Today is the first day of the four-day Association of Tourist Railroads & Railway Museums conference in Savannah, Ga., and the host organization, the Coastal Heritage Society, kicked off the meeting with a visit to its preservation project and museum in the former Central of Georgia roundhouse in downtown, within walking distance of the convention hotel. About 200 preservationists from across North America and around the world are here for this gathering, a time to learn, network, and share information about saving the past for the future. We’ll be live streaming sessions at www.TrainsMag.com/BigSteam, so be sure to check the schedule there.
A few quick notes before I head off to test the streaming gear and meet with others:
This is my first visit to the roundhouse museum in almost 25 years, and it’s made much progress. When I visited in the early 1990s, the buildings were crumbling; they lacked interpretation; and what little rolling stock that was on hand was in poor condition. That has all changed, for the good.
The shop complex, portions of which date to the 1850s, is an impressive collection of buildings. As someone who has volunteered at a shop complex before (Spencer, N.C.), I can tell you that it is amazing what has been saved here. From the tender shop, to the blacksmith shop, to the smokestack for the complex, it is all here.
Among the highlights of our brief morning visit were 0-4-0T No. 30 in steam on a 1-car shuttle train, a look at a new boiler for a 2-4-2 that is awaiting installation on its frame, and a peek inside the store room (the envy of most attendees, who would love to have covered storage for the items that aren’t on display in their collection).
There’s much more to tell you about this place, its collections, and aspirations, and I’ll be doing that soon.
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