Mike Abernathy, a former Amtrak employee, has a great deal of love for the historic train travel and the train cars used during the glory day.
As a part of his labor of love, he began the restoration of the Silver View Domed Viewing car. It took to the rails in 1946 and carried passengers in first class luxury for thirty years.
Abernathy lives in St. Charles Illinois and needed to travel to Iowa to do the restoration work. He now needed help to realize his dream and three years ago, the journey from Iowa to Oregon Illinois began.
Now this attraction is in Oregon and Saturday night, members of the Depot Museum invited the public to come and take a look at this beauty of a by gone era. Abernathy said he may be bias, but Amtrak of today has nothing to compare to the car that once was.
The Viewing Car is nearly empty of furnishing and needs a great deal of work. Roger Cane of the Depot Board said they would be looking for grants and donations to do the work. However, the goal of the night was to bring awareness to the community of the new attraction.
David Head of the Board also stated they have already had people asking what they can do to help restore the car. The goal is to have the work completed in two to three years.
