By Frank and Kay Whatley
Saturday, May 12, 2012, was National Train Day and The Grey Area visited the Rocky Mount train station to see what the hoopla was about.
Train Day at the station was organized by a group working to build a railroad museum in Rocky Mount, working with Whistle Stop Gift Shop and Café. The fundraiser started at 10am with museum folks on-hand. They had photos on display showing Rocky Mount’s rail line history, and had table-top trains for visitors to watch, or even control!
Kids of all ages checked out the trains, watched a historical skit, and enjoyed an adorable puppet show that engaged the kids AND incorporated the “train” theme of the day.
The Rocky Mount Railroad Museum, originally described as the Thomas Edwards Jr. Project, was conceived, during the spring of 2009, by Mrs. Joyce Edwards Dantzler in fond memory of her father’s love for model trains and his work as a “fireman” on the old steam engines.
The nonprofit group is currently reviewing locations and gathering funding toward opening the museum in Rocky Mount where all can enjoy the model trains and the city’s rich railroad history.
