The Board of Directors of the Tom E. Dailey Foundation Inc. is pleased to announce the approval of the following 13 railroad heritage grants totaling $39,765 at its August 9, 2014 quarterly board meeting. For more information, please visit www.daileyfoundation.org.


Milwaukee Road Heritage Center $ 3,000

This Minnesota group, formed in 1992, is preserving the history of The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, commonly known as The Milwaukee Road. They have several early Milwaukee Road railroad cars donated by Canadian Pacific.Grant funding will be used to repair/restore a 90-foot long turntable built in 1913.



Beaver Area Heritage Foundation $ 1,000

The project is to restore the Beaver rail station back to its original appearance. It will house a local genealogy collection and two classrooms. Grant will be used toward renovation of the exterior of the station.


Steam Into History $ 2,000

The group was formed in 2010 as an educational effort to provide Civil War railroad history to the general public. Visitors board a replica train which travels a 30 mile route taken by Lincoln to deliver his Gettysburg Address. The grant is for the purchase and installation of a handicap lift.



New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railway Historical Society $ 7,500

The group is restoring Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 steam locomotive No. 2926 to running condition—an Albuquerque landmark of historical value. The project began in 2000 and is expected to be completed by 2016. The locomotive will be used to provide not-for-profit excursions in New Mexico in celebration of railroad heritage. The grant is for a portion of the cost of fabricating a modernized version of a brake stand subsystem to meet FRA certification.


Sarpy County Historical Society $ 2,500

The project is the restoration of a Class CA-9 caboose built in May 1967 for the Union Pacific Railroad. The grant request is for a portion of the $12,000 estimated cost to relocate and restore the interior and exterior of the caboose. The expense is for materials only. All time to be provided by retired railroad workers and Eagle Scouts.



Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroad and Tooling Heritage Center $ 4,465

Grant will be used for insulation of the exterior walls of a former trolley station as part of a capital improvement project for completion of a transportation museum. The main goal of the project is to create and operate the trolley station museum as an educational and interpretive center emphasizing the industrial history of trolley, railroad and canal transportation in northwestern PA. Eight supervised high school vocational education students will work on the restoration project.


Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Inc. $ 3,000

The group’s collection includes a 1926 vintage suburban streetcar, Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (Red Arrow) center door Car 66. After serving visitors since 1974, it needs major refurbishment. Work will include repainting the exterior, reupholstering the interior, rebuilding the second truck with overhauled traction motors, replacing windows, and rebuilding the center door steps and underframe.


Austin Steam Train Association, Inc. $ 2,000

Among the group’s collection is the “Rippling Stream,” a stainless-steel, sleeper-buffet-lounge car. This car was originally delivered to the New York Central Railroad in 1949. The group was founded in 1989 and runs historic rail excursions through the Texas Hill Country, serving 27,000 passengers last year.


Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, Inc. $ 3,300

This group has operated a working railroad museum and display site in North Judson, Indiana, since 1988. They preserve and maintain 33 miles of former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway track.The grant request is to replace 250 railroad ties.


New England Steam Corp. $ 2,000

NESCO was formed in 2012 to purchase, relocate, rebuild, and care for Maine Central #470 steam locomotive. Once complete, the locomotive will be a steam technology classroom. Funds will be used to transport the locomotive via a flat bed truck.


The Toy Train Depot $ 4,000

This Alamogordo, New Mexico, railroad historical preservation group is restoring a Chicago &Eastern Illinois caboose. Funds will be used to upgrade the electrical service and to replace the platform to the caboose.


Railroad Museum of New England, Inc. $ 2,500

This organization, in existence for 46 years, owns and maintains the historic 1881 Thomaston, Connecticut Railroad Station. The station is located in the central business district of Thomaston, and is listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The group operates Naugatuck Railroad, a 19.5 mile tourist train ride, and conducts special events at the station. Funds will be used for masonry wall repairs.


Railways To Yesterday, Inc. $ 2,500

This Allentown, PA, based group—in existence for 52 years—is restoring a Johnstown Traction Company (#311) trolley that served the city of Johnstown, PA. It is a Birney Safety Car built in 1922 by the Wason Manufacturing Company of Springfield, MA. Safety trolleys are designed to operate with just a motorman, saving the cost of the conductor. The car, which ran on the museum’s line, was removed for repairs in 2004 and is now undergoing restoration to working condition.