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In this issue you'll see the Aiken Railroad Depot has been a real hub of activity in recent months as highlighted below. We hope you enjoy the latest installment of
All Aboard!
Thank you for your support!
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The New Aiken Railroad Depot Train Platform
Once upon a time in many lands, near and far away, people gathered in the center of town for a special occasion. The occasion may have been to re-unite with husbands, wives, children and grandchildren or other relatives and loved ones. Or the occasion may have been to greet battle weary soldiers returning from war, businessmen looking for a new business opportunity, students returning from college or just local citizens returning from that once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
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Member Appreciation Night with Marty Bailey
This month's guest speaker was Marty Bailey of Tailored Tours o
f
Aiken. Marty took us on a pictorial tour of the evolution of railroad cars.
She began at the very beginning when cars had no windows to shield you from the elements. She went on up to the luxurious private cars owned n only by the rich showing us the inside and outside of them. We saw the lavish decor from mahogany woods to velvet and everything in between.
Marty's presentation was captivating, interesting, and well received. Of course, food and wine was provided by the Board members of the Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot.
If you like history, you would love these events. They are free to members and for non-members we simply ask for a donation.
The next membership appreciation night will be on Thursday, September 10th. Check out the details in the "Save the Date" section of this newsletter. I promise you, you won't want to miss it!
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National Train Day
T
his year in May at National Train Day, it was all about the kids. Once
again they enjoyed free train rides. The train rides are always a hit. Earl Ergle, a retiree from Amtrak, entertained the kids inside and gave away train trinkets to them.
It was picturesque watching and listening to Depot Jam play at the depot under the shady trees. Don Winslow was dressed as a Conductor and was available to take pictures with the children and even families.
The Friends of the Aiken Railroad board members cooked and sold treats to guests on the newly built platform. We had tables and chairs set up for families to sit, eat, enjoy the breeze & the view of Gyles Park. We had sno-cones, popcorn, & hotdogs. This year we had a grill and were grilling the hotdogs on the premises. Oh the smell of grilled hotdogs!
It was a successful event. We hope to make it bigger and better each year.
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Come Visit the Depot Gift Shop
The Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot Gift Shop has many Aiken and
railroad themed items. Whether you are looking for something for yourself or a unique gift, there are many options at the gift shop. There are
varieties of apparel with the railroad depot logo; sweatshirts, long and short sleeve denim shirts, tees and polo shirts. There are also Aiken themed polo shirts available in men and women styles. Coffee mugs, tea towels, note cards, bandanas, engineer hats for adults and kids, banks, whistles, a very special Aiken "conducktor" rubber duck, artwork by local artists, an Aiken depot birdhouse and much more is offered at the gift shop.
Cash and checks are accepted. There is no sales tax, as the Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot is a 501(c) 3 non-profit. All proceeds benefit the Railroad Depot.
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Memorial Day Parade: All Aboard!
The Aiken Jayc
ees and several generous spo
nsors came together for a Memorial Day Parade on Sa
turday, May 23rd, at 11 a.m. on Lauren Street and Park A
venue. It was an easy, free, and patriotic way to honor all those who served and remember those who paid the ultimate
sacrifice.
As part of the festivities, the Aiken Jaycees recognized and honored all American Veterans and their families and is partnering with the Department of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.
The theme of the parade was: "A Grateful Aiken County Thanks and Honors You."
The Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot were represented in this parade by Kenneth Cook (driver) and Don Winslow (our conductor) riding in this gorgeous convertible. Attendees love it when Don gives his "All Aboard" greeting as conductors do for departing trains. It was a great honor to participate in & remember the sacrifice and service of our American Veterans and their families.
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The Aiken Pullman Car Restoration Continues...
Long before luxury motorhomes and executive jets, those who could afford them rode in luxury railcars. These cars were the primary mode of long distance travel for the rich and famous for over a hundred years... from about the 1840's until World War II. The cars were made of wood until the early 1900's when steel became the principle building material. Steel cars were called "heavyweights" because they weighed between 75 and 100 tons and rode on six-wheel trucks. The heavy weight of the cars made them ride smoother than the passenger cars of today, which are much lighter and ride on four-wheel trucks.
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Membership Night: Celebrating the 5th
A
nniversary of Reopening of the Depot!

WHERE: Aiken Railroad Depot
GUEST SPEAKER: Carl Ardrey, the grandson of Depot Manager F.E. "Mr. Tennis" Ardrey!
Carl is a third generation railroader himself, who started at Southern Railway (currently Norfolk Southern) in 1978 and, to this day, still works for them. He will share with us stories and personal railroad memorabilia of his grandfather during his time as the Depot Manager in Aiken.
Since The City of Aiken & the Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot are combining the anniversary with the membership appreciation, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm will be story time for the kids. Then from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, The Mountain Dulcimers of Aiken will play.
Refreshments will be provided by the City of Aiken & the Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot.
This event is free to Members. Non-members are asked to make a donation. Come join us & bring a friend!
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September 10, 2015
6:00 to 7:00 pm
Click Here for Details
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Live Music at the Depot!
If you're looking for something different to do on a Saturday, why not come by the Depot for some live music?
Every First Saturday
Road n
' Rails
(Songs n' Tales)
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Every Third Saturday
Depot Jam (Bluegrass)
10:30 am to Noon
Every Fourth Saturday
The Mountain Dulcimers
of Aiken
9:30 to 10:30 am
These events are FREE!
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CHECK IT OUT!
In May, we launched our new website, which is fully mobile-friendly/responsive, providing an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices, from desktop monitors to mobile phones.
Visit us today at www.aikenrailroaddepot.org to learn more about the Aiken Railroad Depot.
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A Special Venue for Your Special Event
How would you like to add a touch of Aiken history to your special
event? You and your guests can step back into the glory years of the Aiken Railroad Depot by hosting your affair at this beautifully renovated facility.
For a great conversation starter, the second floor of the facility is the Train Museum. Guests can brows the nine dioramas that depict the towns along the original South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company right of way, complimented by interactive displays.
A lovely and expansive deck that is new to the facility is perfect for evening dinners and socializing while the grounds of Gyles Park can also be rented and transformed into an authentic outdoor affair.
Aiken Visitors Center & Train Museum Capacity Inside Only
* 50-person capacity for a reception-style
event
* 60-person capacity for a seated meal
* 90-person capacity for theatre-style seating
Deck Capacity Outside Only
* 210-person capacity for a reception-style
event
* 70-person capacity for a seated meal
* 150-person capacity for theatre-style seating
Total Capacity for Combine Indoor/Outdoor Event
* 350 for reception-style
event
*130-person capacity for a seated meal
A City of Aiken staff member will be onsite during the rental hours to answer any questions. The renter will be responsible for set-up and take down. Tables and chairs may be brought onsite for additional seating.
To receive information on the costs to rent the Aiken Visitor Center & Train Museum for your special
event, please contact the
City of Aiken at
803.293.7846 or
1.888.245.3672
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The New Aiken Railroad Depot Train Platform
Once upon a time in many lands, near and far away, people gathered in the center of town for a special occasion. The occasion may have been to re-unite with husbands, wives, children and grandchildren or other relatives and loved ones. Or the occasion may have been to greet battle weary soldiers returning from war, businessmen looking for a new business opportunity, students returning from college or just local citizens returning from that once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
Why was this occasion in the center of town? Because that is where most towns located their railroad station. Towns like Aiken, developed around the railroad station. It was the link to the outside world and always brought excitement. This excitement heightened as the train of 85-foot passenger cars backed into the stub siding and up to the platform by a mighty steam locomotive. It may have been a New York Central Hudson, a Pennsylvania Railroad Pacific or a Southern Railway Ps-4. And the train could have been the Broadway Limited, the Milwaukee Hiawatha, the California Zephyr or the Southern Crescent. Most young boys were enamored with the locomotive engineer as they pictured themselves in an engineer's seat one day. Many young girls and children backed away trembling in fear as the engineer brought the train to a stop with bell clanging, a mighty rush of spent steam from the cylinders and a deafening blast of the whistle... a signal to the conductor.
So where did all of these greeters congregate? Why on the railroad station passenger platform, of course. The railing and gate kept the waiting throng in check until the train came to a stop. Then the pandemonium began as hugs, kisses, handshakes and incessant chatter quickly reached a fever pitch and then subsided to a low roar as the happy crowd dissipated and headed toward their horse and carriage or automobile to resume their lives. This scenario existed for over 100 years throughout the US.
Many of our senior citizens can recall those days and remember them clearly after 50, 60, 70 years or more. Those events still stand out in their memories amid many of life's other experiences. There is something about the arrival of a train that still remains in the memory of those fortunate few who experienced them. Airport terminal concourses have largely replaced the railroad passenger platforms, but they have never replaced the level of joy, anticipation and excitement that accompanied the arrival of the great steam passenger trains of the past.
Completed in May of this year, the Aiken Visitors Center and Railroad Museum has its own passenger platform available to the public. And it is hoped that it will also be a congregating place for families and friends to socialize with reunions, wedding receptions and other momentous events. While it is true that there will no longer be the sounds of spent steam escaping, bells ringing or whistles blasting, it can still be a place, along with the railroad depot building, of excitement and joy as people again renew their relationships, make new ones or celebrate a milestone in their lives.
So if you are looking for a place for your next family or business event, consider the Aiken Visitors Center and Railroad Museum. You can contact Mary at the Depot at 803-293-7846 or 803-642-7600.
But if you and your family or friends are just looking for a worthwhile, educational and interesting place to spend a relaxing hour or two in Aiken, let me suggest the Depot to you. Children are especially welcome and no child has ever been disappointed yet. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Guided tours are also available. Just call Mary!
By Don Barnes
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The Aiken Pullman Car Restoration continues...
Long before luxury motorhomes and executive jets, those who could afford them rode in luxury railcars. These cars were the primary mode of long distance travel for the rich and famous for over a hundred years... from about the 1840's until World War II. The cars were made of wood until the early 1900's when steel became the principle building material. Steel cars were called "heavyweights" because they weighed between 75 and 100 tons and rode on six-wheel trucks. The heavy weight of the cars made them ride smoother than the passenger cars of today, which are much lighter and ride on four-wheel trucks.

Many private railcars were decorated the likes of which have never been duplicated since the 1930's... that is, until now. But we will talk about this later. The interior of these rail cars was typically adorned in the finest of woods like mahogany and walnut. The tapestries and window treatments were of the finest silks and velvets such as green velvet with gold tassels. Imported rugs from Persia and the Far East covered the floors in plush floral patterns designed by the best artisans available.
Owners of these cars ensured that they were equipped with all the facilities to which they were accustomed in their stately mansions back home. The cars had bedrooms, kitchens, parlors, billiard rooms, bathrooms and some even had fireplaces. The bathroom fixtures may have been gold plated and the floors decorated with hand laid tiles with exquisite patterns. Victorian furniture adorned the cars. In many cases no expense was spared.
The owners of these cars had names like Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gould, Vanderbilt and Flagler. These were the names of the people who help build America... the steel industry, the railroads and the financial institutions. Few people outside of their close friends ever saw the inside of these cars. Sadly, very few of them exist today and the ones that do are confined to museums. Many were sold or converted to ordinary railcars during the Great Depression when fortunes were lost. Museums like the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona, PA house a couple of these cars. One private car, the Ferdinand Magellan, resides in the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Homestead, Florida. It has been used for "whistle stop" presidential campaigning by many presidential candidates from FDR to John Kerry.
Now let us return to the Pullman cars under the train shed at the Aiken Railroad Depot Museum. They are both heavyweights built by the Pullman Company (formally the Pullman Palace Car Company) of Pullman Il, a suburb of Chicago. You can see that each car is supported by six-wheel trucks. The car with the observation platform was built in 1918 for the Illinois Central Railroad as a coach and the other one was built for the St. Louis - San Francisco Railroad (the "Frisco") as a lounge car in 1916. This era was the height of the railroad industry in the US and the height of private car ownership also. The Pullman Company ceased production in 1955. These cars, along with the caboose, were found abandoned on a siding in Puryear, TN and purchased from the owner for scrap prices. They last ran on a railroad in 1980s.
While neither of these cars were private owner cars, they are two of just a few of the old heavyweight cars that are not confined to other museums. We are very fortunate to have them. Outside restoration was completed in 2008, but the interiors remain empty. The plan is to restore them as dining cars to a degree that may rival the most luxurious private cars of the past. Some skilled woodworking hobbyists, furniture makers and professional finishing carpenters have indicated an interest in doing the work at much lower than market prices, but these artisans are getting older and may not be available when funds are finally secured.
If enough funds can be raised to complete the interior of one car... the car with the observation platform, then it will be available for social events like wedding receptions, family reunions, retirement parties, etc., for a modest rental fee. The observation car will seat 40 people and the other 60 people. The cars will be connected with large screen video monitors and sound equipment so that video and sound activities in one car can be seen and heard in the other car.
The current Aiken Together Campaign promises to raise about $125,000 toward their restoration by early next year. But estimates run about $175,000 per car for the complete interior restoration. So additional funds are needed. If you feel this is a worthwhile project and would like to contribute, please contact anyone on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Depot or the Railroad Depot Museum personnel.
Any contribution is tax deductible and will be greatly appreciated. By the way, a $50,000 donation will get a car named after you or anyone you choose. All Aboard!
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Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot
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