Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car to Visit Milan

Educating and entertaining audiences of all ages with a nod to the company’s heritage on its 30th anniversary and with new displays showcasing the benefits of rail freight transportation, Milan will be one of 15 stops on Norfolk Southern’s “Exhibit Car” tour across 10 states. The car will visit Milan on Aug. 4 as part of the Milan Summer Fest.  It will sit near the Hack House in the 800 block of County Street, and be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Milan's Mayor Pro-Tem, Michael Armitage is excited for the display in Milan.

"As a train enthusiast, this is really exciting. Norfolk Southern, as well as the Ann Arbor Railroad, are important to our local economy here in Milan," Armitage said. "It will be exciting to see the displays and the train locomotive simulator inside the car."

The Exhibit Car is a restored 1926 Pullman passenger car that was converted to a mobile museum in 1971. In its 41 years of service as a display car, it has traveled to hundreds of cities across Norfolk Southern’s railway system and has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people.

Among new features for the 2012 tour is a display featuring the company’s heritage locomotives. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Norfolk Southern this year, the company is rolling out 20 locomotives painted in the color schemes of some of its most prominent predecessor companies. The Exhibit Car displays models of the locomotives, along with historical information about each railroad and a flat-screen monitor showing images of the real locomotives.

Also new in the car: a game, community focus, and a photo booth. The game, Load the Line, challenges players to match freight products with the correct type of rail car in a race against time. The community area displays images and information about Norfolk Southern’s employee volunteer program and its sustainability and safety initiatives, all demonstrating the company’s commitment to the communities it serves. Visitors to the car can view Explore the Line to learn about how Norfolk Southern benefits local communities and creates jobs; and through Protect the Line, they can find out how to keep the rails safe. The photo booth takes four quick pictures of guests against a train backdrop and emails the photos. An electronic guestbook allows visitors to comment about their favorite display.

The 2012 improvements complete a two-year upgrade to the Exhibit Car to enhance the experience for guests. The work was done at Norfolk Southern’s Juniata Shops at Altoona, Pa., one of the largest railroad mechanical complexes in the world.

Everyone’s favorite display—the locomotive simulator—remains in the car, complete with throttle, brake, and horn putting guests in control of a virtual freight train.

The Exhibit Car’s first appearance this year was at Chicago May 12 for National Train Day. The car will tour through December .