Railroad society hopes brick sale paves way for park

special to viewA brick is shown during a Victorian High Tea fundraising event put on by the Las Vegas Railroad Society at a northwestern valley home, Dec. 5. Customized bricks will signify a $125 donation towards creation of Railroad Heritage Park. Advertisement

Follow the yellow brick road, or, in this case, the red one.

The Las Vegas Railroad Society is promoting its brick fundraiser drive. By buying a brick for $125 -- to be used as a paver stone -- individuals and families can provide seed money for a train park planned for the Summerlin area.

Trudy Platzer, president of LVRRS, said now that the city of Las Vegas has agreed to a 200-acre site near Bruce Trent Park, surrounded by Summerlin Parkway, Rampart Boulevard, Vegas Drive and Durango Drive, Railroad Heritage Park is that much closer to becoming a reality.

Selling the bricks is key to the plan. Each one will be stamped with the name of the person who bought it. The bricks will pave the walkways leading to the park's major amenities.

"The day will come when kids will say, 'Look, there is my grandmother's name on that brick. She helped build this,' " Platzer said.

The names of the donors also are posted on the group's Web site, www.lasvegasrailroadsociety.org.

Marilyn Montgomery, director of marketing for LVRRS, said having one's name on a paver stone means kudos to that person for decades to come.

"Everyone likes to be a part of history," she said.

The society began selling the bricks last spring. By the first week of December, 39 had been sold to individuals, nine to companies. But it's a drop in the bucket considering there are thousands to be sold. The price tag for the facility is $26 million.

The recession is being blamed for the slow response.

"We're now selling normal bricks, but that's like pulling teeth," Platzer said. "We could offer a better brick, I guess, like one that's bronzed or something. We'll have to get creative."

The society already has gotten creative with its designs for Railroad Heritage Park. Plans include live steam-, diesel- and electric-powered trains that can each seat dozens of children. There will be railroad bridges, tunnels and a miniature village.

Also planned is a museum to teach visitors about the history of the railroads, how they supported industry in the state and helped make mining history in the Comstock Lode days. They also made Las Vegas possible.

"We'll create a field trip mecca," Platzer said. "We'll re-enact the beginning of this town. It didn't just appear out of nowhere."

Displays will one day include a life-size steam locomotive, railroad cars and cabooses, Platzer said. The park would include everything from railroad memorabilia to a modern library and a video room to support classes and workshops.

Montgomery said a number of other fundraiser ideas are being kicked around, including one that "includes schools, so they'll make money, and we'll make money." She declined to be more specific.

The society began another fundraiser effort, a tea party, on Dec. 5. Held in a private residence, it's an offshoot of another component of the railroad attraction -- a women's club that will see women dressed in Victorian attire, creating an atmosphere for the park. That component is just coming together, and has no official name as yet, Platzer said.

It's next high-tea event is being planned around Valentine's Day. Details will be posted on the Web site as the date nears. Kristen Gogots volunteers to help the nonprofit.

"Las Vegas is a different animal," she said, adding that "getting the word out and getting it out to the right people" were the most difficult parts of getting the project off the ground.

Platzer said that when summer hits, the field trips will be more indoor-inclined, but that trains would still run with misters and covered cars. According to the Web site, year-round events will include everything from birthday train rides to an Easter egg hunt to haunted tunnels at Halloween time. Youth programs are an essential platform for the park, Platzer said, so the importance of railroads is not forgotten.

"You have to understand the past to appreciate the future," she said.

Contact Summerlin View and South Summerlin View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.