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The museum is a non-profit organization under IRS code 501(c)3 so donations are potentially tax deductible, please consult your tax consultant as the museum is not allowed to provide tax advice.

April – 2020 –  THANK  YOU for all the support.  We successfully matched the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation challenge grant and they have awarded the museum a full match.  With the museum currently closed due to the current coronavirus/COVID19 restrictions, our current #1 focus is going to be funding ongoing operational & maintenance needs.

Projects the museum is focused on include:

  • Our #1 priority in 2020 is the  Education modular unit conversion to museum use.  Donations will be utilized to reconfigure donated modular office space for museum use. We’ve been challenged by the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation to raise $50,000 by April 1, 2020 and they’ll match 100% of what we raise by that time
  • The Rail Transit Exhibit building is partially funded by a transportation equity grant (TE) of $500,000 that the museum has already raised substantial matching funds. Below (in reverse date order are updates related to the current phase).
    • Spring 2019 – track complete and railcars in the building!
    • Dec 2018  – track contractors are well under way and we expect to have track in service early in 2019.  We are going to continue accepting donations on this project as we’ve discovered ties are running over the initial estimates.
    • Oct 2018 update…  we’ve raised 118% of the challenge amount (over $59,000)  THANK YOU! We have received our check from the Hudgens Family Foundation and are working to schedule track contractors to start on that work ASAP.  We will be bidding out the electrical work later this fall.
    • Sept 2018 update…. we’ve hit 107% of the challenge grant goal set in May (see below) between cash on hand and pledges.  We’re going to re-visit with the Hudgens Foundation staff to discuss resetting the goals.
    • May 2018 – The museum has been notified of the award of a challenge grant from the Hudgens Family Foundation.  They will match donations up to an aggregated amount of $50,000 between now and the end of March 2019.  Funds are designated to this (RTE) project.

 

The new exhibit building sits behind (west) of Building 2.  It is designed to contain four tracks as well as a 48 foot wide central area to be used for transit, other exhibits and potential events space.  At 175 feet by 120 feet, the covered space will be an impressive 21,000 square feet and increases the museum’s covered exhibit spaces by almost 50%. In addition to the space for 8 full length rail cars in the new building, relocating the transit equipment from building 2 will allow free up covered space for two more rail cars there.

The building at ribbon cutting, Oct 25, 2017

Other, lesser priority initiatives include:

  • Recruit and hire and executive director to drive the museum to a higher standard of excellence.
  • Reconstruct and enhance the shop areas in building 3 that were fire damaged before the museum acquired the property in 1997.
    • Oct 2018 – This project has been funded in part by our movie production revenues over the last several years and in part by a generous contribution by the contractor.  We’ve about 60% complete.
  • Education modular unit conversion to museum use.  Donations will be utilized to reconfigure donated modular office space for museum use.
  • General operations & maintenance.
  • Western Union line maintenance car #3558 restoration.  One of the few railcars still in existence that was used by Western Union for maintaining telegraph lines.
  • Miniature Train Company train set rehabilitation & expansion – affectionately known as the “park train” this fund is set up for the expansion and rehabilitation the equipment & track for the enjoyment of all.
  • Ga Power 97 restoration – our 1940’s era Porter built 0-6-0 steam engine which is disassembled for its federally mandated boiler re-certification and related “heavy” overhaul.

 

To donate online with a credit card, please fill out the form below which will process via PayPal when you click donate.  Information related to manual donations is at the bottom of the screen.

Thank you for your support!

 

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If you prefer to make a donation by check, please mail to:

Attn: Accounting
Southeastern Railway Museum
PO Box 1267
Duluth, Ga. 30096-0023

In addition to financial donations, the museum is always open to donations of time or material.   Please visit our volunteer page for more information about volunteering at the museum.

The museum also has the following items on our wishlist:

  • Topographical survey work – we have a potential donor for an additional building, we need to have a topographical  site survey (approximately 7 acres) completed to begin civil engineering analysis.
  • Classroom space / portable trailer to use for our education department. Today our education department utilizes many of our available spaces requiring additional setup/cleanup and associated lost time/productivity/focus for the team. We’re looking for modular units starting around 12′ x 40′ to provide education a non-roaming base of operations, area for class room instruction and better/centralized storage of materials.
    Update – April 2017 – Thanks to Home South Communities we have filled the need for space as they have graciously donated a 48×56 modular unit that our volunteers will be refurbishing.  We’re currently raising funds to remodel/refurbish the space and begin utilizing it to grow our educational programming.

  • Backhoe (something along the lines of a Case 580 or John Deere 310 series machine).  Our current one is used for a wide variety of museum tasks and was acquired used and well worn and is consuming a significant amount of volunteer time maintaining it instead of the museum.
  • Commercial lawn equipment, the museum’s 30+ acres wear through residential equipment very quickly.
  • Light weight steps/platforms for entry to various cars.  Currently we use wooden steps for access to various rail cars and for the cars that are outside this creates an ongoing maintenance challenge as well as the challenge to move when cars need relocating.  We’re looking for aluminum or light weight steel steps (including handrails/guard rails) 4 feet wide with a top platform approximately 4 foot by 4 foot.  Platform height needs to be adjustable between 42 – 52 inches.
  • Manlift – for maintenance of lights, cranes and Christmas decorations, the museum needs a medium weight articulated man-lift in the 30′-40′ size.  As some of the maintenance is outdoor lighting, it needs to be capable of more than concrete floor operations.

If you’re interested in donating an item on our wish list, please reach out to the administrator via the museum’s contact page.