Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 15 Second excerpt from the July Coffee with the Mayor So what is this donation? It is a route 66 model train array that has been painstakingly assembled over the year by Chicago resident John Ruh. The working model train travels over track and through backdrops and landscapes that depict all eight states where Route 66 passes through. Welch said the attention to detail is remarkable as is the size of the array, which takes up Ruhs entire basement. You can get a peek of the train set through this YouTube video. Route 66 Large Model Railroad RR Lionel O Scale Gauge Train Layout of John Ruh & his amazing trains Welch said that Ruh decided about five years ago it was time to get out of the model train business and since then has been hoping to find someone who would take the train array in its entirety. McCoy found the train and set up the meeting, and Ruh has agreed to donate the train set he values at about $150,000 to the city of Lincoln. Welch said that the city council is on board with this and will this week be discussing the donation agreement that has been drafted for the acquisition of the array. McCoy took the opportunity to explain that in addition to Route 66, the Abraham Lincoln connection will be exploited in the new visitor center as well. McCoy is consulting with local Abraham Lincoln Historian Ron Keller on this topic. McCoy added that he has studied Route 66 all across America and Logan County has such a unique set of circumstances no other community can boast in its tying together of Abraham Lincoln and Route 66. McCoy said there is no other state or even community that can claim all this within its history, and it is invaluable. It also ties in nicely with the new train exhibit that will be the first major component of the new visitor center. [Nila Smith]
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