Railhead to host railroad museum event

F. ANDREW TAYLOR/VIEWIIan Dauth, left, and Trudy Platzer of the Las Vegas Railroad Society look over the plans for the proposed Railroad Museum. The first phase would be constructed not far from where they stand in Bruce Trent Park at 8851 Vegas Drive. Advertisement

The West has a rich railroad history, and Las Vegas is no exception. What it lacks, in the opinion of the Las Vegas Railroad Society, a nonprofit group founded and operated by Bruce and Trudy Platzer, is a museum celebrating and illuminating that history. The group aims to change that, but first, they need money, and a lot of it.

To that end, they've been organizing a number of special events to raise funds and awareness. On Wednesday, they'll hold a combination event that promises to offer a little something for everybody.

The Community Easter Fair, which will take place from 4 to 9 p.m. in the Railhead at Boulder Station, 4111 Boulder Highway, will feature door prizes, raffles and entertainment. B-Rad the Kids Magician, aka Brad Roberts, will be on hand, as well as the Easter Bunny. Photos with Mr. Bunny will be available. There also will be an arts and crafts table with instructors working with the children. Admission to the fair is free.

The more business-oriented aspect of the event will include vendors and information booths put up by members of the Royal Business Networking Roundtable, a separate but related organization that Trudy Platzer is involved with. According to Platzer, the group consists of community-minded local business owners who take pride in business ethics and values. Membership fees go directly to the Las Vegas Railroad Society.

"We're creating education programs for the business owners to help survive in this very bad economy," Platzer said. "We are also urging business owners to involve themselves with children and help them learn a trade."

The most important part of the event will be a video demonstration of the future miniature railroad park, which, if everything goes according to the society's plans, will be the largest children's project in the valley's history.

"My husband and I have lived here since 1977, and we have not seen much change for the children," Platzer said.

The proposed park would be built in and around existing public parks in the Summerlin area. The first phase of the track would go in Bruce Trent Park at the corner of Vegas Drive And Rampart Boulevard.

The grand plan calls for eventually expanding and adding track in two different widths for different scales of working model trains, not unlike the popular trains featured at Opportunity Village and Bonnie Springs. There currently are no plans for a full-size train track.

In the area bounded by the Summerlin Parkway to the south, Rampart Boulevard to the west, Vegas Drive to the north and Durango Drive to the east, the group plans to lay tracks around the rim of the water retention basin. Trestles would bridge overflow notches in the side of the basin. Along Durango Drive, there would be parking and a number of buildings, including a railroad museum and a reproduction of Union Station, the downtown depot that was the heart of the city in its early years. Tracks would run among the buildings, which would include an enclosed and air-conditioned carousel house, for year-round enjoyment.

The extended plan includes laying track all around and through the Kellogg Zaher Sports Park, a plan that is complicated by a relatively steep terrain and a desire not to disturb the existing facilities, which include numerous playing fields and the Amanda and Stacy Darling Tennis Center.

Perhaps the group's most ambitious idea is the creation of a mining museum in conjunction with the project, to be placed in the canyon separating the Las Vegas Sports Park from the Angel Park Golf Club. Members hope to build the museum and tracks looping around it and then backfill the area, creating an underground museum and train tunnels. Since the canyon is a wash, flood tunnels would have to be constructed first.

All of the group's plans currently are in the pre-conceptual phase. The current issue is fundraising and creating awareness of the proposal. Platzer said the group has permission from the Las Vegas City Council to use the park land, now it needs to raise the $50,000 it estimate will be needed for the official conceptual plan for the first phase of the project.

"We're trying to go to more people for less money, because we do understand the economy," Platzer said. "But even with that, there's got to be some money in this town."

This is the 10th anniversary for the Las Vegas Railroad Society, and members are shifting tactics some.

"Last year, we tried grant writing, but besides people congratulating us for working on such a wonderful project, the answer was no," Platzer said. "So this year, we decided we had to do it differently, so we started having events."

In addition to the group's event Wednesday, members will have a float in the Helldorado Days parade on May 16 in downtown Las Vegas and are in negotiations for a May 17 outdoor event in the Summerlin area.

The nonprofit group is actively seeking sponsors and volunteers. Its stated mission is the preservation of the railroad's contribution to Las Vegas with dedication to education and detailed demonstration of our nation's railroad heritage. The planned museum is the main means to that end.

It's a great group and a great cause," Las Vegas Railroad Society board member Ian Dauth said. "I'm very happy to be involved with it."

For more information, visit www.lasvegasrailroadsociety.org or call 656-9705.

Contact Sunrise and Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.