The National New York Central Railroad Museum, in partnership with the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, invites the public to save the date for an Open House on Saturday, September 13, to learn more about the future of Elkhart’s railroad museum collection and the museum's role as a feature attraction in the neighborhood.

Hosted at the museum’s campus, the event will highlight the new strategic partnership with the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society aimed at developing a long-term vision for the museum’s rolling stock collection and the collaborative restoration of New York Central steam locomotive No. 3001.

As part of this process, the museum is undertaking a careful review of its outdoor equipment collection and will begin implementing a formal deaccession policy, not to remove all equipment, but to responsibly identify items that no longer align with the museum’s mission or fall outside the scope of available resources due to deterioration. Items with limited interpretive value, duplication, or poor structural condition may be made available to qualified preservation entities through a public request and evaluation process. A list of equipment on the property is available by clicking here.

This initiative aligns with the broader community development vision for the Benham neighborhood, where the museum is located. As part of the University of Notre Dame’s 2023 Dean’s Charrette, the museum was identified as a catalytic space for neighborhood revitalization — transforming from a static collection of deteriorating artifacts into an engaging public space and destination for rail history.

2:00 PM – Opening Remarks
2:10 PM – Strategic Plan for Museum
2:20 PM – Equipment Tour, Deaccession Plan, and Approach 
2:45 – New York Central 3001 Update
3:00 – Q&A and Community Input