CHICAGO – The Tom E. Dailey Foundation has issued 13 Railroad Heritage Grants totaling $53,300, bringing its total 2013 grants to $140,205. The grants were announced by the foundation’s board of directors at its quarterly meeting on July 27.

The following groups received grants:

Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Ohio – $12,500
The grant will assist in restoration of Baldwin 0-6-0 No. 3 to operating condition. In addition to a direct grant of $10,000, the Foundation’s Board of Directors approved an additional Challenge Grant of up to $2,500, to match donations from other contributors to this project on a dollar-for-dollar basis through Dec. 31, 2013.

Keokuk Union Depot Foundation, Iowa – $1,500
The grant will assist in ongoing restoration of the Keokuk Union Depot. The Keokuk Union Depot Foundation has raised over $100,000 in last two years to preserve the depot.

Virginia Museum of Transportation – $15,000
The “Fire Up 611” project will restore to operating condition Norfolk & Western No. 611. The locomotive will be restored in partnership with the North Carolina Transportation Museum and housed in a new 2-track maintenance facility to be built at the museum.

Fostoria Rail Preservation Society, Ohio – $2,000
The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society raised funds to acquire the LE&W/NKP caboose in 2011. The caboose was built in 1914 and last serviced in 1959. One of three in existence, it likely traveled through Fostoria when in service. It was on static display outdoors for 50 years with little upkeep. When restored, the caboose will accurately depict the living quarters of train crews in the caboose era.

Neighborhood Design Center, Ohio ¬– $3,000
The Neighborhood Design Center of Columbus seeks to increase the quality of life in neighborhoods and will provide a streetcar statue. The organization has been working with the Streetcar District neighborhood to create a vision for Livingston Avenue through a Safer Neighborhoods UWCO Grant. This grant will partially fund the cost of a second Streetcar District sculpture planned for summer 2014 installation.

Friends of the Valley Railroad, Connecticut – $1,800
This grant will assist in exterior cosmetic restoration of a Pennsylvania Railroad cabin car. Replacement of rotted metal has been completed and next phase is sandblasting, bondo and painting in original Pennsylvania Railroad livery. The car has served and continues to serve as FVRR’s rolling ambassador to the public at the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat during operating season and is seen by more than 140,000 people per year.

Southern Forest Heritage Museum, Louisiana – $2,500
The organization will restore a 1937 motorcar. The motorcar was restored to operating condition in 2009 and about 6,000 children and parents have ridden it. The grant will assist in additional restoration including air tank/compressor, sanding system, windows, insulation and braking system. It operates a circa 1910 historical 60-acre sawmill complex located at Long Leaf, La., that includes 30 buildings, three locomotives, and major pieces of steam-powered logging and milling equipment.

Medina Railroad Museum, New York – $2,000
The grant will assist in restoration of a café car which will be used with two E8 locomotives and three other dining cars to create a dinner train reminiscent of the 20th Century Limited. The project has been ongoing since January 2013 and will be completed by March 2014.

Alexander Chapter, NRHS, North Carolina – $3,500
The grant will fund truck and coupler acquisition for restored boxcar No. 401 from the Chester & Lenoir Narrow Gauge railroad. The boxcar was built circa 1875 and is one of the oldest pieces of American freight railroad equipment in existence.

Bradford Railroad Museum, Ohio – $1,000
The grant will assist in the ongoing development of the Bradford Railroad Museum, which was founded in 2002 to preserve the railroad history of Bradford. The museum acquired a former bank building in 2006 and completed interior/exterior restoration in 2010.

New England Electric Railway Historical Society, Maine, – $2,500
The grant will support the final phase of a project to restore a double deck tram from Blackpool, England to operating condition. This will be the only operating double deck tram in the U.S. Funds will be used to repair motors

Empire State Railway Museum Inc., New York, – $4,000
Grant will assist in restoration of the 1914 Pullman-built dining car Lion Gardiner.

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Association, Kansas – $2,000
Funding will assist in acquisition of new batteries to keep a 1944 Alco S1 operating, which makes about 200 trips per operating season. The association operates a tourist excursion train over an 11-mile round trip route through the Smoky River Valley of Kansas, carrying 12,000 passengers annually.

For more information, go to www.daileyfoundation.org.

Mr. Mitchell -

Reading it over, I swear I saw this list published somewhere before. It wasn't on RyPN was it? Anyway, thanks for posting it.


Les