It all started with making a new sign…
It is amazing how ideas are born. The museum wanted to put a new sign close to the street advertising the trolley museum. It was decided to use a small work crew flat car from the Frisco railroad. Though this flat car is a museum artifact, it had been sitting unused in waist tall weeds for 20 years.
After much deliberation, measuring, and planning, it was obvious the little flat car would not produce the desired results the museum volunteers wanted. Compounding this was the parking situation on the site of the current museum sign that had arisen with employees of Central Records.
Chris Spain, a museum volunteer, welder, and metal fabricator suggested we build a miniature streetcar. Hours of welding, grinding, and painting have produced an eight foot long, five foot wide, and six foot tall miniature streetcar that will seat four adults or six children. The car has a wood roof covered in canvas, wood seats, and a metal floor.
It is a static display, and will sit outside on museum property next to the Fort Smith National Historic site. This site was chosen because railroad tracks were uncovered that were part of the Frisco railroad siding that came to Fort Smith. These tracks are approximately 100 years old and will fit in with the historical mission of the museum. The streetcar is complete, and is awaiting on installation of the trolley museum sign that will be on the roof.
