While we are always glad to thank all donors to the Museum, many of them often have good reasons to remain anonymous, and we are always careful to get approval for publicizing their contributions. Hence the occasional delay. And so:
On behalf of the Museum, we must offer our heartfelt thanks to John Horachek for donating North Shore car 172 to IRM. He has been one of the greatest North Shore enthusiasts of all time, and has made too many contributions to the preservation of North Shore history to list. Back in 1963, he organized the acquisition and distribution of the cars and other artifacts to museums and individuals. He arranged to purchase some of the cars himself and then donated them to IRM. In the early years, he was very active at the Museum and served as an editor of Rail and Wire, among other things, before moving out of the area.
After moving to Indiana, he was very active at IMOTAC for a long time. He retained ownership of the 172 and did the restoration and maintenance work. And over the years, he has published many magazine articles and other writings dealing with all aspects of the North Shore, including personal memories and anecdotes of every sort.
In an early Rail & Wire article it mentions that the North Shore cars were donated to the Museum with the proviso that no sort of memorial plaque or sign would be installed in the cars to identify him. While I'm sure we'll continue this policy with the 172, all of us at IRM are most grateful for John Horachek's long record of contributions to the documentation and preservation of electric railroad history.
After moving to Indiana, he was very active at IMOTAC for a long time. He retained ownership of the 172 and did the restoration and maintenance work. And over the years, he has published many magazine articles and other writings dealing with all aspects of the North Shore, including personal memories and anecdotes of every sort.
In an early Rail & Wire article it mentions that the North Shore cars were donated to the Museum with the proviso that no sort of memorial plaque or sign would be installed in the cars to identify him. While I'm sure we'll continue this policy with the 172, all of us at IRM are most grateful for John Horachek's long record of contributions to the documentation and preservation of electric railroad history.
1 comment:
I understand Mr. Horachek's wishes to not have his name affixed to a plaque or sign inside the NSL cars he helped save which ended up at IRM. Would be nice to give him credit for helping save the cars. Perhaps a sign in the appropriate display barn by a display track or two that holds NSL cars that Mr. Horachek saved/donated to IRM? Such a sign can also mention Mr. Horachek's NSL employment and later writings about same to emphasize the point on how loyal NSL employees were. Doing it this way gives Mr. Horachek recognition while not doing so in the cars themselves in accordance with his wishes.
Robert - an IRM member
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