In case of inclement weather, please visit  
WDBJ7.com for closing information.

Our favorite time of the year!
New Museum Store Launches December 6!
1981 DeLorean DMC-12 on Display
Locomotive Cab Added to the David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk
Women in Aviation Exhibit Added to Wings Over Virginia Aviation Gallery
VMT Memberships Make Great Gifts!
Happenings: Road. Rail. Air.
Visit shop.vmt.org to purchase this new Fire Up 611! Long-Sleeved shirt!

New VMT Online Museum Store
launches TODAY!


Our new online Museum Store launches today! Check out our new Fire Up 611! apparel, mugs, pins and more! We're adding new items everyday, so check back often. (Order now for Christmas delivery. We have limited quantities of Fire Up 611! merchandise. Don't miss the chance of having Fire Up 611! gifts under your holiday tree!)

Special offer!
10% off all online purchases through January 31, 2014.  Use coupon code 611.
 
From our Executive Director 
Our favorite season...
 

The holidays are our favorite time of the year. The winter air invigorates, the twinkle lights sparkle and we put on our biggest event of the year -- the Candy Cane Express!

This fall, we've added exhibits along the Goode Rail Walk in front of the Museum and in our Wings Over Virginia Aviation Gallery. Seventh graders throughout Roanoke visited us for exciting learning opportunities. Car lovers are excited about the DeLorean on display, and our new (old) truck from UPS is incredible. And we have a few surprises up our sleeve for the Advance Auto Parts Automotive Gallery. (Check back soon for more details!)

We hope that you and your families have a wonderful holiday! We are so proud of your support. Come see us a lot in 2014!

Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr.,
Executive Director
Virginia Museum of Transportation

 


Back to the Future!


1981 DeLorean DMC-12 on display in the Advance Auto Parts Automotive Gallery for a limited time!  

The Virginia Museum of Transportation's Advance Auto Parts Automotive Gallery is going back to the future! A 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 -- the same kind of car that was used as a time machine in all three of the Back to the Future movies -- is on display for a limited time. 
   

The DeLorean Motor Company was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1975.

Only 9,000 DeLorean DMC-12s were built, with only 6,500 sold. It had a price tag of $25,000.  This is a beautiful car on loan to us for a brief time. Come see it soon!  

 


The General Electric Locomotive Cab as it was being installed on the
David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk in front of the Virginia Museum of  Transportation. 
Honoring Roanoke's rail heritage
 
General Electric Locomotive Cab added to the
David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk
in downtown Roanoke

The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the City of Roanoke installed a General Electric Locomotive Cab as a new, permanent exhibit on the David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk.

The Railwalk tells the story of Roanoke's rich rail history through interpretive hands-on exhibits and displays.  The new exhibit is located in front of the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

"Locomotives and the trains they pull are as much a symbol of Roanoke as the Star on Mill Mountain," said Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr., executive director of the VMT. "Locomotives have been hauling goods across Roanoke and Virginia for as long as Roanoke has been around. We are a rail town, and the addition of the locomotive to the Railwalk celebrates our heritage. Roanoke would not be the city that it is today without the railroad."

The cab was donated by Mr. Jay Brenner of Cycle Systems, Inc., in Roanoke. Installation services were donated by Lynchburg Crane and Lanford Bros. Cavalier Equipment and Pro-Con Incorporated were instrumental in making this exhibit possible.

The Railwalk was named after David R. and Susan S. Goode. Mr. Goode is a former president and chairman of Norfolk Southern Corporation. Mr. Goode and Norfolk Southern donated a number of artifacts that line the Railwalk.


Taking flight 
Women in Aviation Exhibit added to the
Wings Over Virginia Aviation Gallery 
               
A new exhibit in the Wings Over Virginia Aviation Gallery was recently unveiled. The exhibit, Women in Aviation: Daring, Defiant, Determined, tells the story of women aviators in history. Learn about Virginia women aviators like Roanoke's Martha Anne Woodrum Zillhardt, the first woman in Virginia to earn her instrument rating pilots license; Louise Thaden, the first woman to win the Bendix Transcontinental Air Race; Gladys Kessler, the first woman in Roanoke to earn a pilot's license; and Helen Chewing Fitzpatrick, another born Roanoke aviator who earned her wings during World War II.

The exhibit was made possible by the Foundation for Roanoke Valley Community Catalyst Funds.
What a great gift for family and friends who love trains, cars and planes! We have economically-priced memberships for one or two people, families and grandparents/ grandchildren. Add Anybody passes so they can bring other train, car and plane lovers! Visit our Membership page at vmt.org to learn more or download a gift membership form.

 

Happenings: Road. Rail. Air.     
 

December 7 - 8: Smith Mountain Lake Model Railroad Group's Charity Chug: Model train displays at seven homes will be open 1 to 5 pm.

 

December 12 - 15: Norfolk & Western Historical Society: Archives work session.   

 

December 28: Norfolk & Western Historical Society: GOB East work session.  

 
December 21:Blue Ridge Chapter, National Railway Historical Society's Annual "Kemper Street Station Holiday Gathering"

 

Monthly - Second and Fourth Thursdays at 7 pm: The International Plastic Modelers' Society, Roanoke Valley Chapter hosts building and business meetings at the Museum each month, and competes in area shows. The entrance is on the back of the Museum just off the Rail Walk and around the corner from the Jupiter Rocket.   

  

Weekly - Tuesdays:  The Roanoke Valley Model Engineers work on their ON30, HO, Lionel and N scale layouts each week in the basement of the Museum. The entrance is at the back of the Museum around the corner from the Jupiter Rocket. 6:30 pm to 8 pm. The club also invites younger members ages 8 - 18 to learn about model railroading. New members welcome!   

 

Monthly - Second Wednesday:  Blue Ridge Chapter, National Railway Historical Society meets at Charley's Restaurant, 707 Graves Mills Road, Lynchburg, VA. Dinner begins at 6 pm. Official chapter meeting begins at 7:30 pm. 

  

Monthly - Third Thursday: Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society meets in the auditorium at the O. Winston Link Museum at 7:30 pm.

  

For more information about events, attractions, and lodging in and around the region, visit the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau.     
 
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