader milestone on Quincy Hill this weekend. The open house ties into the Quincy Mine Hoist Association's 65th Anniversary Gala, which takes place on the property at 6 p.m. Friday evening.