JOHNSON CITY – The well-known railroad lines of the Northeast and New England will make an appearance at East Tennessee State University’s George L. Carter Railroad Museum. During the monthly Heritage Day program on Saturday, July 30, the free-to-the-public facility will host “Northeast Heavyweights.” It’s a reference not only to the equipment but the volume of traffic that fed the large urban areas between Boston and Washington.
“This is a real celebration of the type of industrial might that let America lead the world in productivity and technology, especially as the epochal world wars of the 20th century required all hands on deck,” said Heritage Day coordinator Geoff Stunkard. “There was an immense opportunity created for tens of thousands of workers, who operated thousands of miles of multi-track mainlines and competed for both luxury and commuter passengers in all directions.”
Trains such as the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Broadway Limited, 20th Century Limited
of the New York Central, and Baltimore and Ohio’s Capitol Limited operated between
New York and Chicago, organizers said. Today, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Amtrak continue
to serve this region.
“These railroads were a matter of civic pride for their employees who were proud of
their ability to get the job done and a stoic part of their communities. As the century
progressed, the growing amount of redundancy created the business challenges that
led to Conrail and Amtrak,” Stunkard said. “We enjoy honoring the colorful past of
this region with a selection of operating model exhibits, plus our actual railroad
artifacts at the Carter Railroad Museum.”
The Carter Railroad Museum is open every Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. It includes
model railroad layouts, a special child’s activity room and ongoing programs. Donations
are welcome, but there is no admission fee.
The museum can be identified by a flashing railroad-crossing signal at the back entrance
to the Campus Center Building. Visitors should enter ETSU’s campus from State of Franklin
Road onto Jack Vest Drive and continue east toward 176 Ross Drive, adjacent to the
flashing railroad crossing sign.
For more information about Heritage Day, 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.