N E W S R E L E A S E


From the John Emery Rail Heritage Trust


March 25, 2020


The JOHN EMERY RAIL HERITAGE TRUST has announced their grants for this year. John Emery was a long-time Chicago resident who was an avid rail enthusiast who loved to ride trains around the world, and wanted to help preserve rail equipment and infrastructure that will allow future generations to share his experiences during what he considered the “Golden Age” of railway travel, from 1920 to 1960.
Thirty-one (31) applications were received requesting in excess of $900,000. After extensive research and serious consideration by advisors of the Trust, eighteen (18) grants were awarded totaling almost $305,000. Nine (9) requests were fully funded. The John Emery Rail Heritage Trust is the largest trust in the US that makes 100% of its awards solely for railroad restoration purposes -- locomotives, rolling stock, and facilities.

In the Spring of 2020, grants were approved for the following organizations/projects:

* Colorado Railroad Heritage Foundation: $25,000 for ADA accessibility conversion of White Pass & Yukon coach.
• East Troy Railroad Museum: $20,500 for interior restoration of CNS&M Car 761.
• Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society: $25,000 for Diner 469/470 Restoration Project.
• Feather River Rail Society: $6,000 for Dining area restoration of Zephyr dining car "Silver Plate."
• Great Plains Transportation Museum: $1,610 for restoration of Santa Fe Drovers/ passenger car D938/2312.
• Hawaiian Railway Society: $8,000 for restoration of Oahu Railway & Land Company Coach 57.
• Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, Inc.: $20,000 for HVAC acquisition and installation for the tavern lounge car Alabama Club.
• Historic Red Clay Valley: $25,000 for repairs to steam locomotive #98.
• Illinois Railway Museum: $25,000 for DC line stabilization - line pole replacement phase.
• Kentucky Railway Museum: $43,000 for firebox and boiler work on C&O #2716.
• Minnesota Transportation Museum: $10,000 for Great Northern 454-A rotating equipment rebuild.
• New Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad: $1,200 for overhaul and improvements (including ADA access) to Passenger Car #33.
• New York Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society: $15,000 for maintenance of Passenger Car #530.
• Old Dominion Chapter, NRHS: $15,000 for interior restoration of RF&P Coach #706.
• Pacific Northwest Chapter, NRHS: $19,000 for repair and upholstery of seating in PNWC #600 (Mt. Hood) and PNWC #6800 (Red River).
• Railway Restoration Project 113: $12,000 for replacement of super heater units in Locomotive #113.
• San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society: $20,000 for restoring ATSF #1636 (Pine Lodge) and ATSF #1639 (Pine Peak) to Amtrak operational standards.
• Western Maryland Scenic Railroad: $10,000 for continued work on C&O #1309.

Congratulations to all the groups who received a grant and the best of luck as they continue to preserve our railroad heritage!

Applications for the next round of grants will be due not later than February 1, 2021.
Check for details at http://emeryrailheritagetrust.org/WP/.

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum would like to say "THANK YOU!" to the John Emery Trust for the award of $20,000 to the Alabama Club project!

This past year, the museum was able to purchase and install a new generator due to a $15,000 grant from the John Emery Trust which was a big step forward.

These grants have been a huge help to move this restoration project to completion. We are very excited about this award, especially in a time when we have had to cancel our Spring fundraising events!

Thank you!

For more information on the L&N Tavern Lounge - Alabama Club
https://www.hodrrm.org/Body.cfm?id=963

The East Troy Railroad Museum would also like to say a big THANK YOU to the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust for the $20,500 grant we will receive to help us complete the restoration of Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Car 761.

Much progress has been made on the car, but we did not have the funding to complete the work requiring external contractors, such as the reupholstery work, replating of the luggage racks, and purchasing the new flooring for the car. These will all be covered by the Emery Grant.

For more information, see our projects web page at: https://www.easttroyrr.org/projects.html
See our Press Release at: https://www.easttroyrr.org/uploads/3/0/ ... _grant.pdf

That's quite an impressive list of donations. A lot of good should come of this generous gift.