Congratulations IRM

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:52 pm

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/11/13-illinois-railway-museum-retires-last-mortgage

junior · **Posted:** Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:20 pm

.....and for the non Trains subscribers......?

Jdelhaye · **Posted:** Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:23 pm

junior wrote:

.....and for the non Trains subscribers......?

IRM retires last mortgage.

Jeff

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:51 pm

It is THE Magazine of Railroading.

wesp · **Posted:** Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:01 pm

Frank and Jeff -

The Trains Newswire includes this quote from Frank Hicks:

Quote:

Hicks says that the museum has not directly transferred the mortgage payments to other projects, but having those funds available will allow them to put more emphasis on building a visitors' center and recreating a historic Main Street with tracks running down the middle.

"The Main Street (project) will allow us to operate our streetcars in an authentic setting," Hicks says of the two-block long stretch of historic buildings and facades. "The visitors' center will be its cornerstone. We have worked with an architect to develop plans, and we are just now starting fundraising for that project."

I looked on the IRM website but cannot find any information about this project. Can you share a link or image of the proposed plans?

Thanks!

Wesley

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:39 pm

wesp wrote:

I looked on the IRM website but cannot find any information about this project. Can you share a link or image of the proposed plans?

The Visitors Center, aka the Entrance Building, has been announced but fundraising has not really kicked into gear just yet so there isn't anything about it on the website. However there are a couple of plans shown here if you scroll down a bit:

https://hickscarworks.blogspot.com/2017/06/getting-ready.html

The building is to be located here, at the northwest corner of Railroad Avenue and Central Avenue (the latter to be renamed Main Street west of Railroad Avenue, I believe). The idea is for visitors to enter the north side of the building, from the parking lot, and exit the south side of the building onto Main Street, the historic street scene providing their introduction to the museum. Got those checkbooks handy?

ted66 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:45 am

folks,
This announcement was also made in the museum's Rail & Wire publication. It is all the more amazing when you consider the museum owns around 200 acres of property.

The late Julie Johnson, a major force in fund raising at the museum must have a big smile right now!

Ted Miles, Member IRM

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Wed Nov 15, 2017 4:44 pm

I look forward to learning more about the Main Street project! The renderings on the sign look pretty ambitious. Running our trains in appropriate settings is something we all strive for.

-otto-