The George L. Carter Railroad Museum at East Tennessee State University will celebrate its second anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 14, in conjunction with ETSU Homecoming and National Model Railroad Month.Dedicated in November 2007, the Carter Railroad Museum was named in memory of George L. Carter, the entrepreneur and philanthropist who donated 120 acres and $100,000 to the state of Tennessee for the establishment in 1911 of a normal school, or teacher’s college, which eventually became ETSU.

Over the last two years, many visitors have enjoyed the museum’s large, intricate, operating model train layouts of towns and scenery, as well as its railroad-related items of historical significance.

A full-sized flashing railroad crossing signal donated by Norfolk Southern Railroad Group stands outside the museum’s entrance on the west side (ground level) of the Campus Center Building, and its red lights blink when the museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., staffed by Mountain Empire Model Railroaders Club (MEMRR) volunteers.

Since its inception, museum volunteers have continued to add new exhibits and upgrade existing ones. Some significant changes include the establishment of three large operating layouts in different scales, which provides better viewing accessibility for visitors.

The Little Engineer’s Room, which will officially open on Nov. 14, is a brightly painted, child-friendly room. Since the museum’s other operating layouts are considered “hands-off,” the Little Engineer’s Room will give kids an opportunity to play as they learn. The room features a caboose and a large-screen television showing “Thomas-the-Tank” and other children’s railroad programs, as well as a large-scale train donated by Dollywood that circles the ceiling and a “Thomas-the-Tank” railroad play station contributed by Johnson City’s Hobbytown USA.

Homecoming Saturday is also the deadline for submissions to the Carter Railroad Museum’s logo contest. Members of the community are welcome to submit logo designs that include the names of both the George L. Carter Railroad Museum and East Tennessee State University. With sponsorship by the Tennessee Credit Union, the contest features cash prizes, including $500 for the winning logo. Complete information about the logo contest is available at www.etsu.edu/railroad.

For more information contact Dr. Fred Alsop, museum director, at 423-439-6838 or alsopf@etsu.edu. For more information on ETSU’s Homecoming celebration and a complete schedule of activities, visit www.etsu.edu/homecoming.

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