Who We Are

American Southwestern
Railway Association, Inc.

About the Association

The American Southwestern Railway Association, Incorporated (ASRA) is a volunteer-staffed, non-profit educational organization, with tax-exempt status under IRS section 501(c)(3). ASRA was formed in 1982 for the purpose of preserving the history of American railroading and to help make that history available to the general public. The Association has been active in collecting and preserving railroad artifacts since its founding and from time to time provides those artifacts for special exhibitions. ASRA is especially proud of a five-month exhibit it mounted in 1984 at the Central Library of Dallas, Texas and of several recent exhibits at the Travel Town Museum in Los Angeles.

With the beginning of "The Little Nugget" Restoration Project in 1988, ASRA has devoted the majority of its energy to projects and activities at the Travel Town Museum. However, ASRA was also a major participant in the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal in May 1989, for which it mounted an exhibit of historical artifacts relating to the past eras of railroading in Los Angeles. The Association also participated in the interpretive exhibits at California State Railroad Museum's RAILFAIR '91 in Sacramento.

The ASRA is a membership organization and eagerly invites new associates to JOIN, as either working volunteers or armchair supporters. See "Be a Part" for Associateship and Volunteer Information.

Our principal educational project...
RAIL HERITAGE SOUTHWEST

Rail Heritage Southwest is a series of interpretive educational exhibits, currently being developed by the American Southwestern Railway Association for the Travel Town Railroad Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibits will focus on the historic significance of rail passenger travel in America during the first half of the Twentieth Century, offering museum visitors a unique study of the social, economic and scientific trends which helped our country to develop during this period. The exhibit will incorporate four to five pieces of full-size railroad rolling stock from the Museum's collection together with related historic artifacts, photographs, documents and explanatory text. The completed exhibit is to be housed in a new Interpretive Center, planned for construction at the Travel Town complex in Los Angeles' Griffith Park.

The Rail Heritage Southwest project is the antithesis of the ASRA and its organizational goals. We look forward to working on the project - not only as a fulfillment of the objectives of the Association, but also as an encouragement to ourselves, and others, to expand those objectives and advance further into the railroad historic preservation movement. We are proud to be doing our part to make the Los Angeles community a better place to live and visit.

Contacting the ASRA

For general questions and comments click here.

Gregory C. Gneier, President
Nancy Gneier, Development Director
Michael D. Marquette, V.P./Webmaster
Brad H. Slosar, Restoration Director
American Southwestern Railway Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 39846
Los Angeles, CA 90039

(323) 668-0104