Yet another hurricane in the Gulf and it looks like the Houston/Galveston area is the likely victim this time. UP, BNSF, KCS are getting ready. What museums, tourist lines, short lines, etc. are there that would probably be affected?Mike

I don't know much about the railroad museum there in Galveston, but the Cape Horn square rigger ELISSA is at the Texas Seaport Museum. She was built in 1877 and is still sailed on a yearly basis. Here's hoping that the old girl comes through another storm.Last hurricane a few years ago, a barge broke loose in the harbor and smacked her sternn a good one! Many repairs were completed later.Ted Miles

There is a Museum in Galveston and I understand they have some very nice equipment and exhibits. I have never been there but have always lusted after an old ATSF tank car they have. Anyway I am told they are about 5 blocks (only) from the Gulf Shore and that Galveston on average is about 8 feet above sea level. You do the math.In other conversations some of my associates said why not simply move all the cars further north? Well, I am sure all the RR companies down there have their hands full, all the museum stuff would undoubtedly need bearing work and air brake work to even make a 'hospital' move, it would be costly, and all the Museum staff are probably more worried about their homes and evacuating their families.It is just a no win situation.Bob Kutella

On the subject of ships, there is also the WWI-era battleship USS Texas in the Houston area.

there is also the Texas State RR between Rusk and Palestine, the winds should have decreased a bit by the time they get to that region though.the Galveston RR museum is behind a tall building which will hopefully mitigate some of the wind and act as a shield from some debris.John

If this storm keeps turning right, it looks like the RR museum and the ships will have only (relatively) minor wind and rain. Some models I have seen suggested the system would slow down when it got over East Texas, so there is the expectation that East Texas will get major amount of rain. I know Texas State Railroad has some nice new concrete bridges, but not sure if all the bridges have been renewed yet.

Yes, the USS Texas is on display in the bay north of Gavelston. I just scoped it out on Google Earth. It looks like she is nicely moored at four different points. Actually, she would probably be a pretty safe place to ride out a storm.-Alan S. Levy

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the word on the street is that Rita has some shear in structure and is taking cold air on board. hopefully this should slow her down. the NOAA site is the place for facts though.are there any RYPN members or lurkers in E Texas? James H got outta Dodge on Thurs (yesterday). that bus on I-45 was bad. RIP.I am due in Livingston and Beaumont etc in December and may swing by the TSRR and Galveston.John

Hello everyone;As John said, I got out of the Beaumont/Port Arthur area Wednesday night. I am starying at a friend's house in Dallas, and typing this on his computer.We are fixing to watch a live update at 4:00 our time. At last report, the storm surge in Galveston was up at the level of the seawall itself. John, I don't know if you remember the hotel offshore on the seawall; but the water level is at the top of the concrete columns, and waves are crashing into the parking lot.It has been downgraded to a Catagory 2 storm, and further weakening is expected. There is webcam on Pleasure Island, across Port Arthur from our home; and at this point in time the water level looks normal.Will report more later.-James Hefner

hi James glad you and family made it up the highway.not sure if you can access email remotely, otherwise, 'talk' to you after the weekend, hopefully you'll have power.John

I'm a bit surprised to have seen no mention on this board of The Center for Transportation and Commerce at Galveston, in connection with the most recent hurricane. This museum got a lot of investment around 1980, and I hope it came through the storm unscathed. I made a couple trips there in the 1980's, but have not heard of any news from there since. (Saw the Elissa, too - very cool.)This is a combined city-history and railroad museum. The rail half features the Union Station waiting room, and several steam engines, freight cars, and Diesels on the station tracks. For me the high point was three or four unrestored heavyweight section and room Pullmans that are as they came out of service in the 1960's, perhaps the biggest collection there is of these rare cars. I don't know if they're still giving rides behind a Magma Arizona 2-8-0 in a Rock Island commuter car.The orientation film for museum visitors is devoted to the hurricane of 1900. Before I saw this, I was completely ignorant of this event, even though it's the worst single tragedy in American history. This was a powerful exposition of why Galveston is the way it is, and Houston, too. Basically they found out the hard way they shouldn't have built the port on the barrier island. After 1900, Houston grew, and Galveston didn't. The resulting capital starvation makes the surviving blocks a neat time capsule. After touring the museum, Irv White drove us around the island. It was quite sobering to see the expanse of beaches that surrounds the city, knowing that these once held blocks that were swept clean by the storm. To judge from the commentary about the recent storms, it's too bad more people didn't see this exhibit.Any reports from this museum following Rita? Do they still have the faddish whitewashed passenger, trainmen and porter mannequins that were such a museum craze in 1980? I'm sorry, but a whitewashed Pullman porter just didn't seem right.

The Museum escaped damage from Rita,and all the equipment is safe. The trips behind the Triple Nickel ended around 1989 or so. Two of the three coaches that were used in the service have since been sold. They have recently repainted the Consol,and she looks pretty good!