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Keeping Track

The Official Newsletter of the Western Railroaders' Hall of Fame & Museum

Volume 1, Number 2 -- Page 1 of 2

Midwestern Railroaders' Hall of Fame Location Selected

The Leatherock Hotel is now the headquarters of the Midwestern Railroaders' Hall of Fame & Museum. Photo by J. Hogben.

The WRHOF&M announced today that it has chosen the halls of the Leatherock Hotel Center, Cherryvale, KS located at the crossing of the former Frisco and Santa Fe lines as the home of its Midwestern Railroaders' Hall Of Fame & Museum; and further that plans call for an historic model train display in the basement of the hotel.

The hotel, built in 1912 to serve passengers arriving from the 24 trains serving Cherryvale, is currently undergoing restoration managed by PCR Management Corp. A spring open house is planned, possibly in conjunction with train excusion rides and an open house at the beautifully restored Cherryvale Santa Fe station.

Across the street from the Leatherock Hotel is the ex-Santa Fe and ex-Frisco crossing. Photo by J. Hogben.

Donations requested

Donations for the new Midwestern Railroaders' Hall Of Fame as well as for the WRHOF&M restoration of their San Francisco PCC trolley can be sent to:

Western Railroaders' Hall of Fame & Museum
420 North Depot Street, Cherryvale, KS 67335
Ph: 316 336-3350
FAX: 626 442-1383

Museum of America's Freedom Trains Opens Sept. 4-7

The Museum of America's Freedom Trains exhibit will open "on tour" in Sacramento Sept. 4-7, 1999 at the California State Railroad Museum. It will be built by the volunteers of the Antelope Valley, CA based Friends of STEAM, with continuing help from the organization's members in seven states. The crew of the 1975-6 American Freedom Train selected STEAMS's component museum for the distinction in Pittsburgh, PA in September 1996. The new museum will commemorate both the 1975-6 train and its predecessor, the 1947 Freedom Train. Plans are to place the exhibit on board re-created Freedom Train exhibit cars and tour the nation retracing the routes of both predecessor trains. A new member of STEAM recently donated the first baggage car that will become part of the display train.

The Texas State Railroad Museum has granted acquisition for ten years of world famous 2-10-4 #610 which pulled the 1975-6 Freedom Train on part of its journey. The B&O Museum has awarded its Freedom Train collection to STEAM's Museum of America's Freedom Trains. STEAM's proponents envision this as a key part of the world-class operating railroad museum that will bring $20 million annually to its host community's economy. Selection of the STEAM museum's hometown, and that of the Museum of America's Freedom Trains, in Southern California is now underway.

Membership/information: Friends of STEAM/Museum of America's Freedom Trains 2720 East Palmdale Blvd., Suite 127, Palmdale, CA 93550
Phone: 1-87-76-MUSEUM (1 877 668-7386) Fax: 805 273-9577
Thanks to Larry Wines of STEAM for the info.

All rights are reserved.
No part of this material my be reproduced, stored in a retrival system,
or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the written permission of an officer of
Western Railroaders' Hall of Fame & Museum.

Mr. James G. Hogben

President

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