Project Description

• Introduction
• Arrival/Decompression/Reception
• Orientation
• Interpretation
• Dining, Retail & Entertainment
• Terminus

Terminus
For some, a point of arrival, but for the majority of visitors a conclusion to their day at the Center, the period Depot and rolling stock that occupy the southwest section of the site translates the past into a functional present. Now, finally, one can ride the train to a number of destinations. Other attractions may keep the visitors on site a bit longer, but whatever their plans, the train ride beckons.

Depot/static display

No rail-themed attraction would be complete without a representative assembly of rolling stock to establish the mood and setting for the experience. To this end, several parallel tracks along Court Street are furnished with a mixture of freight and passenger cars, work cars and locomotives spanning more than a century of railroading. From time to time, the display is changed to allow for restoration and/or maintenance.

Screened in part by the static display but clearly visible from within the Center lies the period Depot that serves the excursion program. The Depot provides all of the amenities associated with rail travel, from ticketing, washrooms, news and snack vending, to information about local attractions, route maps and schedules, etc. Through the introduction of a few modern interactive devices, visitors can identify themselves and their party, the point of origin for their trip and other relevant information. In addition, they can record their opinions about the Center and offer suggestions for improvements and/or additions they would like to see implemented.

Excursions

The excursion plan is yet to be fully determined and will always be subject to change depending on ridership, economics and other factors. Several excursions that appear feasible within this preliminary vision are:

• Union Station......a brief connection between the Center and Downtown Montgomery by linking rail and road transportation from the edge of the River to historic sites within the City.
• East Montgomery.....a scenic tour through Old Alabama Town, an historic cemetery and points east on the old Central of Georgia right of way or to Mt. Meigs by steam on former Seaboard Air Line tracks.
• Selma.....a far longer excursion through classic southern landscapes and villages following the Selma-Montgomery National Historic Trail over Western Railway of Alabama tracks, linked to local tours.
• Tuskegee.....special event excursions to the site where the famous Tuskegee Airmen of World War II trained.

Imax / Refrigeration / Visible Storage

The refrigeration process dating back to the early days of railroading is interpreted in the adaptively re-used building at the south end of the site that traditionally provided that product and service. The well that dominates the center of the building and served as a reservoir in the formation of ice has been reconfigured to allow for the installation of a large-format film venue.

The theater seats an audience of approximately two hundred fifty and is furnished with a giant projection screen and digitally generated surround sound.

The theater is home to a custom-produced film chronicling the history of railroading in America, with emphasis on the southeast. Only through this special projection format can the dynamic power of the great locomotives cast against dramatic, changing landscapes be captured in a single venue. The film not only echoes the themes explored throughout the Center, but emotionally transports the visitors beyond the proscenium into an entirely different reality.

The film would screen several times a day, interspersed with guest films drawn from the substantial library of Imax films available for lease. Similarly, the Railroad film would be offered for distribution to other Imax venues.

The building also houses a state of the art interactive exhibition tracing the history of refrigeration and its relationship to the railroad. An early innovation, inspired by economic potential, the "reefer" (refrigerator) car was responsible for substantial revenues to both the railroad and the farmers whose products could now be delivered fresh to previously unattainable markets.

Administration / Collections / Curation

The warehouse spaces adjacent to the Refrigeration Plant are adaptively re-used to house the "back of house" facilities necessary to the operation of the project. Administrative offices, conservation and restoration of archival materials and small artifacts, both secluded and visible storage and classrooms in support of educational programs are among the activities planned for this area. Educational programs are of special importance to the community in terms of social heritage and as a training venue for rail related occupations.

Though primarily dedicated to non-public functions, one final opportunity remains for those visitors with a particular affinity for railroad history. By arrangement with project staff, they can tour the collections storage facility. Here they will find the bulk of the archival and small artifact collection. Interpretation is minimal with little more than labels to identify the items in storage, but for those intrepid visitors to whom every aspect of railroad history is precious, labels are likely to be enough.

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| Development Plans | Economics | Conclusion |