Fundraising getting on track for Avon Lake's in-progress Beach Park Railway Museum

AVON LAKE — A new museum under construction in Avon Lake's Beach Park Station plaza is hoping to bring more supporters on board as it enters the thick of the fundraising process this weekend. The Beach Park Railway Museum, just southwest of Tailgators Sports Bar in the plaza, will display the largest collection of items related to the Lake Shore Electric Railway anywhere when it opens to the public, according to Avon Lake Historical Society President Tony Tomanek. "We don't have a lot of cars, but we have the largest collection in the world of ephemera and artifacts for the Lake Shore Electric Railway," he said. Currently, the museum's public opening is targeted for next summer. Many of the historical items displayed there have been accumulated through the years by Avon Lake resident Tom Patton. The Avon Lake Historical Society is the "umbrella organization" over the museum, but it is a separate not-for-profit organization, Tomanek said. An interurban system connecting Cleveland to Toledo with many stops in between, the Lake Shore Electric Railway was formed in 1901 and ran until 1938, when advancements in automotive technology and other economic factors led to its end. Tomanek said more than 1 million people would pass through Avon Lake each year on the railway, helping to shape the city into what it has become today. Before the museum can be finished, a large amount of money needs to be raised to cover construction, maintenance and staffing costs. Tomanek said the sum is expected to be in the area of $500,000. A "Meet the Museum" event is planned at 7 p.m. Saturday in the museum at 33501 Lake Road to attract interest in contributing funds. Entry costs $50 per person, and a cash bar, music and desserts will be available. More information and tickets are available at heritageavonlake.org. The idea behind the event is that potential donors should be able to see what they would be contributing toward, Tomanek said. "Nobody knows what is even built out. We keep saying we're going to raise money for the museum, but nobody's ever seen it," he said. When guests first enter the museum, they will feel like they are in a train station because of a ticket counter and replica of an authentic Lake Shore Electric Railway schedule. Although the part of Beach Park Station that houses the museum was added on later and formerly was a bowling alley, the plaza began its life as a stop on the railway. Some of the displays that have been prepared in advance for Saturday's event include a miniature model of the area with a moving train model, historical photos and cases full of items actually used on the railway, from lanterns to sinks to pieces of operator uniforms. A simulator lets guests get behind the controls of a virtual interurban car as it passes through the area, using a throttle and brake to interact with the display. At one point, the user must stop the virtual car when a cow meanders across the tracks. "I don't want people coming in here and just looking at old stuff. I want people participating in it, and we can help educate," Tomanek said. "We can partner with the schools, we can have young kids come in." He said the team working on building the museum wants to create an experience that people will want to come back to, instead of visiting just once. One part of the collection that is not yet on display is the final interurban car to run on the railway. It is still in need of extensive restoration, and the goal is to eventually build a roof over it so it can be enjoyed outdoors. With the upcoming redevelopment of the GenOn power plant site very near the Beach Park Station plaza, Tomanek said the museum will be in a great position to receive visitors from far beyond Avon Lake. "If we can make this museum an attraction, this becomes a historic district, so to speak," he said. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.