Can someone post a "After Action Report" and tell me what I missed? Thanks.

I was not there on the first day, Saturday, November 13, but worked as a docent on Sunday, November 14. Forget everything you knew about the museum before the roof collapse. Nothing looks the same. The only two locomotives that are on the same tracks they were beforehand are CNJ 4-4-2#592, and Shay #1.

The roundhouse is absolutely magnificent. The walls are painted white, with about 3 feet of black at the base. At the time the roundhouse was built, electricity was not available, so the walls were painted white to attract as much natural light as possible. The black base was there so that railroad workers could put their boots on the wall without showing any marks. The ceiling is made of unpainted wood, as the railroad would have never wasted that much paint on a ceiling.

The most heavily damaged pieces are displayed behind glass on about six tracks of the roundhouse. The collection was insured for $5 million. Unfortunately, the damage to the collection was estimated at $15 million plus. The museum took the $5 million, and are building a state of the art restoration facility about 1/2 mile down the track from the roundhouse.

Outside, two new platforms have been built. On one track, a former C&O coach now houses the museum's model railroad layout. It is handicap accessible. Across the platform a former IC refrigerator car houses a display about the use of freight cars.

There is much more to tell, and I would be happy to answer further questions via private Email.

Dear Kevin,

Could you describe how the interiors of the IC Refrigerator Car and the C&O coach have been treated. Also, how is the C&O coach handicapped accessible - have any new doorways been cut into the C&O coach?


Many thanks
Tom Cornillie

(P.S. please answer on the list as I think others may be interested in answers to the above)

The IC reefer has the old display that used to be in the front lobby where you could push a button and learn what type of commodities could be hauled in each type of freight car. Also, there is seating installed and a video of freight trains at one end of the car.

C&O 725 is completely handicap accessible. The end doors appear to have been widened to allow wheelchair access.The vestibules were not altered. The Museum had lost a suit on the old layout before the collapse. They could not install an elevator without altering the historic fabric of the building. Also, Deputy Director Ed Williams told us at our re-orientation meeting that shortly after the collapse, the Fire Marshal inspected the 50 year old wiring of the layout. He told Mr. Williams that "If the judge hadn't shut you down, I would have." Hence the decision to go with a new layout in an ADA accessible environment.

To further enhance wheelchair access, many new asphalt walkways have been installed. Because of glass and other debris left over from the reconstruction, all access to the equipment is restricted to these new walkways.

If you'll search the archives, you'll find my report on the opening weekend.

In short, my big complaint is that they were charging full admission price for a half-completed museum. They didn't even move the William Mason into the Roundhouse until after the weekend, apparently desiring the space it would have taken up for their audio-visual roundhouse restoration presentation. And the train ride needed serious work--tell the riders why that "First Mile" is historic, lest they decide all train travel is like this and never board a train again.

In the meantime, they can make up for the unfinished Museum with special presentations, but the price still puts off "impulse" visits.