Last updated: 7/7/2011
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Address
100 South 4th StreetFort Smith, AR 72901

Hours

May 1 to October 31
Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
November 1 - April 30
Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Bradley Martin
phone: 479-783-0205
Art B Martin MD
phone: 479-783-1237
Henry Moore
phone: 479-783-0205
David Kerr
phone: 479-783-0205
Becky Meyers
phone: 479-783-0205
e-mail:
Mission

The Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association is dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of electric powered streetcars, railroad equipment, transportation and other technology that existed during this period in history, and to providing a unique educational experience to the visiting public.

We operate a 1926 Briney safety car that operated in Fort Smith from 1926- 1933. Our story is the history of public transportation not only in Fort Smith but over 1,000 USA cities. We have a mural designed by John Bell. Jr depicking the history from 1883 to 1933. We have City Busses representing the history from 1933 t6o the early 1970s.

Our second restoration the Hot Springs Street railway 50 is almost completed. It is a 1904 double truck wooden car. Visitors will be able to ride it soon.

We have on display at the museum the Frisco 4003 steam engion, Cabooses, Mkt Pasenger car and other Rail equipment.

Our big non restoration project now is the expansion of our library and archives. We intend for it to becom an important research tool for all historical forms of transportion and other technology of the period such as radios, automobiles, gas engines and tractors, also early machinery. Most local libraries do not keep this information.

History

The Fort Smith Streetcar restoration Association Inc was founded in 1979 to restore Fort Smith Streetcars. In !985 the Museum building was built. In 1991 the museum statred offering Rides on an original Fort Smith Light and Traction company Briney Safety car on 3 blocks of track bordering the Fort Smith Historical site and by the Fort Smith Museum of History in downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Today the museum has 3/4 miles of track running from Garrison Avenue to the Fort Smith national Cemetery.

We have added a 6,000 f00t building to store rubber tired vehicles unrestored Streetcar bodies and other machinery, A machine shop was added to the Car barn and we have a 4,000 sq ft building being adaptively redone for a Library and Archive.

Artifact Collections

Our main collection is the Streetcars. We have one operational, one nearly completed and 3 awaiting restoration. Our collection also includes The Frisco 4003 Steam locomotive, MKT passenger car, 3 cabooses, 3 box cars, one diesel and 2 gas mechanical locomotives, 6 motor cars and other track equipment.

The museum's collection also includes a large collection of Railway Memorabilia.

Research Collections

Currently we have approximately 2000 books and serials related to railways. Approximately 30,000 photos from early steam engines to recent rail equipment.

Our collection also includes several collections such a Charles winters research on the Fort Smith and Western RR and the Fort Smith Light and Traction. There are employee's personal collections of papers about there career.

Library
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: Yes
Publications

Trolley Report is the museum's quarterly newsletter.
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

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