We preserve and maintain artifacts for the enjoyment of our visitors.  Sometimes there is something that needs work done with outside assistance.  These are some examples of unique items for special attention.

Link-and-Pin Coupler: This was unearthed in the freight yard area and dates from before the 1870s, when the more familiar knuckle couplers were starting to be introduced.  It shows how cars were hooked together, along with hints about the dangers of standing between cars to drop the pin in place.  It's heavily rusted, but clearly shows the pin securing the link within the coupler boot.  Work would include trating the remaining iron to stabilize it agains future deterioration.

Casket Cart: This was used to offload caskets from baggage cars and move them to a funeral home or indoors for pickup.  Work is needed to prevent further deterioration, along with replicas of accessories and restoration painting.

Locomotive Whistle: This was ussed on the largest of the ACL mainline locomotives in the twilight of steam power.  The project would re-mount the whistle in Railroad Heritage Square, to sound a grade crossing signal once a day.  Never before heard in Wilmington, this would be an enduring echo of times past, when scores of trains arrived and departed each day.

If you have any questions about sponsoring one of these very distinctive projects, please click on CONTACT US on our main menu and send us your request.  We will get back to you within the next two days.