(The Associated Press circulated the following story on January 11.)
ROANOKE, Va. — More than 1,000 people braved frigid temperatures Saturday for the opening of a museum devoted to the works of legendary steam train photographer O. Winston Link.
The crowd jammed the lobby of the newly renovated Norfolk & Western Railway station at midmorning to hear speakers hail the Link museum as a milestone for the Roanoke Valley.
“Isn’t this a great day for the Roanoke Valley?” asked U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Roanoke, before Norfolk Southern Corp. Chairman David Goode officially opened the museum door. The railroad has been the biggest contributor to the museum, with individual and corporate donations of more than $700,000.
The opening brought together Link enthusiasts, rail buffs, government officials, Miss Virginia Nancy Redd and the just-curious in an early crush that threatened to overwhelm the modestly sized museum.
Museum officials, who hope to pay operating costs through earned revenue, were ecstatic about the first day’s take–more than $1,600 in admissions by 3 p.m., with another $3,000 in gift shop sales.
Visitors marveled at the largest exhibition of Link photographs in the world: 270 prints, as well as interactive exhibits, railroad artifacts and Link’s personal effects.