About Us
OUR ORGANIZATION
We are a 501c3 recognized nonprofit organization wholly dedicated to Norfolk and Western Business Car 300.
The Norfolk and Western Business Car 300 Preservation Society Inc. was chartered as a nonprofit organization in the state of Michigan on May 20th, 2019.
We received our IRS 501c3 exemption on June 26th, 2019.
ABOUT 300
- Built by Pullman as Norfolk and Western #300 on June 12th, 1917.
- Modernized by the Roanoke Shops in September of 1955.
- Assigned the name "Roanoke" on October 15th, 1977.
- Deemed surplus and sold at auction in 1987.
- Rebuilt to Amtrak standards at Eastern Railcar in 1988.
- Placed into warehouse storage in 1991.
- Donated to our organization on October 9th, 2020.
- Mechanical and interior restoration completed in October of 2021.
- Exterior restoration completed in June of 2024.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bryan Lalevee
Founder & President
Bryan is a Locomotive Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the railroad industry. His railroad preservation journey started with Nickel Plate Business Car #1 at the Indiana Transportation Museum in the early 2000s. He has provided restoration consultation services to numerous nonprofit organizations since then.
Glenn Gould
Vice President
Glenn is a Theatrical Systems Engineer with over 22 years of experience in the theater industry. A chance meeting with the owner of the "Navy 118" Business Car in 2004 opened the door into the world of railroad passenger cars. Glenn has served as mechanic and on-board chef on the former Union Pacific car.
Travis Bloom
Secretary/Treasurer
To say that Travis has been around trains his entire life is an understatement. His Father founded the Little River Railroad in 1975. Travis is responsible for the railroad's day-to-day operations. He is a jack of all trades and posses a vast knowledge of locomotives, steam and diesel, as well as passenger cars.
SUPPORT TEAM
Nick Misch
Chief Mechanical Officer
Nick is a Master HVAC Technician for a large commercial refrigeration company. He can often be found tinkering with one of his two dozen tractors or vintage trucks. He is also the owner of CEC Farms.
J. David Ellison
Legal Counsel
David has been practicing law since 1988. He has 15 years of in-house counsel and executive management experience with both publicly-traded corporations and early-state / startup companies. This experience has included all aspects of legal affairs, regulatory compliance, corporate policy.
MAKE A DONATION
Our preservation efforts are funded entirely through memberships, ticket sales and especially grants and private donations. Each donation makes a tremendous impact!
BE A VOLUNTEER
Memberships strengthen the backbone of our organization and directly support the operation and preservation of 300.