Spring Break
George L.Carter Railroad Museum celebrates one-year anniversary
Joseph Hutchins
Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: The Scene
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The celebration is open to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum location at the Campus Center building in the center of the ETSU campus. This anniversary coincidently coincides with the National Railroad Month.
The museum is described as a "working museum that has exhibits of both prototypical railroad memorabilia, principally the railroads that served this area and some that still continue to serve the area, and it's also a memorial to George L. Carter who built the Clinchfield RR in the early 20th century" noted Museum Director Fred Alsop, a professor of biology at ETSU.
Carter is many times called the "father of ETSU." Carter lobbied for the building of a state normal school (future university), donated his 120-acre farm as land for the campus, gave $100,000 in 1908 dollars, built a sidewalk and road and built a railcar running to the campus for students.
And it was because of all this, and some others, that the future ETSU was opened in 1911 in Johnson City.
Of course, Carter has a full history in the Tri-Cities, being not only a railroad owner but also a large landowner and pivotal leader in the building and development of the Tri-Cities.
The museum also looks into the history of the region's rich ties with the railroads, which helped to spur the creation of Johnson City.
Volunteers from the Mountain Empire Model Railroader (MEMRR) club give their time to the museum and provide information about the local historic railroads and knowledgeable tips on the basics of model railroading.
The museum not only includes classic railroad memorabilia but also has three large operating model railroading layouts. These model layouts include full scenery, structures, rolling stock and operating locomotives to provide viewing enjoyment.
Alsop also notes that the museum offers workshops for model railroading. The workshop looks into how to put and use scenery, issues in wiring your layout, and laying the track for your locomotive.
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