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| VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION |
March 2010 |
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! |
Join our growing corps of volunteers! At this time we are happy to provide training to persons interested in helping in the Museum Store, or answering the phone and selling tickets in the front office. We need an experienced educator to help with school field trips. We also need people who have experience with construction, facility maintenance, and museum operations to help with the building and exhibits. If interested, please call 540-342-5670. | |
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Greetings!
Our planning sessions for the Norfolk Southern Challenge have been well attended and are bringing us lots of good ideas. We hope you have been able to attend or to take our survey and let us know what you think. So far we've had responses from 22 states and four foreign countries, and I hope we've heard from you!
Lots of these ideas will take time and significant funding, but we're delighted with the ideas that can improve this Museum right away. Check out the new headlight on the Class J 611 in the photo at the top of this newsletter! We were really pleased when NRHS Roanoke Chapter members Rick Rader, Eddie Mooneyham and Tony McCray volunteered to help us replace the light. Rick donated an original fixture and Eddie and Tony helped him install it. It looks fantastic--and it's even more fantastic when we all work together to make this Museum better, and the Roanoke region a true rail destination!
 Come see us soon!Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr.
Executive Director
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Virginia Museum of Transportation seeks YOUR ideas
As part of our planning process for the Norfolk Southern Challenge, we have hosted several successful planning sessions, with our last scheduled for Tuesday March 2. The session will be held in the Museum's Conference Room, 7-9pm. RSVP: info@vmt.org. We are seeking public input to learn from the community how we can improve this Museum. Those unable to attend are encouraged to complete a brief survey. If you have additional thoughts, please send them to feedback@vmt.org.
The Museum's lead project consultant for this planning process is William L. Withuhn, Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. He is widely considered the nation's leading transportation exhibits producer and is familiar with the Museum, its strengths, weaknesses, audiences, and great potential. |
Now on display: one engineer's life on the Norfolk & Western Railway
 In a companion exhibit to "Images of the Norfolk and Western Railway", Museum volunteer Erik Rhyne (right) has uncovered a collection of items in the Museum's archives that tell the personal story of an N&W employee from a century ago.
Tasked with developing a "docents' choice" exhibit for the Rail Gallery, Erik discovered a metal tool box belonging to Caleb A. Corell. An engineer on the N&W's Radford Division, Corell was born in 1874, joined the railroad in 1894 and served 41 years until an injury led to his retirement in 1935.
"Opening up the box was like opening up this man's life," said Erik. "Everything that he needed, he carried with him--his boots, his pipe, his razor. It's like a snapshot of everyday life at that time." The box also contained Corell's driver's license, his Studebaker's inspection certificate, various photos and a news clipping of his parents' 69th anniversary celebration. "This one man's really cool life gives us an appreciation of what life was like and what it was like to work for the railroad," Erik said. "It's really important that we preserve the past."
Congratulations to Erik Rhyne and his wife Jenna on the birth of their son Toren on February 23! |
 Behind the scenes, we're working to reopen our Aviation Gallery
Many of our visitors, members, and friends have been asking about our Aviation Gallery. Heavily damaged in a freak storm that took off part of the Museum's roof, our aviation gallery has been closed to the public since 2006.
Don Moser (at left), the Museum's Deputy Director and himself a pilot, is spearheading the work to restore the exhibits and reopen the gallery. Through Don's leadership, the gallery will include new artifacts as well as old favorites that tell the story of aviation in Virginia, and in particular, Roanoke's early aviation history.
Plans are to open the gallery in late spring as a work-in-progress restoration area. "How an exhibit is developed can be as interesting and educational as the exhibit itself," said Don. "Our planning process and a group of interested individuals have been very helpful in defining the themes."
Initial funding for the gallery has been provided by the City of Roanoke and by Roanoke County. Additional support is needed to tell the story of our pioneering aviators, technological developments, and the history of flight in Virginia. Your financial support, or the donation of artifacts or equipment that we are seeking, is much appreciated! Please email Don or call 540-342-5670. |
 Warmer weather is coming and so are the school groups!
This year, we've welcomed schools from as far away as Charlottesville and Meadows of Dan. We host public schools, private schools, preschools and home school groups.
This spring, we are especially pleased to be the official field trip destination for all Roanoke City Public School kindergarteners! Their teachers will be using young children's fascination with transportation to support learning in all the core subject areas--language arts, science, math, and social studies. Our Museum education coordinator, Susan Loveman, has been working with Ellen Copenhaver of the Roanoke City Public Schools to develop a special booklet for the children who will visit, to make sure they learn a lot as well as having a lot of fun.
School groups are hosted by trained docents (including Ron Vanderpool, above) who focus on the SOLs and topics of importance to that grade. Children learn about "then and now", run off some steam in the rail yard, and bring picnic lunches to enjoy on the dock. If you'd like to schedule a field trip or for more information, please email Susan or call 540-342-5670. |
More great things to do and see in Virginia's Rail Heritage Region!
The Archives Committee of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society holds its next work session March 11-14 at its facility at 2101 Salem Ave, Roanoke, near Shaffer's Crossing. The NWHS has an library of 1,000 books, and archives with over 100,000 mechanical and engineering drawings and over 50,000 photographs that preserve the history of the N&W and Virginian Railways. For information or to participate, email NWHS President Ron Davis. Mark your calendars: the NWHS National Convention will be held June 17-20 in Front Royal, VA.
Out Of Sync Photography: in this hands-on workshop at the O. Winston Link Museum, Jeffrey W. Allison of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will discuss the techniques of fill flash, out of synch flash and multi filter flash to create a variety of effects. March 27, 5pm - 8pm. To register, please email Leah Gardner or call 540-982-5465. $25. Link Museum members receive a 10% discount.
The Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is now taking reservations for A Circle Tour around Virginia on Saturday, April 24, 2010, with free time in Richmond and Alexandria. Just a few seats remain on the bus from Lynchburg to Richmond's Main Street Station. Enjoy a train trip to Alexandria and back to Lynchburg. For bus tickets and information, email NRHS Circle Trip Coordinator Lee Hawkins or call 434-522-6704. For AMTRAK tickets, email Garland Harper or call 434-660-1218. Bus tickets are $35.00 per person, and AMTRAK tickets are additional. All AMTRAK passengers must bring a picture ID.
Mark your calendars now for Roanoke Rails, a celebration of our region's rail heritage on National Train Day, Saturday, May 8. Jointly sponsored by the Virginia Museum of Transportation and the O. Winston Link Museum, look for special activities in both locations. More information is coming soon! | |
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