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| Depot restoration group hosted event to provide historical material about Norfolk & Western |
Photo by Ben Shank:
Citizens who gathered recently at the old Norfolk & Western Railroad Depot in Boones Mill wave as a steam-powered train passes through the town en route to Roanoke. |
Monday, July 2, 2012
Some 100 people gathered at the old Norfolk & Western depot in Boones Mill recently to see a steam locomotive passenger train chug along the tracks as it passed through the town en route to Roanoke.
The steam train excursion was sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
The train traveled the "pumpkin line" from Winston-Salem, N.C., to Roanoke.
In conjunction with the train excursion, the Boones Mill Norfolk & Western Railroad Depot Restoration group hosted an event to welcome the train and set up displays in the Carter Bank and Trust parking lot nearby.
Also set up was a tent with historical material about Boones Mill and the railroad history of Norfolk & Western.
Norfolk Southern Railroad, the owner of the old depot, has agreed to sell the building to the restoration group for $1 on the condition that it be moved from the railroad property. The group hopes to find a suitable location and possibly get some grants to help finance the project.
The group hopes to set up the displays in the old depot and create a museum once it is moved from its current location and restored.
For the train excursion, the restoration group created promotional fans that were handed out to those who gathered to see the old steam locomotive as it passed through Boones Mill. The fans were also handed out to passengers on the train by two members of the group who rode the train.
Also, to help raise funds for the depot restoration project, t-shirts with an image of the old depot were offered for sale. The t-shirts can still be purchased for $6 each or two for $10 by calling Lois Slotnick, executive director of the organization at 334-2997. |
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