Phase 2 Museum Construction Complete!
This dramatic drone view of the Museum's 14-acre site was captured on October 4, 2023. It shows the latest improvements, including completed track work, and all of the paved surfaces between exhibit tracks. Tracks are arranged from left to right (east to west), with Track 1 just to the left of the first platform.
What was once an ambitious plan on paper, is now reality! Nearly 14 acres of previously farmed land is being transformed into a world class museum of rail transportation.
With the final concrete pour now complete, the Museum’s ten new exhibit tracks are connected by a series of platforms and sidewalks, providing seamless access to trains. Five pours spanning nearly a year have created visitor-friendly paved surfaces for exploring the collection and hosting outdoor events year-round.
This phase included site grading, additional storm drainage, construction of Tracks 1-5, underground electrical conduit, and paved surfaces. Concrete pours took place during extreme weather conditions including record heat. Pours started at 2:00AM and continued well into daylight hours. A total of 1,100 cubic yards and 110 trucks of concrete went in to create over 46,200 square feet of paved surfaces. Our thanks to H&H Concrete and their crews for enduring intense heat during an already laborious project.
As the Museum enters its 60th year, the best is yet to come! The quaint exhibit of steam-era trains in Dallas’ Fair Park has become a destination for the continuum of railroad history and technology in Frisco that will reach a much larger audience in North Texas.
The drone views from approximately 380 feet show the extensive infrastructure necessary to exhibit the Museum’s 65-piece collection of historic rolling stock and landmark structures. The drone view, taken on October 4, shows the final Phase 2 site improvements and how the Museum’s footprint is integrated into a vibrant, bustling downtown Frisco. The Museum of the American Railroad serves as an anchor to the mix of cultural, retail, residential, and commercial establishments in one of the nation's fastest growing communities.
The Museum’s popular guided tours continue to evolve and provide greater access to the outdoor collection as improvements are made. Some tours have exceeded 50 guests, with paved surfaces a much welcome addition to their encounter with the historic trains. And, with many field trips already booked for the 2023-2024 academic year, local schools will have the best experience ever. We are thrilled to deliver on our promise to the citizens of Frisco and North Texas as we create the premiere center for transportation in the Southwest.
Our utmost thanks and gratitude to the many contributors that made this massive project possible. Their financial support and endorsement of our programs & services in the region ensures the best years are truly ahead of us!
Our thanks to Museum trustee and skilled drone pilot Robert Willis for the spectacular views from above.
And thanks to the following contractors and suppliers for their hard work and diligence:
FCS Construction
City of Frisco Public Works
Lone Star Railroad Contractors
Lunsford Associates
Vulcan Materials
Sinacola
Lingle Engineers
Martin Marietta Materials
H&H Concrete
2C Concrete
Prime Transportation
Barnes Enterprises
Alliance Geotech
ProTex Environmental
BNSF Donates Historic Santa Fe Heritage Freight Car
The road was long, but the final destination was worth the trip. Former Santa Fe Railway flat car #209032 has been generously donated to the Museum by BNSF Railway. Built in 1956, the car no doubt hauled many heavy loads in its long career. It was last used in maintenance of way service at BNSF, until being sidelined awaiting an uncertain fate. The car was stored in Cleburne when we received the call. Recognizing its significance, we gladly accepted BNSF’s offer to donate and preserve the car.
Sporting a hasty reporting number and mandatory reflective striping, former ATSF Flatcar awaits delivery to the Museum in BNSF's Sherman yard (formerly Frisco). It made somewhat of a farewell tour on the way to the Museum, traveling from Cleburne to Tulsa and back down the Maddill Sub to the Museum.
The nearly 70-year-old flatcar is spotted on the Museum's lead track after many years of faithful service. Having a load limit of 151,000 lbs., it has stood the test of time.
While not as photogenic as some freight cars, flat cars served a vital purpose, transporting heavy, bulky open-deck loads including machinery, steel, and even military hardware such as tanks. This car is practically indestructible, having a cast steel frame and steel decking. It represents an era when large castings preceded the fabricated welded rail cars of today.
The car fills a void in the Museum’s freight car collection, and further tells the story of BNSF’s rich heritage. In addition to its historical significance, it will serve as a stage for outdoor events along the new Midway between Tracks 5 and 6. A fitting (and lighter) load for a well-deserved new life. Our thanks to our friends at BNSF for their continued support!
The Historic Move to Frisco - A Decade Later
In this August 25, 2013 photo by Ken Fitzgerald, the Museum's Union Pacific Big Boy #4018 has just arrived in Frisco amid much fanfare. The move was truly a team effort. This view shows many of the essential people involved in the process. At left is the Museum's General Counsel William Brotherton, flanked by BNSF's Irving Trainmaster Stephen Romanowski, and everyone else in between including Museum and BNSF operations and mechanical crews.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been ten years since the last piece of Museum rolling stock rolled into Frisco from Dallas. Culminating in August 2013, the last of seven separate equipment moves was completed with the arrival of Union Pacific “Big Boy” steam locomotive #4018. A fitting finale to a massive undertaking.
The entire move spanned nearly two years, as each locomotive and car required lubrication and inspection before for the 55-mile trek by rail. Equipment was grouped in seven separate trains according to speed and weight restrictions, as well as braking requirements.
Through the cooperation of five railroads, and the Federal Railroad Administration, the daunting task of moving the then 42-piece collection came off without a hitch – no significant delays, no damage, and no injuries! There were a few tense moments as the Big Boy crossed over a 115-year-old former Rock Island bridge in Dallas, and a wooden trestle in Carrollton. But, in the end, movement of the big articulated engine was flawless.
BNSF and Dallas, Garland & Northeastern played critical roles in the move, all at no expense to the Museum. Their crews were amazing, working side-by-side with Museum staff. Looking back, the move itself was an historic event, a story to be added to an already fascinating collection of trains.
Big Boy #4018 pauses briefly enroute for a mechanical inspection and lubrication. A member of the Museum's mechanical crew performs the task while a BNSF conductor looks on.
The locomotive is received by throngs of onlookers as it rolls along the Museum's lead track for final placement. Both photos courtesy of Ken Fitzgerald.