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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                Contact: Stu Nicholson

Date:   July 15, 2004                                                                                                                                                  (614) 644-0513 

 

Old Railroad “Crossbucks” Find A Home

ORDC Makes Donation During Dennison “Train Fest”

 

(Columbus) – A pair of old cast iron railroad crossing signs, also known as “crossbucks”, will be donated to the Dennison Railroad Museum during the upcoming “Train Festival 2004”, which runs from July 30th to August 1st at the old Dennison, Ohio train depot.

 

The old “crossbuck” signs were castoffs after ORDC modernized a railroad crossing in Lancaster, Ohio in the past year.  The signs likely date back to the early 20th Century and are rarely seen anymore in Ohio. Most have been replaced and discarded over the years as railroad crossing warning systems have been upgraded with new lights and gates. Realizing these signs were a relic of Ohio’s railroad history, the signs and their mounting posts were saved by an ORDC field engineer.

 

 “When we heard about this year’s Train Festival 2004, we thought it would be great to donate these pieces of history to the Dennison Railroad Museum as it celebrates one of the largest ever gatherings of operating steam locomotives from that same railroad era”, says ORDC Executive Director James Seney.

 

Train Festival 2004 is billed as a “Celebration of American Railroading” and will be drawing numerous restored giant steam locomotives that will haul excursion trains out of Columbus, Pittsburgh throughout the festival.  Over 20,000 people are expected to attend the festival, with over 2,400 arriving on trains pulled by vintage steam and diesel locomotives.

 

For more information you can visit the Train Festival 2004 website at: http://www.trainfestival2004.com/ or visit the website of the Dennison Railroad Museum at: http://www.dennisondepot.org/

 

ORDC Chairman James Betts will formally present the cast iron crossbucks to the Dennison Railroad Museum shortly after noon on Thursday, July 29th at the Dennison Depot.  The presentation is part of a two-hour media event to preview the Train Festival 2004.

We look forward to seeing you there for a great look back at Ohio’s railroad history.  If you’re interested in Ohio’s railroad future, please call on ORDC to find out more.  

 

(The Ohio Rail Development Commission is an independent agency operating within the Ohio Department of Transportation.  ORDC is responsible for economic development through the improvement and expansion of passenger and freight rail service, railroad grade crossing safety and rail travel & tourism issues. For more information about what ORDC does for Ohio, visit our website at http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/