Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Trainparty.com, La Plata, MO

Dignitaries, Speakers and Guests at the Ribbon Cutting

Photo Credit: Andy Smith	Photo Credit: Andy Smith
Brock Robinson sang the National Anthem beautifully. Harold Marshall followed with a Invocation.	Ray Ivy, La Plata City Administrator was Master of Ceremonies.

Mayor Larry Herron Jeff Kocar, President of the Amtrak Historical Society and Amtrak Conductor (Above right) Kathy Chinn (right) Missouri State Representative from the La Plata area. >>
<>Jeff Kocar, Pres. Amtrak Historical Society and Amtrak Manager from Wilmington, DE. <>	Lisa Kigar, Esecutive Director of the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce.

Linda Mohan, Executive Director of the Macon Chamber of Commerce.	Ray Burns, TrainWeb.com and TrainParty.com
Tom Marshall, Depot Inn & Suites, announced plans for the Rail Resort.

California and Local Attendees

Richard Hamilton of Let's Talk Trains Internet Radio, broadcast the event live for 3 hours back to the station in San Diego, California! He interviewed all the speakers and special guests. Steve Grande has a link to Richard's Show at TrainWeb.com (under What's New). Steve also has a link to the local TV interview which ran as the top story on the evening news on the Kirkville station.

There was not time for me to be interviewed by Richard, but if I had been, I would have said:

The originators of TrainWeb.com, TrainParty.com, and the Depot Inn & Suites all exemplify the movement from

Involvement to Commitment. Bacon and Eggs are the best example of Involvement and Commitment. With Bacon and Eggs, The Chicken is Involved, The Pig is Committed!

(I'll use this again when Richard Interviews me on Let's Talk Trains back in California, January 6, 2007. See link on the last page of this report to Let's Talk Trains)

Richard and I took the same Southwest Chief from Fullerton to La Plata and back home, and it was sure enjoyable getting to know him and to chat on a casual basis. He's a talented communications engineer, as all his listeners will atest, and a great guy with a great sense of humor and a vast knowledge of his field of expertise, the railroad industry.

TrainWeb.com partner, Shivam, holding his and Kvanti's daughter, Khushi.	Amtrak memorabelia filled the wall in the large meeting room and many shelves in the warehouse.
Steve Grande, black hat and shirt above, one of the 4 TrainWeb.com partners, a man of few spoken words, but many written words is a major player in the history of TrainWeb.com	Chris Guenzler (standing left) and Richard Elgenson (standing, green shirt) both from California, took photographs for TrainWeb.coom

Barbara's mother and father. Father is reading Steve's "History of TrainWeb" which he provided at each table.	There was standing room only. I counted over 40 people standing in the total of about 100 people in attendance.

The local La Plata Preservation group was represented and John Rhein gave welcoming remarks.	Local caterers had prepared tasty food for all.
	The folks on the right side of the table were California Guests associated with TrainWeb.com or Steve Grande's Train Travel Meetup group.

Those on the right side of the table are from California, on the left are La Plata Folks.
	Richard Elgenson, from So. California, "Surveying the situation."

Ron and Jeam Poteet, La Plata, preservation workers and Depot Inn construction observers!

Barbara Prochnow, La Plata, above left.

TrainParty.com Building includes the Amtrak Historical Society materials.


It was glad to see "Preston" again, on a poster for the Coast Starlight with it's famous Parlour Car for Sleeping Car Passengers.	I was glad to see this poster among the historical items. The last and only time I've seen it before was in Grand Junction, CO, Amtrak Depot.

Ray Burns gave Richard, Tessie, and me a tour inside and out. The original use of the building was a fertilizer storage building with a rail siding (right) and elevator (below) for moving the product into the building from the top. Looks like a good trainwatching spot to me! Steve will probably put a Rail Cam up there!*

*Sure enough, before I had this report written, Steve, Ray, and Shivam had placed a web cam on this tower, and now you can see pictures from this spot at: http://www.railcams.com/laplata/laplata-webcams.html

On the west side is a loading dock (the speakers above are inside with this door as the background), the TrainWeb.com logo sign, and the TrainParty.com logo sign.	I like the red/white/blue building colors, just like the US flag flying in the cold winter wind.
Tyena of D-Zines by T brought by two fresh wreaths for the TrainParty open house. She does great work and is at 222 N. Brown St., La Plata, MO 63549, 606-332-7636	The wall of Amtrak Memorabelia was easier to see before and after the Ribbon Cutting.

The 10th Anniversary of TrainWeb.com, December 9, 2006.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the new TrainParty.com Building

California and Local Attendees

TrainParty.com Building includes the Amtrak Historical Society materials.