Railroad museum gets new chief

There's a new engineer at the throttle at the Wilmington Railroad Museum.

Colette W. Anderson took over Dec. 1 as the museum's executive director, succeeding Mark Koenig, who is retiring after 11 years on the job.

A 27-year veteran of the New Hanover County school system, Anderson is a former assistant principal at Ashley High School. She spent four years in visitor services and education at the Cape Fear Museum and earned a certification in museum services.

"I'm a history buff, so this is a dream job for me," Anderson said. "It's still a form of education but it's fun, and there aren't any standardized tests."

Koenig, who has been with the railroad museum since 2007, is staying on for a while to ease the transition. He helped complete the museum's move from the old Atlantic Coast Line freight office into larger quarters in a nearby circa 1883 railroad warehouse. Attendance has grown from 15,000 visitors per year in 2006-07 to 25,000 in the last fiscal year.

"It's been very rewarding," Koenig said. "With the help of some great trustees, we've been able to expand what this museum does."

"His years with us have been extremely eventful," said the museum's board president, Tom Harris, "and we greatly appreciate the way that he has steered us for the past 11 years on the path of steady progress."

Harris said the trustees are planning a retirement party for Koenig on Jan. 13.

Founded in 1979, the museum preserves artifacts and memorabilia from the Atlantic Coast Line, the great north-south rail line that was headquartered in Wilmington from 1840 (when it was known as the Wilmington & Weldon) until 1960.

Among its displays are a 100-year-old steam engine, a box car and an Atlantic Coast Line caboose.

The museum also houses a number of model railroad layouts in a variety of gauges, prepared by dozens of museum volunteers. Their handiwork, Koenig said, represents more than 75,000 hours of work.

Some of that work went into the seasonal Christmas Train and Light Spectacular, decorated by thousands of holiday lights. Volunteers added a number of holiday touches, Anderson said, including an ice-skating rink and a Christmas tree farm. Applying the snow for the displays was the work of weeks, Anderson said.

The former director of a symphony orchestra in Wisconsin, Koenig says he is not leaving railroading. His retirement projects include a history of the Wilmington, Brunswick and Southern Railroad, which ran between Navassa and Southport between 1911 and 1941.

Reporter Ben Steelman can be reached at 910-616-1788 or Ben.Steelman@StarNewsOnline.com.

Want to go?

What: Polar Express Family Show

When: 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Dec. 15-16 and Dec. 22-23

Where: Wilmington Railroad Museum, 505 Nutt St.

Details: Reading of "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg by WWAY celebrities, plus hot chocolate and a visit with Santa. Tickets $5 (children younger than 2 free). All tickets must be reserved in advance; seating limited.

Information: 910-250-9255 or WRRM.org.

What: Christmas Train and Light Spectacular

When: 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 14-15, Dec. 21-22, Dec. 26 and Dec. 28-29

Details: Visit to illuminated model train layouts, decorated for the season. With a visit to Santa, cider, cookies, and plus toys for children while supplies last. Tickets $5 (children younger than 2 free).

Information: 910-250-9255 or WRRM.org.