1385 continued to run on MCRM's trackage, and it also pulled some mainline excursion trains on other nearby railroads, such as the Wisconsin and Southern (WSOR).

Throughout the 1890s, the Chicago and North Western Railroad (C&NW) experimented with different firebox designs to upgrade their steam locomotive roster.

[4] In 1899, it created a new boiler design with a 56-inch (1,400 mm) firebox that would sit above the rear driving wheels, and it came with a working pressure of 200 psi (1,400 kPa).

[6][7] They were so large and heavy that their route availabilities were drastically limited, and the C&NW had to restructure their trackage, bridges, and roundhouse stalls to accommodate them.

[11] Some of them were modified with steam heating equipment to continue pulling passenger trains, including the connecting section of the Flambeau 400 and the C&NW's commuter services around Chicago.

[12] The locomotive was mostly assigned by the C&NW to work within the Lake Shore Division, which consisted of routes that led to iron ore mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

1385's last commercial assignment on the railroad was to serve as a yard switcher at Iron Mountain, Michigan, before it was taken out of service in 1956, when the C&NW completely dieselized their locomotive roster.

[19] On May 26, the museum hosted its grand opening ceremony, and a celebration train operated between Hillsboro and the C&NW-H&NE interchange at Union Center.

[31][32] While Wolfe envisioned the benefits, he felt the company couldn't afford to host a full-blown program with the ongoing recession.

[17][33][34] The R-1 left North Freedom for a two-day run to Green Bay on April 9, 1982, and the journey was unannounced to avoid attracting public attention.

[33][34] After it arrived in Green Bay, Kawalek's volunteer crews used a drop pit to remove the driving wheels and axle boxes from the locomotive for reworking, and they performed some minor repairs on the tender.

1385 performed a test run northward to Oconto, where it subsequently met a southbound C&NW inspection train, led by EMD F7 diesels and hosted by the railroad's Vice President of Transportation, Edward Burkhardt.

1385 was displayed with the Prosperity Special train in Green Bay for the Chicago and North Western Historical Society (C&NWHS) convention.

1385 pulled some public excursions out of Boone and over the Kate Shelley High Bridge, during the annual Pufferbilly Days event in September; it was coupled to two C&NW F7s and three bilevel passenger cars on loan from Metra.

[34][36] Following the Pufferbilly Days event, Wolfe and other C&NW management approved to launch a full-blown steam program, with Burkhardt providing financial support for it.

[34] The locomotive also ran along routes in Iowa the C&NW had acquired from other companies, such as the Chicago Great Western (CGW), the Minneapolis and St. Louis (M&StL), and the Rock Island (RI).

[34] With C&NW trackage rights, the locomotive traveled on the Milwaukee Road to Winona, and the Burlington Northern (BN) to Superior.

[37][38] That same year, an insurance crisis broke out within the railroad industry, causing premium prices to rise up, and most of C&NW's scheduled 1986 trips had to be cancelled.

1385 in working order, the insurance crisis caused the C&NW to undergo several changes; routes continued to be abandoned and sold off, divisions were consolidated, and employees were laid off.

1385 without a host, but still FRA-certified for mainline service, the MCRM looked into running the R-1 on other railroads while helping communities that still desired to sponsor steam excursions.

1385 was tasked to lead that year's Great Circus Train, but as it began to depart Baraboo, the R-1 suffered a superheater failure and sputtered.

1385 was returned to the MCRM, where the failure was traced to a faulty bolt, and the entire superheater was repaired by volunteers in twelve hours.

1385 pulled three weekend excursions on the Wisconsin and Calumet (WICT), and the trips were sponsored by the Broadhead Historical Society, Jaycees, and Lions Club.

[37][51] During the Fourth of July weekend, the locomotive pulled excursions on the WSOR from Horicon to Brown Deer in the Milwaukee area.

1385 pulled the MCRM's annual Snow Train, it was discovered that the locomotive's left front driving wheel had slightly moved inward on its axle.

[56][57][58] The wheels were shipped to Norfolk Southern's shop complex in Birmingham, Alabama, where many cracks were discovered under the layers of black paint, so they had to be thoroughly rewelded.

[18][63][64] The project was subsequently stalled by varying challenges, including the Great Recession, and a 2008 flood that damaged the museum's property, and the R-1 was stored on a siding for the time being.

[65][67] Afterward, the frame of the front pilot truck was replaced, and the driving wheels were sent to be repaired at the Strasburg Rail Road's restoration shop in Pennsylvania, before returning to Middleton.

[67][69][c] In 2017, the frame and running gear were moved out of SPEC's shop and into a larger adjacent building, which was built specifically to house No.

[69] Following the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, work on the locomotive continued at a slower pace, but Roudebush set the project as a high priority.