
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 6, 1993                   TAG: 9306070123
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: F2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FUTURE CAN INCLUDE CITY'S RAILROAD PAST

ON SEEING the "Georgetown Loop Scenic Railroad" (PBS-TV) out of Denver, Colo., it brought to mind what might seem most natural for Roanoke as it develops its own future as a tourist attraction. We have been first and perhaps always considered a railroad town.

There is nothing like the steam railroad for holding public fascination. It carries nostalgic appeal for those with yesterday's memories, and something of the carnival spirit of adventure for most every age. It is here that people from all walks of life may come, because Roanoke understands railroading and knows best how to present it as an enjoyable learning experience, perhaps as no other place in America. It is part of our natural heritage.

This concept as a tourist attraction should be city-sponsored with the widest possible imagination, utilizing the entrepreneurship of business, railroad leaders, artists and architects.

The Transportation Museum could develop into the broadest and most complete in the country, presenting equipment at every stage of railroad development, from the earliest to the present day. Every size and shape locomotive, coach and equipment should be on display, with an adequate description of the history and use.

Closely connected should be a museum of graphic arts, photographs and paintings depicting the story of railroading in more infinite detail. Many historic moments can be depicted in such a museum. There could be a panoramic room, a kind of cyclorama, where Roanoke as a railroad town can be displayed in colorful and graphic detail, with miniature trains bringing alive the scenes of yesterday and today. A theater could offer film presentations of Roanoke's history, from its early beginnings to its growth as a commercial and industrial center.

Nearby, there are shops where visitors might visit to see how repairs and actual construction takes place. In an actual railroad office, one might see something of the administration, and from a watch tower the operations of yard work and train composition might be revealed.

At the center of a many-faceted museum there could be a revamped railroad station, serving as a visitor's welcoming center and also a point of departure for excursions.

Daily excursions by steam rail to Natural Bridge could be provided, with lunch before return, as an exciting experience.

Also, with a series of connecting dining cars, a restaurant service might be offered to the public, with dinner in an old-fashioned railroad coach.

What a difference this vision would make to the future of Roanoke and its newly rebuilt Hotel Roanoke! And I would like to join the crowd myself. JOHN W. MYERS ROANOKE

by CNB