New exhibits installed at depot

The progress at the Aiken Railroad Depot is chugging along as new exhibits were installed Wednesday.

The second level of the railroad depot serves as a museum with interactive displays that share the history of the railroads in the City of Aiken, Aiken County and South Carolina.

Storytelling phones and televisions that will show a variety of historic video have been placed along the powder blue walls on the second floor.

Panels containing photos and literature share a plethora of historic information.

The top of the walls are painted with an aerial view of the railroad from Charleston to the former town of Hamburg.

"The exhibits are wonderful, and I think folks will find them educational and entertaining to adults and youth alike," said All Aboard Chairman Tim Simmons.

Carol Poplin, senior project manager with the History Workshop located in Mt. Pleasant, was at the depot Wednesday installing the exhibits. She said it was exciting to see everything come together in the past year and a half that the workshop has been involved.

"This is the part we've been waiting for - to see if it all fits," she said.

Detailed dioramas depicting eight towns that the Southern Railroad passed through in 1916 sit behind glass cases.

The towns include Charleston, Summerville, St. George, Branchville, Denmark, Blackville, Aiken and Hamburg.

The dioramas were built by Custom Model Railroads located in Baltimore with the assistance of an Aiken Railroad Depot committee, which conducted research and studied photographs from 1916.

"The dioramas really are amazingly accurate," said Poplin. "I've been terribly impressed by the committee - how dedicated they are, how enthusiastic they are. They have been a pleasure to work with."

The dioramas took about two years to complete, and the train moves throughout each one. Poplin said that the dioramas will hopefully intrigue children and act as a visual learning tool.

Simmons said that the project's progress signifies more than 10 years of careful planning and hard work.

"It's a lot of satisfaction - a lot of folks have worked hard on this project," Simmons said. "It's great to see the visible signs of all that effort."

Stephen Delaney Hale, a publicity chairman of the depot, said that though the grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 18, the depot could open in about six weeks.

"We can't wait for the public to see it and see how it's an asset to the City of Aiken," he said.

If there isn't a chance for rain in the forecast, the painting of the railroad cars is scheduled for Friday. The cars will be painted green with "The City of Aiken" printed in gold lettering along the sides.

The estimated cost for the railroad depot is $2.2 million - more than $1 million has been raised by All Aboard, including donations and pledges from the private sector.

A total of $500,000 for the depot project was recently added by the City of Aiken to its list for the pending 1-Cent Sales Tax.

The railroad depot was structured around the blueprint of the original 1898 building. The lower level of the depot will house the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department's headquarters and visitor center.

Contact Amy Banton at abanton@aikenstandard.com