- Tourist Sleeper 470 4.JPG (126.17 KiB) Viewed 1511 times
We also welcome the election of Alfred Berthold and the re-election of Lynn Muzik and Teresa Carper to the Board of Directors. The next board meeting is scheduled for May 2, 2015.
National Capital Trolley Museum - Silver Spring, MD $2,500
This grant will partially fund renovation of Capital Traction Company 522, a street car built in 1898 for use in the nation’s capital. The undercarriage of the car is not original and interferes with the support of the car body. The museum has located an original undercarriage for replacement. Since 1965, this organization has operated in Montgomery County, Maryland, including a collection of 17 street cars, thousands of photographs and documents, and hundreds of trolley ephemera. In fiscal year 2013, the museum hosted 12,611 visitors.
Center of Science and Industry (COSI) - Columbus, OH $10,000
The grant will support COSI Academy scholarships, COSI’s newly-opened planetarium and a historical movie program. COSI Academy is a career exploration program for high school students considering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers. The new COSI Planetarium, with state-of-the-art digital projection technology, will enable visitors to experience this dynamic learning tool to explore space. The COSI historical movie program presentation of the film “Jerusalem” will take viewers on a tour of one of the world’s oldest cities with its rich history and tapestry of cultures.
Western New York Railway Historical Society - Orchard Park, NY $2,000
The grant will partially fund an upgrade to the security system at the Williamsville Depot. The depot has suffered two break-ins and broken windows. The society was formed in 1980 to preserve the Buffalo area’s rich rail history. They have 40 pieces of rolling stock, five of which are leased to an excursion service. Their museum, the Heritage Discover Center, is on-site along with two passenger depots. They have 450 member volunteers that serve the Williamsville community of 122,000.
Rufus Porter Museum, Inc. - Bridgton, ME $1,800
This grant award will fully fund the creation of a model of the Broadway Elevated Railroad based on Rufus Porter's design and drawing, which was published in Scientific American, a publication he started and edited. The Broadway Elevated Railroad model will become part of their permanent collection and be on display in the Rufus Porter invention gallery to immerse visitors in how creative thought shapes their future. The Rufus Porter Museum was founded in 2005 to preserve the works of Rufus Porter (1792-1884), an itinerant artist, inventor, and writer.
Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Inc. - Chama, NM $5,000
One of this New Mexico-based organization’s primary missions is to preserve and restore the most unique examples of Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RG) narrow gauge historic rolling stock, some dating back as early as 1880. This project is the restoration of Tourist Sleeper Car 0252/470—emblematic of the D&RG in its prime operating years. Underway since 2009 (and estimated to be completed by 2018), this restoration project will see Car 470 restored to its original use upon leaving the Pullman factory in Detroit in 1889. The group has restored several notable examples of rolling stock on the D&RG, and their restoration and preservation efforts have been nationally recognized. In 2012, they received the Preserve America Stewards award by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society, Inc. - North Freedom, WI $1,000
This Wisconsin-based group is restoring the East Jordan & Southern No. 2 passenger car originally built in 1864 for the Grand Trunk Railway. The museum obtained the car in 1963 when the EJ&S ceased operations. The restoration will proceed in two phases: first, the exterior will be restored to provide a weather-tight structure, then interior repairing and refinishing. The group operates a museum to preserve and interpret the railroad legacy for the educational benefit of the public and a 4-mile demonstration railroad during the summer.
Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum - Wallace, ID $2,500
Funding will assist with replacement of the depot’s cedar roof. This 30-years-old group owns the Northern Pacific depot/museum. The depot was built in 1901 and served as a passenger and freight depot for nearly 100 years. In 1976 it was the first building in downtown historic Wallace, Idaho, to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1984 the depot was relocated to make way for the Interstate 90 Coeur d’Alene spur. The structure was refurbished and reopened in 1986 as the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum. The depot is now in the heart of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. It is in need of a new roof, and the group is fortunate enough to have the original plans, which call for #1 cedar shingles. In September 2016, the group will host the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association national convention.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Peninsula, OH $7,500
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is restoring their Saint Lucie Sound luxury observation car built in 1946, with the overall restoration cost is projected to be $242,000. CVSR was founded in 1972 by a group of concerned citizens who felt that passenger rail should be preserved and enjoyed along the historic Valley Line between Cleveland and Akron. CVSR exists today to provide an alternative way for the public to engage in Cuyahoga Valley National Park—Ohio’s only national park. Trains travel 26 miles from Independence, passing through the 33,000 acre national park to Akron and back. On average, 180,000 passengers travel the route annually.
Douglas County Museum Foundation - Roseburg, OR $1,500
This well-established organization (Museum, 45 years; Foundation, 32 years) is restoring Oregon & California (O&C) Railcar #3001, which is believed to be the only remaining O&C railcar in existence. The restoration of the railcar and the O&C rail station (a separate project) will help the museum preserve this one-of-a-kind artifact and in doing so help the museum tell the impactful story of the Oregon & California Railroad through the exhibit space, historic train themed film showings, and other thematically focused events..The total cost for the project is $195,000 of which DCMF has already raised $145,000 . While the museum’s primary focus is on the local community and area school children, it serves about 10,000 visitors per year of which 35% are out of area.
Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation - Youngstown, OH $1,500
Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation, a 21-year-old organization, is undertaking the restoration of Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. 0-4-0 No. 58, a 23” gauge steam locomotive built by the H. K. Porter Co. in 1937 for use at the Jones & Laughlin Pittsburgh Works. The locomotive is unique because of its heavy design with a high pressure boiler for extremely high traction in order to haul the tonnage of ingots and molds. The grant will assist with fabrication of the previously removed cab section back to its original design along with the saddle type water tank. In addition to restoring the locomotive, the project includes 300 feet of running track so that when the locomotive is fired, its use in the historically important Youngstown steel industry can be demonstrated regularly to the community and visitors.
Venice Historic Preservation League, Inc. - Venice, FL $5,000
Venice Historic Preservation League is taking the lead to bring a circus train car to the historic Venice train depot by acquiring, refurbishing and displaying on existing rail a car representing the living quarters of circus performers during the time that the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus wintered in Venice. An exhibit area will provide displays about the relationship between the circus and the railroad, both locally and nationally. Exhibits will also educate the public about the many interdependencies between the circus and local community.
