Request for help with model trains damaged in Hurricane Katrina

Bethany Hawkins is the program officer at the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). She is coordinating volunteer efforts to provide ongoing assistance to museums and cultural institutions affected by Hurricane Katrina.

She has conducted an interview with the Cultural Center of Slidell, Louisiana and learned they have a problem that rail preservationists may be able to assist with. Slidell is a railroad town and the Cultural Center had a big interest in model trains. Every December, they had a big display for the town. The trains owned by the center were all destroyed in the storm. The Cultural Center has no money for purchasing them as they are putting all their resources into rebuilding the building. Any help you all can give them would be appreciated. If you can offer any assistance or have suggestions, all of Bethany's contact information is available on the Association of Railway Museums web site under "announcements" or you can email her at hawkins@aaslh.org