In the Spring of 2015, grants were approved for the following organizations/projects:

• Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, $15,000 for repair and maintenance of their former Sacramento Northern demonstration railroad infrastructure.
• Engine 557 Restoration Company, $10,000 for restoration of Alaska Railroad steam locomotive 557.
• Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, $10,000 for upgrades and restoration to four of their passenger cars.
• Mid Continent Railway Museum, $10,000 to help purchase a new boiler for Chicago & North Western locomotive 1385.
• New England Electric Railway Historical Society, $20,000 for restoration of three North Shore Line interurban cars including the only remaining dining car, number 415. John was a big North Shore Line enthusiast and rode it regularly.
• New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Historical Society, $25,000 to help with completion of work to restore Santa Fe locomotive 2926.
• North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation, $38,400 for restoration of former New Haven railroad Pullman-built 6 double-bedroom sleeper buffet lounge car Pine Tree State to meet Amtrak operational standards. John frequently rode on this car on High Iron Travel excursions and occasionally accompanied the car when it was being moved from point to point for excursions.
• Washington DC NRHS Chapter, $4,000 for interior upgrades to their Pullman car Dover Harbor.
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, $10,000 for upgrades to former Southern Railway Pullman-built heavyweight Dining Car 3158.
• The Northwest Railway Museum, $10,000 for restoration of former Northern Pacific steam locomotive 924.
• White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation (Nevada Northern Railroad), $10,000 for upgrades and maintenance of their passenger cars.

In addition to these challenge grants, each of the three advisory committee members are allowed to make $1,000 donations to any charity of their choosing under the terms of the Trust. The members chose to give an additional $1,000 to the North Carolina Transportation Museum and the Washington DC NRHS Chapter for the projects identified above, and $500 was given to both the New York Museum of Transportation and the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum for track work projects.

• February 17, 2015 $1800.00 awarded to the Fire Up 611 campaign of Roanoke, Virginia.

Congratulations to all the groups who received a grant and the best of luck as they continue to preserve our railroad heritage!