Work Begins on Paved Surfaces between Exhibit Tracks!
The next exciting phase of Museum facilities construction began in July as surface preparation got underway for paving several areas within the site. H&H Concrete of Fort Worth was awarded the contract for creating the long-awaited concrete platforms along exhibit tracks, a main concourse, and sidewalks for visitors.
The project, a part of the original master plan for the Museum, will transform the visitor experience when complete. To date, most construction has been for basic rail infrastructure. The paving phase is the first step in creating amenities that will enable visitors to explore the entire 12-acre site.
Looking north from the Museum's interior toward Cotton Gin Road, the expansive Midway between Tracks 5 and 6 becomes evident. This view shows flex-base material applied prior to constructing forms and laying out steel reinforcement rod for concrete. Also shown are "stub-ups" for underground electrical conduit. The stub-ups are spaced every 85 ft. on both sides of the Midway for its entire length. They will provide electrical service for site lighting and stand-by power receptacles for the Museum's fleet of historic passenger cars.
The first area to be paved will be the “Midway” between Exhibit Tracks 5 & 6. Spanning 50 feet, and nearly 550 feet in length, the Midway provides over 20,000 square feet of usable space for visitors. It will also allow for year-round special events and enhanced school field trips, eventuality becoming a major activity space within the future train shed.
Midway construction will be followed by platforms between Exhibit Tracks 3 & 4, and 7 & 8. The expansive 12,000 square foot Concourse to be situated at the head of Tracks 3 through 8 is next, along with sidewalks connecting the Museum’s two historic structures.
Funding has been generously provided by various foundations, individuals, and corporations, as well as the City of Frisco. They will be acknowledged in future reports as this exciting work progresses!
Sinacola to the rescue! The North Texas building boom has, among other things, suffered from an acute trucking shortage. Construction of concrete surfaces was almost halted due to difficulty in transporting flex-base material to the Museum’s site. Enter Mario Sinacola & Sons Excavating, Inc. – a Frisco-based powerhouse when it comes to moving earth. Thanks to the efforts of Museum Trustee and former Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson, Sinacola graciously agreed to divert their precious trucks from another job and move the 900 tons of base material from Vulcan’s Frisco plant – all on a donation basis! We are most grateful for this generous and timely gift!
Educational Programs Expanded for 2022-2023 School Year!
While the Museum has enjoyed healthy tourism numbers this summer, school programs for the upcoming academic year have remained a major focus. The Museum’s staff has been busy meeting with Frisco ISD and other school district curriculum planners and teachers during the summer break to develop new and expanded programs.
We are very excited to introduce new 7th Grade field trip programs beginning this Fall. They are being developed at the request of FISD as a continuation of our partnership with the district. The new programs will include content on Texas history and the first Transcontinental Railroad. Programs will concentrate on the important role of railroads in the development of Texas and the nation.
The Museum’s Educational Programs Planner Melissa Johnson leads a work session at Frisco’s Heritage High School in June. Teachers from Frisco and neighboring school districts participated in a day-long development session for 7th grade classroom and field trip program content.
Frisco ISD Secondary Social Studies Coordinator Patience LeBlanc and Museum Educational Programs Planner Melissa Johnson assemble the work session’s discussion notes and prioritize content for the upcoming 7th grade program.
Field trips will make extensive use of the Museum’s rolling stock collection, including cars and locomotives that served communities in Texas. Educational content draws from programs originally presented to DISD students during the Museum’s Dallas years, with the latest state standards applied to curriculum.
Museum staff attended meetings with Frisco teachers throughout the summer to develop content based on their classroom needs and expectations for field trips. The meetings have been extremely productive, allowing direct feedback from educators, and drawing on the Museum’s unique resources to address their needs.
The new 7th Grade field trip programs will be available to all 17 Frisco middle schools as well as other districts including DISD. Program content is based on the latest Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.
The Museum is also welcoming back FISD’s 43 elementary schools for our popular 3rd Grade field trip programs this fall. Last year saw about half the schools return during the spring after a nearly two-year hiatus during Covid. It was great to see so many familiar faces as teachers returned. We look forward to a full calendar of elementary schools during the upcoming year.
After the day-long session, Museum staff and teachers are still all smiles following a very productive planning workshop. We look forward to introducing brand new middle school programming in the spring!
And finally, our very successful African American Studies field trips return in October. Based on content that includes the role of Pullman Porters and other African Americans in the railroad industry, the program is uniquely tailored to celebrate their cultural and technological achievements.
The Museum is proud to take initiative in presenting programs that acknowledge African American Railroaders and their contributions to the rise of the black middle class and advancement of civil rights. This year, we will partner with the Frisco Heritage Museum to tell the story on a National and local level.
Field trips can be scheduled by contacting us at kmurphy@historictrains.org or phoning (214) 428-0101.
TrainTopia Gets Bigger & Better!
The Museum’s popular TrainTopia model train exhibit just keeps getting better. Our crew of talented modelers will soon begin major reconstruction of the “O” Scale layout donated by Robert Neuhoff of Dallas in 2018.
This finely detailed and exquisitely crafted display was removed from storage and reassembled several months ago, but recreating the hand painted backdrop has proven to be a daunting task. The nearly 50-foot mural had to be applied to the wall before the layout modules could be permanently placed and reconstructed.
The high-resolution digital photographs taken of the original artwork in the Neuhoff’s home required extensive work in order to fit the limited TrainTopia space. Size, spacing, perspective, and resolution of the features necessitated many hours of computer time before the files could go to print.
Frank Boudewijn and his crew from Signage Systems of Dallas pose in front of their latest creation. The 13 ft. tall mural is a very faithful reproduction of the original painted version from the Neuhoff home in North Dallas. Frank’s talents combine artistry and technology. His work can be seen throughout the Museum on many special graphics projects.
The finished product is quite spectacular! The mural depicts iconic buildings in downtown Dallas with a looming sky in the background. It is printed on a special vinyl that is used to wrap buses and commercial vehicles. It is laminated with a matte finish protective material to reduce glare. The Neuhoff layout can be seen in the foreground in a state of disassembly, awaiting reconstruction.
Thanks to Museum staffer Kellie Murphy and Frank Boudewijn of Signage Systems, the new files were finally ready to be printed on the twelve 4’ x 13’ self-adhesive vinyl panels. The hours of work began to show as each panel came off the giant flatbed printer. The results were stunning. After tireless work and numerous supply delays, the backdrop was finally ready to apply.
On June 22, Frank and his team made quick work of applying and trimming the panels in TrainTopia. The finished product is nothing short of spectacular. The dramatic depiction of Downtown Dallas with a looming Texas thunderstorm sky is true to the artist’s original work, while fitting the new space.
Following completion of the mural, the G-Scale overhead trestles, which had been removed for application, were reattached to the wall. Our thanks to our dedicated TrainTopia Crew for their diligence (and patience) in removing and reinstalling the delicate wood trestles. Trains are running again overhead!
Following trestle reconstruction, the Neuhoff layout was pushed back against the wall for permanent reassembly. The big “push back” took place yesterday and is a significant step in reconstruction of the layout. TrainTopia Crew (from left to right) John Garbutt, Gary Kuenzle, Sam McManis, Pete Dulong, John Althaus, Dick Thompson, and Steve Fass, with Rick Reinacker behind the camera!
With this major hurdle behind us, work will begin in earnest to bring the Neuhoff Layout back to life along with the Sanders “G” Scale layout. TrainTopia is truly all things Trains!
Our sincere thanks to Frank Boudewijn and his crew at Signage Systems of Dallas. Frank has provided unique (and at times seemingly impossible) graphics services to the museum for over 25 years. His accomplishments include the impressive mural behind the Sanders Layout, another feat of technology and artistry!
TrainTopia is open year-round Wednesdays through Sundays. This popular exhibit is made possible by Amanda & Brint Ryan, Jane Sanders & Her Daughters in Memory of Steve Sanders, and the City of Frisco's Community Development Corporation.