While City, Railroad Museum Await January Trial, Vague Hints of Track Being Laid to Frisco

Man, those were good times back in February and March -- headin' down to the George Allen seemingly every other week for a hearing in City of Dallas v. Museum of the American Railroad. But there hasn't been a court date in a long while, and there may not be much of anything till January 2011, which is when Judge Martin Hoffman has set the trial date. That means, of course, that the museum will still be parked at Fair Park come August, which is when the city wanted the museum out, out, out in order to begin leasing the space for the State Fair. Further solidifying its position till then: The museum just got its certificate of occupancy.

That said, a good Friend of Unfair Park directs our attention to the museum's Web site, where, last week, a press release never sent to the press, far as I can tell, was posted bearing the news that the Museum of the American Railroad has hired two construction companies to begin construction on Phase I of its new digs in Frisco. Says the release, one of the companies has been hired to lay track for the museum -- 3,800 feet worth, matter of fact, "including a connection with the BNSF Railway." And that, says the release, is "enough to accommodate the Museum's 2,650 feet of rolling stock currently at Dallas' Fair Park." It won't be cheap: Says the museum it needs $325,000 to begin work. I've been trying to reach museum CEO Bob LaPrelle all day to find out how "it plans to raise [the money] in 60 to 90 days," as per the release.

On a very related note, while I was on the museum's Web site I took a virtual stroll and stumbled across these brand-new computer-generated renderings of the new digs in Frisco. Collect 'em all! Says the site, you've got 25 years till the museum's completely built out, so no rush.