Railroad museum relocation chugging ahead

Frisco received a piece of railroad history Monday night, welcoming the historic Houston & Texas Central train depot to the city. The depot is part of the Museum of the American Railroad, which is currently in the process of relocating from Fair Park to Frisco.

The Museum of the American Railroad began as an exhibit for the 1962 State Fair of Texas. Since that time, the museum has been located in Fair Park, although its expanding collection necessitated larger space. In 2007, the city of Frisco stepped in to offer the museum a new location, and on April 1, 2008, the two sides agreed to the relocation.

"Frisco is a perfect fit," said Kellie Murphy, chief operating officer of the Museum of the American Railroad. "Ever since the city approached us, we've been really excited about moving. We're looking forward to being a part of the growth and mix [of locations in the town] since it's such a cultural destination."

Frisco is, of course, no stranger to the railroad industry. The city was founded as a stop on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, which is where the name "Frisco" originated.

The Houston & Texas Central train depot is the second building to be moved to the museum's Frisco location; Sante Fe Interlocking Tower 19, a structure that was used to control the movement of trains at busy railroad intersections, was moved to Frisco in March.

"The building that's being moved today is a depot," Murphy said. "It's been functioning for about 100 years, but we don't actually know for sure how old it really is -- there's been some debate as to when it was made, but it was sometime around 1900. It's been in Fair Park since 1962."

The Museum of the American Railroad began formulating a strategic plan for its expansion in late 2006 with the help of M. Goodwin Associates, a consultation company that helps museums formulate future plans. Shortly after the museum's strategic plan was posted online, representatives from Frisco began communicating with museum staff.

Pete Hosp, coordinator for the Frisco Heritage Museum, began discussing the new move with the museum's staff later that year. With the move, Frisco will see a number of cultural advantages, Hosp said.

"The museum ensures the long-term preservation of the history of rail in Frisco and America," Hosp said. "It not only generates economic benefits to the area, but anchors the Frisco Heritage Center, Frisco Discovery Center and numerous sports venues. It also provides a major education resource for Frisco and area school systems."

Murphy agreed, adding that the museum will now have room for expansion instead of simply standing pat.

"We planned the space so there's room for more expansion instead of just room for the trains we have right now," Murphy explained. "There's going to be the museum itself, along with shops, educational facilities and more."

The museum has yet to move its trains, which Murphy believes are the star attractions. One train in particular, referred to as "Big Boy," has already caused the museum to receive a number of inquiries from all over the world regarding its move.

"The 'Big Boy' is the largest steam locomotive ever made," Murphy said. "They made 25 of them, and only eight are left -- they're all in museum or park settings. We've had people as far away as Germany and Japan e-mailing us and asking when the Big Boy is going to move. It weighs 1.2 million pounds, and it's the core piece of our collection."

The Big Boy will likely be the last piece of the museum's collection to move to Frisco, Murphy said. As with all the pieces in the museum's collection, the staff will make sure it is properly cared for during its move.

"We've been working with the Texas Historical Commission to make sure everything is moved and disassembled properly so we can maintain our landmark status when we move up to Frisco," Murphy said. "We wanted to make sure we followed all of their rules and regulations so we didn't compromise the historical integrity of anything."

Staff writer Kaitlin Pennell contributed to this article.

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