Written by Ben Cox – It’s a busy month at the Lehnis Railroad museum, with long standing projects getting underway, and other projects just starting.
There will be some new sights to see at the Railroad museum after signal lights are installed on the grounds, as part of an interactive display. The lights were donated by BNSF Railroad, according to Crystal Stanley, curator of the museum.
“This was a project started by Beverly Norris before I got here, we didn’t have quite enough money secured but after I came on I was able to get a decent sized grant and the city allowed some extra money just to cover the little bit of extra cost. It’ll be our new interactive exhibit.”
Bases are already installed for the new lights, donated by BNSF Railroad, as workers prepare the fixtures for installation
BNSF is not the only organization that donated to the project. “They donated the lights, we got a grant from 3M, were got a donation from Encor, and we got a donation from Ingram. I’m excited to get everything together and installed!”
There will be signage explaining the use of the lights, as well as controls that will allow visitors to operate the lights.
A project that is just getting underway is a joint venture with the Chamber of Commerce, and it involves the vintage steam locomotive that sits in the small park near the Depot.
A device that will simulate steam and the noise created by it will be placed in such a way that it appears as if the engine is in operation. The idea was conceived by Roland Soto, and is being carried out by Stanley and Sunni Modawell of the Chamber.
“We’re still working out some details. We have to decide when the smoke will appear, if it is going to be every hour, or at certain points in the day. I think it’s going to be wonderful!”
Sunni Modawell, Executive Director of the Brownwood Chamber, says she hopes “it will be an attraction where people will look forward to seeing the steam engine come to life. It’ll be a cool experience. I don’t know if there’s anyone in our region that has anything like that.”
Modawell says they hope to work with the company installing the apparatus on a special feature for this years Christmas festival, to mark the 10th anniversary.
Later this month, the museum will host its first ever “Hobo’s, Hexes, and Hidden Treasure” Halloween event. Taking cues from escape rooms, scavenger hunts and other interactive activities, the event promises to be a good time for families with kids of all ages.
Stanley brought in a ‘team of inspectors’ to test out the challenge. “I had my husband, my 14 year old and 9 year old test it. My step daughter was running around and looked at me and said ‘This is the most fun I’ve ever had!’ So it should be fun for everyone!”
Visitors will try to escape from Roundhouse Rose’s hexes, who was “trapped in the museum by conductor Lehnis”. Rose is based on an actual member of the Wild Bunch gang who were train robbers in the old west.
Other new exhibits will focus on the use of the railroad during WWII. It will include a feature on “Mrs Casey Jones”, focusing on women and their role in making the railroad what it was during the war, as well as the propaganda used to keep trains rolling during wartime.
There will be photographs, enlarged by ASAP Creative Arts, that show materials being delivered for the construction of Camp Bowie.
