Got this off a e-mail list that I am on and thought you guys might find it intresting. Who would have ever imagined a RR hall of Fame. How do you get in? Most locomotives in a consist. Most drawbars? Most miles run with out incident? Most days worked with out marking off?
http://www.registermail.com/stories/021 ... .GID.shtml
RR hall of Fame
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sd70accsxt700
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RR hall of Fame
https://flic.kr/ps/jSuAb My Flickr photos!
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The article also has some pictures...took a while to load the page, so read this while the page is loading:
$60 million Railroad Hall of Fame planned
Railroads key to funding 84,500-square-foot structure
Sunday, February 19, 2006
By JOHN R. PULLIAM
The Register-Mail
GALESBURG - Imagine an 84,500-square-foot building, a $60 million project with a central architectural feature rising six stories above an atrium. Now, picture all this in Kiwanis Park, visible from Interstate 74. The National Railroad Hall of Fame is about to make the move from vision toward reality.
Jay Matson, chairman of the Hall of Fame Board, and Steve Gerstenberger, board member, are confident the hall will become "a national icon."
Peter S. LaPaglia, president of LaPaglia and Associates, Inc., has been hired as a consultant to help develop the master plan for the Hall of Fame. Work on the plan began in January 2005 and is expected to be completed in August 2006.
"We actually started fundraising for the master plan in October," Matson said. Pledges for $250,000 are in hand for the local portion of the fundraising.
"The community campaign will have a goal of a half-a-million (dollars)," Matson said. That will be officially announced at a press conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Galesburg City Hall.
HOF_FIRST_FLOOR.JPG
The money raised locally will be used to pay for the master plan, hire an executive director to lead the national fund-raising campaign, and to pay expenses associated with the ambitious goal.
Matson said the idea is to show the community's commitment, to demonstrate to foundations and the railroad industry this is a project worthy of their support. While state and local grants will be pursued in what is planned as a two-year fund-raising effort, the railroads, particularly those known as "The Big Six," hold the key.
"It's definitely a boom time for all railroads," Matson said. "In that sense, our timing couldn't be better."
What if only $40 million is raised? Will the project steam forward?
"Sure, we might have one theater instead of two," Matson said. However, Matson said organizers are optimistic.
"I think the likelihood is we'll raise more than ($60 million) rather than less," he said.
HOF_SECOND_FLOOR.JPG
Matson points to the need to dream when it comes to the museum itself, but the high hopes for fundraising are grounded firmly on logic. The largest six railroads - Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific - have annual revenues in the area of $50 billion.
Matson said for the Hall of Fame to reach its goal, it only needs ".01 of 1 percent of their revenue." In addition, there are many other railroads, including more than 400 short-line operations.
"If everything went as fast as we could have it and if some major donors step forward, we could have a spring 2009 opening," Matson said. "We saw this as a transition that could both symbolically and literally get us over Maytag and transform Galesburg into something new. It will develop and spin off a lot of growth."
Eric Hanson of the University of Illinois Extension has been hired as the hall's first director, but a professional, perhaps someone now an assistant at one of the nation's major museums, will be hired by the end of the master plan. Eventually, the Hall of Fame's local board will become national in scope.
As for as the executive director, "(LaPaglia) feels like we're going to get some of the top candidates simply because this is such an unusual concept and there's nothing like it," Matson said.
A museum of the future
2RRHOF_INTERIOR.JPG
Courtesy National Railroad Hall of Fame
The first floor lobby and reception area would have an atrium open to the second floor.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield was one of, if not the first, to use the type of modern technology that is replacing the traditional exhibits in cases, museums Matson calls "old school." The National Railroad Hall of Fame plans to build on what has been learned at the Lincoln museum.
According to information from the ALPLM, the museum attracted more than 600,000 in its first year, doubling pre-opening forecasts. There are more than 100 employees.
The Lincoln museum features special effects theaters. Two state-of-the-art exhibits allow visitors to follow Lincoln's early years, home life, legal and political careers and presidency. The Union Theatre presents a 17-minute show, "Lincoln's Eyes," which uses special effects and three screens to surround the audience. The "Ghosts of the Library" theater, in the words of the museum's press release, "amazes audiences as live actors interact with ghosts on stage to make yesterday and today come to life."
Matson said of ALPLM, "We hope to get at least equal or take it to the next level."
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has nearly 40,000 square feet of exhibits, special effects, theaters and displays.
RR_Hall3.jpg
Matson
"The actual exhibition area (at the Lincoln museum) is about half the size we're projecting here," Matson said.
Perhaps the best example of the technology being discussed was when Matson was asked if there will be an IMAX Theater at the Hall of Fame, he chuckled.
"That's the old technology," he said, gently poking fun at the question. "Come on, get with it.
"It's hard for us to comprehend how big this project will be," Matson added, saying that LaPaglia told organizers, " 'If you went to California and you said National Railroad Hall of Fame, it wouldn't mean anything. But in five years, you would say Railroad Hall of Fame and people would say, Oh, yeah, Galesburg.' "
What local leaders are saying
- "The reason that Sandburg's father came here was because of the railroad. Of course, the birthplace cottage is smack-dab in the middle of the railroaders' area of town (during that era.) ... I'm looking forward to it and hope they don't run into any snags. That's a pretty big project." Steve Holden, site interpreter, state Sandburg Birthplace Historic Site.
- "We always felt if they come to see the Hall of Fame, if they're railroad fans, they come and see us also." Mike Godsil, board president of the Galesburg Railroad Museum.
- "We would love to work with them. I think the expected amount of visitors for the Hall of Fame will be great for our museum and the Galesburg economy." Jamie Cecil-Monari, executive director, Discovery Depot.
- "I think it falls into an area we're interested in, historic tourism. Clearly historic tourism is secondary to the college's primary mission, which is educational. ... That said, historic sites and historic tourism is something we're looking forward to doing more with." Peter Bailley, manager of media relations, Knox College.
About the National Railroad Hall of Fame
- The National Railroad Hall of Fame celebrated its 11th anniversary on Aug. 29, 2005.
- There are three categories for induction: 1) Birth and Development Era, 1800 to 1895; 2) Golden Era, 1866 to 1945; 3) Modern Era, 1946 to present day.
- The National Railroad Hall of Fame has opened discussions with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Affiliations Program to expand the Hall's museum component, to enrich the visitor experience, and to elevate the impact of its educational program.
- Programs: 1) Learning resources for school groups. 2) A special opportunity to foster pride, motivation and perseverance which the railroad industry symbolizes; helpful to groups from youth assistance programs and enrichment education. 3) Special events, lecture series and reunions. Marketing events will provide the opportunity to promote the Hall. The scheduling of traveling exhibits will encourage visitors to return and experience new and unique stories.
- Highlights of public space in new Hall of Fame: Great Hall and lobby; gift shop; special exhibits gallery; Orientation Theater; Adventure Theater; Railroad Gallery; Hall of Fame; Children's Discovery Gallery; two classrooms, restrooms.
- Summary of Space: The interior spaces are planned to meet the (program) requirements for a contemporary transportation museum with its emphasis on enhanced visitor experience. The Hall offers multi-media theater experiences that immerse the visitor in the story line, large gallery experiences offering encounters with various aspects of the historical narrative, and evocative elements dealing with the past, present and future of the railroad industry
Estimated budget
Construction
New construction: $15,210,000
Site improvements: $1,375,000
Architectural/engineering: $2,281,000
Exhibits
New exhibits: $6,625,500
Orientation presentation: $5,000,000
Adventure Theater: $12,000,000
Multi-media: $2,800,000
Interpretive planning: $500,000
Exhibit design: $1,655,000
Furniture and equipment (Allowance) $1,095,000
Endowment: 10 percent, $6,000,000
Sub-total: $54,542,000
Contingency: 10 percent of sub-total, $5,458,000
Total: $60,000,000
Source: National Railroad Hall of Fame
Estimated annual economic impact (based on attendance of 200,000): $18,000,000
Source: Galesburg Convention and Visitors Bureau
Annual attendance at area attractions
Discovery Depot: 9,315
Galesburg Railroad Museum: 6,000
Sandburg Historic Site: 10,000 to 12,000
National Railroad Hall of Fame (projected): 200,000
Bishop Hill: 100,000
Putnam Museum, Davenport, Iowa: 209,000
Lakeview Museum, Peoria: 128,000
John Deere Commons, Moline: 230,000
Source: National Railroad Hall of Fame (July 2005)
$60 million Railroad Hall of Fame planned
Railroads key to funding 84,500-square-foot structure
Sunday, February 19, 2006
By JOHN R. PULLIAM
The Register-Mail
GALESBURG - Imagine an 84,500-square-foot building, a $60 million project with a central architectural feature rising six stories above an atrium. Now, picture all this in Kiwanis Park, visible from Interstate 74. The National Railroad Hall of Fame is about to make the move from vision toward reality.
Jay Matson, chairman of the Hall of Fame Board, and Steve Gerstenberger, board member, are confident the hall will become "a national icon."
Peter S. LaPaglia, president of LaPaglia and Associates, Inc., has been hired as a consultant to help develop the master plan for the Hall of Fame. Work on the plan began in January 2005 and is expected to be completed in August 2006.
"We actually started fundraising for the master plan in October," Matson said. Pledges for $250,000 are in hand for the local portion of the fundraising.
"The community campaign will have a goal of a half-a-million (dollars)," Matson said. That will be officially announced at a press conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Galesburg City Hall.
HOF_FIRST_FLOOR.JPG
The money raised locally will be used to pay for the master plan, hire an executive director to lead the national fund-raising campaign, and to pay expenses associated with the ambitious goal.
Matson said the idea is to show the community's commitment, to demonstrate to foundations and the railroad industry this is a project worthy of their support. While state and local grants will be pursued in what is planned as a two-year fund-raising effort, the railroads, particularly those known as "The Big Six," hold the key.
"It's definitely a boom time for all railroads," Matson said. "In that sense, our timing couldn't be better."
What if only $40 million is raised? Will the project steam forward?
"Sure, we might have one theater instead of two," Matson said. However, Matson said organizers are optimistic.
"I think the likelihood is we'll raise more than ($60 million) rather than less," he said.
HOF_SECOND_FLOOR.JPG
Matson points to the need to dream when it comes to the museum itself, but the high hopes for fundraising are grounded firmly on logic. The largest six railroads - Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific - have annual revenues in the area of $50 billion.
Matson said for the Hall of Fame to reach its goal, it only needs ".01 of 1 percent of their revenue." In addition, there are many other railroads, including more than 400 short-line operations.
"If everything went as fast as we could have it and if some major donors step forward, we could have a spring 2009 opening," Matson said. "We saw this as a transition that could both symbolically and literally get us over Maytag and transform Galesburg into something new. It will develop and spin off a lot of growth."
Eric Hanson of the University of Illinois Extension has been hired as the hall's first director, but a professional, perhaps someone now an assistant at one of the nation's major museums, will be hired by the end of the master plan. Eventually, the Hall of Fame's local board will become national in scope.
As for as the executive director, "(LaPaglia) feels like we're going to get some of the top candidates simply because this is such an unusual concept and there's nothing like it," Matson said.
A museum of the future
2RRHOF_INTERIOR.JPG
Courtesy National Railroad Hall of Fame
The first floor lobby and reception area would have an atrium open to the second floor.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield was one of, if not the first, to use the type of modern technology that is replacing the traditional exhibits in cases, museums Matson calls "old school." The National Railroad Hall of Fame plans to build on what has been learned at the Lincoln museum.
According to information from the ALPLM, the museum attracted more than 600,000 in its first year, doubling pre-opening forecasts. There are more than 100 employees.
The Lincoln museum features special effects theaters. Two state-of-the-art exhibits allow visitors to follow Lincoln's early years, home life, legal and political careers and presidency. The Union Theatre presents a 17-minute show, "Lincoln's Eyes," which uses special effects and three screens to surround the audience. The "Ghosts of the Library" theater, in the words of the museum's press release, "amazes audiences as live actors interact with ghosts on stage to make yesterday and today come to life."
Matson said of ALPLM, "We hope to get at least equal or take it to the next level."
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has nearly 40,000 square feet of exhibits, special effects, theaters and displays.
RR_Hall3.jpg
Matson
"The actual exhibition area (at the Lincoln museum) is about half the size we're projecting here," Matson said.
Perhaps the best example of the technology being discussed was when Matson was asked if there will be an IMAX Theater at the Hall of Fame, he chuckled.
"That's the old technology," he said, gently poking fun at the question. "Come on, get with it.
"It's hard for us to comprehend how big this project will be," Matson added, saying that LaPaglia told organizers, " 'If you went to California and you said National Railroad Hall of Fame, it wouldn't mean anything. But in five years, you would say Railroad Hall of Fame and people would say, Oh, yeah, Galesburg.' "
What local leaders are saying
- "The reason that Sandburg's father came here was because of the railroad. Of course, the birthplace cottage is smack-dab in the middle of the railroaders' area of town (during that era.) ... I'm looking forward to it and hope they don't run into any snags. That's a pretty big project." Steve Holden, site interpreter, state Sandburg Birthplace Historic Site.
- "We always felt if they come to see the Hall of Fame, if they're railroad fans, they come and see us also." Mike Godsil, board president of the Galesburg Railroad Museum.
- "We would love to work with them. I think the expected amount of visitors for the Hall of Fame will be great for our museum and the Galesburg economy." Jamie Cecil-Monari, executive director, Discovery Depot.
- "I think it falls into an area we're interested in, historic tourism. Clearly historic tourism is secondary to the college's primary mission, which is educational. ... That said, historic sites and historic tourism is something we're looking forward to doing more with." Peter Bailley, manager of media relations, Knox College.
About the National Railroad Hall of Fame
- The National Railroad Hall of Fame celebrated its 11th anniversary on Aug. 29, 2005.
- There are three categories for induction: 1) Birth and Development Era, 1800 to 1895; 2) Golden Era, 1866 to 1945; 3) Modern Era, 1946 to present day.
- The National Railroad Hall of Fame has opened discussions with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Affiliations Program to expand the Hall's museum component, to enrich the visitor experience, and to elevate the impact of its educational program.
- Programs: 1) Learning resources for school groups. 2) A special opportunity to foster pride, motivation and perseverance which the railroad industry symbolizes; helpful to groups from youth assistance programs and enrichment education. 3) Special events, lecture series and reunions. Marketing events will provide the opportunity to promote the Hall. The scheduling of traveling exhibits will encourage visitors to return and experience new and unique stories.
- Highlights of public space in new Hall of Fame: Great Hall and lobby; gift shop; special exhibits gallery; Orientation Theater; Adventure Theater; Railroad Gallery; Hall of Fame; Children's Discovery Gallery; two classrooms, restrooms.
- Summary of Space: The interior spaces are planned to meet the (program) requirements for a contemporary transportation museum with its emphasis on enhanced visitor experience. The Hall offers multi-media theater experiences that immerse the visitor in the story line, large gallery experiences offering encounters with various aspects of the historical narrative, and evocative elements dealing with the past, present and future of the railroad industry
Estimated budget
Construction
New construction: $15,210,000
Site improvements: $1,375,000
Architectural/engineering: $2,281,000
Exhibits
New exhibits: $6,625,500
Orientation presentation: $5,000,000
Adventure Theater: $12,000,000
Multi-media: $2,800,000
Interpretive planning: $500,000
Exhibit design: $1,655,000
Furniture and equipment (Allowance) $1,095,000
Endowment: 10 percent, $6,000,000
Sub-total: $54,542,000
Contingency: 10 percent of sub-total, $5,458,000
Total: $60,000,000
Source: National Railroad Hall of Fame
Estimated annual economic impact (based on attendance of 200,000): $18,000,000
Source: Galesburg Convention and Visitors Bureau
Annual attendance at area attractions
Discovery Depot: 9,315
Galesburg Railroad Museum: 6,000
Sandburg Historic Site: 10,000 to 12,000
National Railroad Hall of Fame (projected): 200,000
Bishop Hill: 100,000
Putnam Museum, Davenport, Iowa: 209,000
Lakeview Museum, Peoria: 128,000
John Deere Commons, Moline: 230,000
Source: National Railroad Hall of Fame (July 2005)
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Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com
Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com
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~Z~
- Sofa King Admin
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- Contact:
Found this on BNSF's website as well:
2003-10-14
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution to support a National Railroad Hall of Fame being built in Galesburg, Ill. The resolution introduced by U.S. Representative Lane Evans (D-Ill.) passed on a voice vote.
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) told the House that Galesburg is perfect for the hall, due to the city's rich rail history. In addition, the nearby Carl Sandburg College was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the U.S. to offer a curriculum in railroading.
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Well, they say they've been a group for 11 years now....never had heard of them. But i did finally find their homepage, here's a link: http://www.nrrhof.org/
A better PDF file of the proposed hall of fame is found here: http://www.nrrhof.org/pdf/NRRHOF%20Fund%20Book.pdf
2003-10-14
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution to support a National Railroad Hall of Fame being built in Galesburg, Ill. The resolution introduced by U.S. Representative Lane Evans (D-Ill.) passed on a voice vote.
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) told the House that Galesburg is perfect for the hall, due to the city's rich rail history. In addition, the nearby Carl Sandburg College was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the U.S. to offer a curriculum in railroading.
-------------------------------
Well, they say they've been a group for 11 years now....never had heard of them. But i did finally find their homepage, here's a link: http://www.nrrhof.org/
A better PDF file of the proposed hall of fame is found here: http://www.nrrhof.org/pdf/NRRHOF%20Fund%20Book.pdf
Webmaster
Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com
Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com
. It will be nice and close too. -
mushroom2
- Railroadfan...fan
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- Contact:
And for anyone interested, here is the link to the Hall of Fame web page.
http://www.nrrhof.org/index.html
http://www.nrrhof.org/index.html