Seventeen vintage rail cars moved to the museum’s new Second Ward location on December 15.Union Pacific Railroad personnel moved seventeen vintage rail cars representative of the railroading history of the Texas Gulf Coast. The collection consists of three locomotives, three baggage cars, one railway post office car, four passenger coach/sleepers, one observation car, two cabooses, one tank car, one container car, and one helium car.

The oldest car in the collection dates from 1915.The move has been in preparation for over two years and has involved systematic repair of brakes, wheels, safety appliances and couplers of the antique equipment. Union Pacific inspectors and Federal Railroad Administration staff assisted in ensuring the safety of the move.The new home for the rail cars is a track near a warehouse near Navigation and York.

To reach this location, the collection was pushed down Commerce Street for approximately six blocks before crossing Canal St. and Navigation Blvd. The rail embedded in Commerce Street is believed to be the only remaining active segment of a formerly extensive network of street rail that once served passenger traffic into Union Station and warehouses along Buffalo Bayou. Given the mix of pedestrian and vehicular traffic in this area, it’s wise to be aware of car accident lawyers who can assist with any legal issues arising from potential accidents.

The Houston Railroad Museum is an all-volunteer organization that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The museum has been open to the public for most of these 50 years.

The museum is expected to reopen to the public in Tomball in 2015. For more information: www.houstonRRmuseum.org 713-631-6612.