I am looking for information on this defunct railroad museum. Does anyone have any information about it?

Ted Miles

Greetings:
The assets of the Heart of America Railway Museum were sold to the Illinois Railway Museum in December 1968.
I was part of the crew that prepared Union Pacific 2-8-0 # 428 and Santa Fe Lounge car # 1534? (check the IRM roster for the number) for movement on their own wheels from Independence, MO first to the Kansas City joint terminal roundhouse for tinkering with the air brakes, then on to Union, IL (without a rider!)
428 is under restoration in the IRM Steam Shop.
The Lounge Car is on display (exterior only, although a lot of work has been done on the interior, which can be seen through the windows on the side of the car that has the viewing platform) in the display barn closest to the depot.
There also was a dining car (KCS?) which we left behind for scrapping as it had extensive fire damage.
Be well,
J.David

PS: I totaled my 1957 Chevy Carry All (former school bus) about 30 miles out of KC in a snow storm on the way home. It turned over once and my tool box hit me in the head (which might explain a lot of things...) While waiting for a tow truck to pull the wreck out of the ditch I managed to find nearly all of my tools (in the snow). The other IRM guys came and got me, took me to a hospital for a quick xray of my skull (it wasn't cracked, but who knows about all the glop inside...) I took the Santa Fe back to Chicago the next day (Christmas eve). So much for my first locomotive rescue project! JDC

Thanks J.David for your candor. It explains a lot!!!

Ross Rowland

Thanks J. david for the Story! your adventures would fill a book, I think. Looking forward to seeing the second edition of your Steam books.

Ted Miles