Category Archives: Featured

Train Fest Continues Today

Randy Ray reported on the show in the Temple Daily Telegram.

The expanded version of the Texas Train and Heritage Festival shifts into high gear today and Sunday for the first of two event-filled weekends. Activities for the 20th annual festival are planned this weekend and for Sept. 21-22.

This weekend will offer music, living history demonstrations, Civil War-era re-enactments and other activities on the grounds of the downtown Santa Fe Depot, 315 W. Ave B.

The second weekend will feature the annual Central Texas Area Model Railroaders’ Model Train Show at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center, 3303 N. 3rd St.

The festival started Friday with a Tejano Night concert and dance featuring music by Marlisa Vela and Co., and Los Desperadoz.

City Rents Out Moody Depot

Anna Foster reported on the depot in the Temple Daily Telegram.

The Temple City Council unanimously approved Thursday officially abandoning 1st Street between Adams and Central avenues and renting the Moody Depot for use by the CentraMod Model Railroading Club. City staff laughed in relief after the vote on the one-block segment of 1st Street, thanking the council for its action – the street has been physically gone for weeks as construction crews work on the city’s downtown plaza project.

Planning Director B.A. Bailey said in response to a question from Mayor Keifer Marshall Jr. that although many people – some city officials included – thought the action had already been taken, the official procedure to abandon the street had not been done. Ms. Bailey did show the council, however, part of a council-approved resolution from several years ago that authorized the staff to go after the grant they eventually received to fund the project, which committed the city to abandoning the street.

The project will replace the Municipal Building’s main parking lot with the downtown plaza, which will have a visitors’ center and be used for festivals in addition to parking space.

City to Rent Out Moody Depot

Anna Foster reported on the depot in the Temple Daily Telegram.

The Temple City Council officially will consider abandoning 1st Street between Central and Adams avenues and renting the recently relocated Moody Depot to the CentraMod, Inc., Model Railroading Club at its 5 p.m. meeting today in the Municipal Building.

Construction began in February on the city’s downtown welcome plaza and visitors’ center, and soon took over the one-block segment between the two major downtown streets. City Manager Mark Watson said the abandonment of the street had always been discussed as part of the plaza design, and the council’s action would make it official. “We had been talking about it for months and years that we approved the design and there was the implication that we would be abandoning the street,” Watson said.

Model Train Enthusiasts Participate in Show

Larry Hutchinson reported on the show in the Temple Daily Telegram.

Operating modular layouts of scale model trains of both the past and present – including elaborate scenes of bridges and trestles, cities and towns – are on display at the 19th annual Temple Model Train Show at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center. There is even an ice-skating bear.

The Central Texas Area Model Railroaders event has drawn model railroaders from as far away as Florida to the exhibit and swap meet. The event continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

Moody Depot Moves Downtown

 

Clay Coppedge reported on the depot’s move in the Temple Daily Telegram.

How do you move a 1907 railroad depot from one part of town to another one? Very carefully. And slowly.

The old Moody Depot, a long time feature of the Railroad and Pioneer Museum at the corner of Avenue H and 31st Street, was taken from there to its new location next to the downtown Santa Fe Depot Thursday morning.

MoodyDepotMove
Moody Depot Being Moved

A&D House Moving from Georgetown, Texas moved the depot in two sections, each 150 feet long, 30 feet wide and 23 feet tall. The move involved about 50 people and took around four hours.

Traffic was stopped at various points on Adams and Central avenues, and on 31st Street in the process.