The 1854 railroad passenger depot in Batavia that was converted into a museum in the 1970s will host some special visitors this month as the Burlington Route Historical Society tour opens its new railroad memorabilia exhibit for the 150th anniversary of the Aurora Branch Railroad.
Several hundred people are expected to attend the society’s annual convention, being held in conjunction with the celebration.
The free Depot Museum has completed the first stage of a two-year project to create a permanent exhibit about Batavia’s connection to rail transportation, built from items donated by the late Jerry Ruble, a resident and museum volunteer.
Among those items is a message loop used by train personnel while the train was in motion. Another item is a special punch used in the early years to show when someone had boarded the train at Batavia.
Also on display will be a handmade wood cart used for moving large items, a luggage cart, a glass fire extinguisher, train schedules and photographs.
The public and convention participants are invited to view the exhibit from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Depot Museum, Houston and Water Streets, downtown Batavia.