Some Keller residents are livid that a vintage passenger railroad car that Old Town merchants had hoped to restore was instead partly dismantled for salvage during Memorial Day weekend.
On Tuesday afternoon, those residents stood guard over the old Rock Island Railroad car, which is owned by the Old Town Keller Merchants Association, saying that they're willing to go to jail to prevent further scrapping and that they plan to seek a court injunction to stop it.The 55,000-pound vehicle was bought and moved to Keller this year at a total cost of $18,000, proceeds from five years worth of Crawfish Krawl festivals in the city.The goal among supporters was to restore the car and turn it into a train observation area where people could relax and watch the busy adjacent Union Pacific line that runs through town.But more recently, another group of business operators within the merchants association has called the old car an eyesore, saying it would be too expensive to restore and advocating scrapping it.That group authorized the salvage work that took place over the holiday weekend."We have been railroaded in Keller," said Terry Thomas, who owns Memories and Treasures Antique Mall in Keller."Over the weekend, somebody came out and decided to start cutting it up."But Edward Kirkwood, a Keller insurance agent and president of the merchants association, said the decision to scrap the rail car was reached by a vote during a meeting in May. A majority of members, he said, believed that restoring the car wasn't a wise use of funds."It's obvious this car has already been scrapped," Kirkwood said. "It's an eyesore. It's a hazard."A contractor was hired to remove metal and other parts from the car, Kirkwood said.The work was done over the holiday weekend simply because that's when the contractor could do it, he said.Kirkwood said the contractor, whom he didn't identify, intends to complete the scrap work, although he didn't know precisely when.Association riftOn Tuesday afternoon, restoration advocates showed visitors pictures of the car before contractors entered it over the weekend and began tearing it apart.They said ceiling fan motors had been taken, metal chunks had been removed -- apparently with industrial tools -- and ductwork had been ripped out.The group that favors restoration posted fliers on the rail car's windows warning others not to enter and saying they will seek a cease-and-desist order to prevent further salvaging.They said Kirkwood took advantage of a lightly attended merchants association meeting May 7 and broke a 4-4 tie by voting for scrapping the rail car. They said Kirkwood didn't give the entire association proper notice that the vote would take place, and they also questioned whether Kirkwood had paid his association dues on time to legally cast his tie-breaking vote.But the leadership of the merchants association is even now in question. Thomas and association Secretary Pat Fisher said Kirkwood was removed as president during an emergency meeting Monday night. They said Vice President Mike Lloyd was voted in as new president. But on Tuesday, Kirkwood maintained that he is still president, saying that only he could call such a meeting.'It's a shame'This year, Keller authorized the merchants association to display the rail car on city land along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks a block west of Main Street -- also known as U.S. 377 or Denton Highway. That part of Keller is a popular evening and weekend destination, with restaurants, bars and other retailers creating a bit of a parking shortage.Some members of the merchants association have talked about the need for additional parking near the tracks.But the city has also supported promoting Keller's railroad history and has gone along with the merchants association's plans to create a train-watching area along the line.The city owns a diesel locomotive and two other rail cars that are displayed on the same spur as the scrapped rail car.On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Pat McGrail toured the scrapped car and shook his head."It's a shame to destroy a vintage car," McGrail said. "We can't allow the city to be in the middle of this. But if nothing else, if this car can't be restored here, it needs to be sold and relocated, not destroyed."Gordon Dickson, 817-390-7796Twitter: @gdicksonHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
