By: Emma Pringle, WV Railroad Museum, Elkins
When I began my first service term as an AmeriCorps with AFNHA at the West Virginia Railroad Museum, I didn’t know a lot about railroads. And now, starting my second term at the same site, I’m still no expert. But what I have learned is that engaging with this history is creative work because there are so many ways a person can start, and so many places they can end up. For example, last year I tried to research music about the railroad, and now I own a signed copy of a historical railroad cookbook. I’ve recorded interviews about Elkins’ local history. There is railroad art in our museum. I don’t consider myself a railfan, but I ended the last term and began the new one asking: is railroad heritage kind of cool?
During my time serving at the West Virginia Railroad Museum, I’ve had the opportunity to do lots of fun things with railroad heritage. I completed an oral history project with interviews from six retired railroaders. I worked in the museum’s archives. I’ve met people who love trains and who have an ambitious vision for railroad preservation and scenic railroad tourism. There’s something special about being in a community that’s enthusiastic about what it’s doing that makes me enthusiastic about it, too. It’s an experience that I hope everyone gets to have.
And it’s also a challenge! My major project for my new term is to create a new exhibit-- something I had never seriously thought I would have the chance to do. I’ve chosen the subject of coal railroads, and there is no end to the angles from which I can approach this prompt. I can ask so many questions about how much coal was transported, what it took to transport it, where they took it. And then I can ask why it mattered; how did the relationship between coal and the railroad shape West Virginia, for better or for worse? This history encompasses the economy, the environment, technology, society, and politics. For this project, the challenge isn't "what do I put in my new exhibit", but "how do I narrow down my idea so that it becomes possible for me to finish it in less than a year?"
A lot of mistakes will be made, I think. Mistakes, and studying, and editing, and frustration. But that’s the process. I’m so excited to start.
Be sure to visit the West Virginia Railroad Museum! It is located in the Darden Mill at 101 Railroad Ave, Elkins, WV 26241. They are open seasonally from May-October, Thursday-Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm. Check out the website: https://wvrailmuseum.com/
