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Truckee Railroad museum set to open in May
Author: Doug Jensen
Date: 04-21-2010 - 10:55
[www.theunion.com]
TRUCKEE — Truckee's new railroad museum is on track for a May 8 opening.
The Truckee Donner Railroad Society's caboose was placed next to the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce and California Welcome Center building downtown in October, and the group has since worked to install exhibits and put on finishing touches.
“We've got 2,500 hours or more of volunteer work put into the museum,” said Bob Bell, president of the society.
The caboose will house a museum detailing the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads' role in Truckee history, with exhibits including the building of the transcontinental railroad, logging lines, the caboose, tourism lines and a children's play area, according to the website, www.truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com.
“We're almost done — we got the ramp and deck done with the help of CATT (the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe), and Truckee Tahoe Lumber donated the lumber,” Bell said.
He said refurbishing the caboose, donated by Teichert Aggregates, was slow work.
The grand opening
Plans for the grand opening May 8 start with a performance from the high school band at 10 a.m., followed by a choir performance and then a ribbon cutting by Mayor Carolyn Wallace Dee, who will issue a proclamation for National Train Day, Bell said.
After that, the museum will be open weekends and on Truckee Thursdays, Bell said; there will be no charge; but the group will have a suggested donation.
Future plans
The caboose is really an interim museum in the Truckee Donner Railroad Society's plans, Bell said, with an ultimate goal of ending up in the planned Railyard development east of downtown.
The group has already collected a sleeper car, diesel switcher, rotary snow plow and logging crane which will be part of the bigger, permanent museum down the line, Bell said. Restoration work on those pieces will also continue this summer.
TRUCKEE — Truckee's new railroad museum is on track for a May 8 opening.
The Truckee Donner Railroad Society's caboose was placed next to the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce and California Welcome Center building downtown in October, and the group has since worked to install exhibits and put on finishing touches.
“We've got 2,500 hours or more of volunteer work put into the museum,” said Bob Bell, president of the society.
The caboose will house a museum detailing the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads' role in Truckee history, with exhibits including the building of the transcontinental railroad, logging lines, the caboose, tourism lines and a children's play area, according to the website, www.truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com.
“We're almost done — we got the ramp and deck done with the help of CATT (the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe), and Truckee Tahoe Lumber donated the lumber,” Bell said.
He said refurbishing the caboose, donated by Teichert Aggregates, was slow work.
The grand opening
Plans for the grand opening May 8 start with a performance from the high school band at 10 a.m., followed by a choir performance and then a ribbon cutting by Mayor Carolyn Wallace Dee, who will issue a proclamation for National Train Day, Bell said.
After that, the museum will be open weekends and on Truckee Thursdays, Bell said; there will be no charge; but the group will have a suggested donation.
Future plans
The caboose is really an interim museum in the Truckee Donner Railroad Society's plans, Bell said, with an ultimate goal of ending up in the planned Railyard development east of downtown.
The group has already collected a sleeper car, diesel switcher, rotary snow plow and logging crane which will be part of the bigger, permanent museum down the line, Bell said. Restoration work on those pieces will also continue this summer.
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 Truckee Railroad museum set to open in May |
Doug Jensen | 04-21-2010 - 10:55 |