About Us

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 Lewis 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 turned to 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 by following the Facebook page Friends of the 457 .
For event information, follow the Facebook page Rotary Cannonball - Minneapolis and St. Louis#457 steam locomotive. 

Making Friends

Since 2005, The Friends of the 457  volunteers have hosted over 150,000 visitors to the locomotive in East Park, and enjoyed the hundreds of stories of people who played on and around the display when they were kids.

Placed in the park in 1959 by the generous contribution of the Rotary Club to the people of Mason City, it was fenced off and inaccessible for nearly twenty years. Vandals took what they could.  It stood as a rusty hulk, the last of its kind slowly fading away like a forlorn distant whistle blow.

It took the vision of Gene Green, a resident of El Paso, TX, a native of Chapin, IA, to spark a renewed interest in the "Rotary Cannonball" as it had become known locally.  From 2003 to late 2004 Gene led a small group of volunteers that swelled in ranks as Gene camped in his VW Microbus on-site to develop drawings and begin cleaning.  The meager beginning soon gathered steam as more volunteers signed on and donations were received to help.  The Friends of the 457 was formed in early 2005 as Gene returned to El Paso, and Dennis Wilson and Cliff Hagman took Co-Chairman roles to carry on the work of restoration and preservation of the 457.

The Minneapolis & St. Louis RR ordered construction of the engine in 1912, and it was in service on that RR until the late 1940s when it was sold to American Crystal Sugar to switch carloads of beets and coal at their Mason City plant.  It saw railroad service in Minnesota and Iowa, and as a troop train during World War II.

The Friends of the 457 have focused on a cosmetic restoration to the era of the 1940s while still associated with the railroad, reflecting its broad service to North Iowa and the surrounding region.

Many have expressed their appreciation that the locomotive is once again available to the public.  With volunteer help, and the generous donations of individuals, businesses, and foundations, the 457 has once again "come to life" to give opportunities for fun and adventure, education, and preservation of local history.

The Friends of the 457 invite you to help in our effort to preserve this popular attraction to Mason City and East Park.  Railroad buffs from across the nation have inquired about it.  Charter Bus and school tours have stopped to see it and hear the story.  Historical Conventions have put it on their agenda.  But to help preserve it, to develop its historical and tourist potential, and maintain its integrity for years to come, the Friends of the 457 ask your help.  The restoration phase is essentially complete, but maintenance is critical to keep this historic artifact intact and available to the public.

In 2014 an additional project to prevent erosion and preserve the hillside the locomotive sits upon was begun, and concluded in 2018. The Cannonball Gardens and Educational Plaza with signage depicting Iowa railroad history, Orphan Train information, and East Park history was a worthy project to enhance the park and 457 Cannonball surroundings.

Please consider donating your time as a volunteer, or resources, to further the cause of preserving this last remaining Minneapolis & St Louis steam locomotive.  It is located in East Park, Mason City, IA along the 900 block of East State Street.  The site is open for tours May-October and available for viewing anytime you are in the park.

You may connect with us on social media about public events at;

https://www.facebook.com/cannonball.day/

or for news related to the 457 committee and activities at;

https://www.facebook.com/Friendsofthe457/