(rshsdepot) North Topeka, KS

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

From Wednesday's Topeka Capital-Journal.

Bernie Wagenblast
Transportation Communications Newsletter
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/

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Great Overland Station -- Rails vets

BNSF gift will greatly add to the significance of the station and an All 
Veterans Memorial

By The Capital-Journal editorial board

The Great Overland Station in North Topeka is a beautifully restored 
structure, a monument to the days when the railroad was the preferred mode 
of transportation for people traveling great distances.

The station, 701 N. Kansas Ave., is a wonderful tourist attraction for the 
city, and its visitor appeal soon will be enhanced by an All Veterans 
Memorial, which will be dedicated in June south of the station.

The 30-foot tall memorial will be a beauty, consisting of a sculptural flame 
and flags to honor all veterans. A fountain will create reflecting pools on 
each side of the memorial, and it will be surrounded by bricks that can be 
purchased by individuals to honor veterans.

"Being an all-veterans memorial, it means so much to me," said Jim 
Gravenstein, a member of the board of directors for the station "This is the 
ultimate of all memorials. It's for the past, the present and the future."

And, thanks to a $500,000 check from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe 
Foundation, the special bond between military veterans and the railroad will 
be accentuated. The foundation's gift will be used to construct a BNSF 
Railway Plaza, a broad walkway that will connect the memorial and the 
station

The plaza will feature flags from all 50 states, and each flag will have a 
plaque describing some of the state's history.

The railroad played a vital role in World Wars I and II.

"There has always been a strong connection between the military and the 
railroad because the troops were transported by rail in war," said Beth 
Fager, campaign director for the station. "We wanted a meaningful place for 
the memorial."

Said George Smallwood, an assistant vice president at BNSF Railway, "As an 
employee and a veteran, it makes me extra proud to be here."

The station, memorial and plaza will be something we all can be proud of. 

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1182
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org