ETSU Railroad Museum's October Heritage Day Features Rail Lines Of The South

From East Tennessee State University:

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Regardless of the weather outside, the George L. Carter Railroad Museum on the campus of East Tennessee State University will celebrate the great railroads of the South on Saturday, Oct. 30. As the seasons change, this Heritage Day program will recall the classic streamliners and fast freights that once brought vacationers to the beach and goods to the nation.

Scheduled on the final Saturday of each month at the Carter Railroad Museum, each Heritage Day is an opportunity for visitors to come and witness historical representations of American railroading. The museum is located in the Campus Center Building, 176 Ross Dr., and the museum features both model layouts that operate and real artifacts from the region and beyond.

“There is a lot to be remembered when thinking about this region, which extended from Houston to Key West to the beaches of South Carolina,” Heritage Days Coordinator Geoff Stunkard, notes. “Of course, even East Tennessee is considered Southern by many standards, and we will be showing some of the trains that helped make the South a destination for so many, before the days of interstate highways and air travel. There were significant enterprises in produce, chemicals and finished goods that also came from this region, so freight trains will be running as well.”

This special day for fans of all Southern and Southeastern railroads means that there will be equipment from this region and beyond. Johnson City was directly linked via the Southern Railway and the Clinchfield Railroad’s connections to the Seaboard and Atlantic Coast Line operations, both of which stretched into Georgia and Florida. Regional lines, such as Florida East Coast, Central of Georgia, and the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis, were joined by major carriers like the Illinois Central and Louisville & Nashville. Colorful equipment helped make this even more thrilling for railroad fans then and now.

The Mountain Empire Model Railroaders club and the George L. Carter Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society serve as hosts during the museum’s operating hours, and event-oriented equipment will be operating on the museum’s massive 24x44-foot HO scale model display. There are three other layouts as well, including the ET&WNC display that replicates actual scenes from this region.

The Carter Railroad Museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and includes two major exhibit halls, a special child's activity room, and ongoing programs. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome for its upkeep. The museum may be identified by a flashing railroad crossing signal at the back entrance of the Campus Center Building.

Because of COVID-19, all visitors must wear a mask to be admitted and will have their temperature checked at the museum entrance.

For more information, contact Dr. Fred Alsop at 423-439-6838 or alsopf@etsu.edu. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.