KCS Railway Makes Early Christmas Gift to Museum

12/23/2010

Trains always make great Christmas gifts, especially when they’re life-sized! The Kansas City Southern Railway has generously donated a surplus boxcar to the Museum of the American Railroad to be added to its permanent collection.

The 50-foot all-steel boxcar is a gift that will also serve a very utilitarian function. The car will be used to load many items from the Museum’s collection for transportation to Frisco next year. Large items other than cars and locomotives such as a steam boiler, a 10,000 lb electric generator from Dallas Union Terminal’s power plant, and other related items will be loaded into the car as the Museum prepares for its move north.

Upon completion of the Museum’s move to Frisco, the car will become part of the permanent collection as an important piece of American history. Railroads have been, and continue to be, the lifeline of the nation’s commerce through their freight operations. The KCS boxcar will join an earlier running mate, a 1920s wood boxcar donated by the line in 1967 – both pieces having contributed to the growth and development of the Southwest.

Our sincere thanks to the Kansas City Southern Railway, its main offices in Kansas City, Missouri, and the line’s Dallas operations. KCS and the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad are providing free transportation of the car to Dallas. The Museum continues to benefit from the generosity of the railroad industry through contributions of significant pieces of rolling stock and archival material.

With the addition of the Smithsonian locomotive earlier this year, the Museum of the American Railroad now rosters 38 pieces of historic railroad equipment. The collection is maintained for the education and enjoyment of North Texans as well as visitors from around the world.