We're Debt Free! by Jerry Michels
The best news in our 18 ˝ years history occurred in October of 2008. Namely, The Amarillo Railroad Museum is now, and for the foreseeable future, a financially independent organization. In October of this year we retired the mortgage on our building and, as Dave Ramsey would have us eloquently note, WE’RE DEBT FREE!!!!!

It is a magnificent achievement. Few railroad clubs in the country have this comfort. Rather than living under the constant threat of eviction or losing a lease on a building…, rather than being a coffee-clatch group sitting in a library someplace spouting pipe dreams of what we could do if only …, rather than wondering where our next dime will come from…, we now own 12 ˝ acres of land with potential rail access, a 50 x 100 foot building, an operating Alco S2 locomotive, numerous examples of prototype rolling stock, a custom-designed layout that is well underway, a continuing custom car sales program, and many other items too numerous to mention.

Eighteen and a half years seems like a long time, and I guess it is, but being one of those that was there at the beginning, it seems only a short time ago Carter Osborne, Virgil Doyle, Tommy Morris and I met at the I-Hop on I-40 and Western one evening in February of 1990 and discussed how we might restart a model railroad club in Amarillo. The previous club we belonged to disbanded in 1988. The four of us knew that the main reason previous model railroad clubs in Amarillo failed was a lack of vision and poor finances. We were determined not to let this happen again! And it worked!

We've come a long way, but it seems like we're just beginning. For those how might want to understand a bit better how we go here, the following button will take you to a pdf that describes our first ten years; from the origin to the purchase of the land.

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Our Philosophy
The Amarillo Railroad Museum, Inc. is founded upon the idea that the incredible history of the Texas Panhandle cannot be told without telling the story of the railroads. Indeed, the growth and development of this vast, arid region could not have occurred without the railroads first crossing it. It is a story of greed, misdeeds, intrique, and shady business dealings. In other words, mankind at his best! Follow this link for an interesting history of the growth of the Texas Panhandle railroads, written by Bob Burton, and as published by the Santa Fe Railroad Historical and Modeling Society at their website, www.atsfrr.com!

A Branch Line Comes of Age - Part 1

ARM Finances
The Amarillo Railroad Museum, Inc. is a Texas non-profit corporation qualified under United States tax code section 501(c)3 as an charitable organization focused on education. Our mission is to educate the public as to the incredible impact railroads have had, and continue to have, on the development of the Texas Panhandle. We achieve our mission through full sized railroad equipment displays, interpertative trails, model railroading illustrating the Texas Panhandle, oral history preservation, and maintaining a library of film and books related to railroading and its history. Though a small organization, and growing, our future is assured by our ownership of our 12 acre land, our new 5,000 square foot building, and our throughly researched and developed model rail car sales. In particular, the model rail car sales help us achieve our educational goals, as each car is unique modeled, extremely accurate, and are representations of specific actual railroad equipment that operated in specific times and places.

The day to day operations of the Amarillo Railroad Museum, Inc. are financed by dues paid by members. The basic monthly dues are $25 per member. Student members pay $10 per month. Family membership is $30 per month and Internet membership (non-voting)is $20 per year.

The larger portion of the ARM finances are related to the sales of our model rail cars. The cars are integral to our educational purpose, and the ARM attempts to bring four or five new cars to the model railroad marketplace each year. Usually each run of model rail cars will generate sufficient funds to pay for itself and its marketing, and leave the ARM additional funds that are devoted to developing our full sized railroad displays, the interpretative trails, and the historically accurate model railroad that represents the Santa Fe Railroad crossing of the Texas Panhandle from Canadian, Texas, to Clovis, New Mexico, in the 1950's.

A third, but extremely important source of funding, is donations. As a charity recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, the Amarillo Railroad Museum, Inc. is able to provide tax deductions to those who donate money or things to us. The ARM cannot provide values for the things donated to us, but we can provide the donor with a letter acknowledging the donation that is suitable for providing to the IRS. Any donation you value at more than $250 must be acknowledged by the ARM to be deductible, and any donation you value at more than $5,000 should be appraised by an appraiser of your choice at your expense. Appraisal expenses are not part of the donation value, but may be deducted as an incidental expense.

The ARM welcomes your donations, and will work to help make your donation valuable to you. We welcome, of course, items related to railroading, such as watches, timetables, uniforms, railcars, and the like. Additionally, we would love your donations of your automobiles, airplanes, stocks or bonds, insurance policies, or other financial assets. Your donations of equipment, inventory, office supplies, and the like are also very much welcome!

The ARM will be pleased to work with your financial adviser to set up charitable remainder trusts or other financial planning to maximize your estate value to your heirs. Please contact us for more information!

E-Mail Us For More Information On Finances, Donations, or Estate Planning

Our Goals and The Future
The Amarillo Railroad Museum, Inc. is not a static, staid box of dusty yesterdays. It is a dynamic, growing parade of fun, interesting, and educational challenges! And you can (and SHOULD!) be a part of it!

The goals are threefold: One, to educate the public about railroads, the Texas Panhandle, and the important economic issues surrounding both. Two, to illustrate historic railroading through preservation of artifacts, oral history, and model railroading. And, three, to develop our land and buildings for the use of the public, to make a small oasis in the parched Amarillo area, where one can rest soul and body, learn, and rejuvenate.

The first goal, that of education, comes with giving new access to children and adults alike to railroading. Being able to not only see, but touch, experience in every way: that is learning at its best! Our future will include school tours, changing displays, and ties to our corporate friends and neighbors for resources, displays, and financial support.

Our second goal will be met through the development of a complete train of display equipment, including locomotive, boxcars, tankcars, cabooses, etc. Our first display is on site: a former Bureau of Mines helium transport car! This car is historically interesting in that Amarillo was the only helium depository in the US, and the history of helium tracks not only the history of toy balloons, but of warfare, the atomic age, and now our leap to the stars! Future cars should include a carbon black car, oil tankcars, chemical cars, beef refrigerators, and their accessories. Additionally, the ARM is working with Pantex to display the famous "White Train" nuclear weapon transportation train. All of these rail exhibits will prove to be interesting and educational.

The third focus, that being developing a quiet spot in the Panhandle where people can rest and renew is also underway. Included in our plans are interpretative trails where people can walk, picnic, and perhaps even camp if on the road. Additionally, a feature we call "Trainhenge" will be a solar and seasonal observatory with a decidedly railroad theme! An outdoor, "ride-on" railway is planned, as are flower gardens, native plant displays, and places to just sit and think!