Welcome to the Collection: A Historic Gift Honoring a Longtime Friend

We are honored to announce the newest addition to our permanent collection at End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum — a piece that, while new to our official records, has been a familiar presence in our engine house for nearly 40 years.

In 1986, James Malecki generously loaned us his Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Velocipede, a rare and fascinating example of early railroad maintenance equipment. Though it was never formally accessioned into our collection, it found a home here — quietly standing as a symbol of James’ deep love of railroading and our shared history.

This past fall, we were saddened to hear of James’ passing. His wife, Sharon, reached out soon after with a touching message: James would have wanted his velocipede to remain at End-O-Line, permanently. After months of heartfelt correspondence, Sharon formally gifted the velocipede to our collection, with just one request — that we add a plaque honoring James near the display.

We are proud to fulfill that request, and even prouder to preserve and share this piece of history with future generations. This gift means more than just acquiring a rare artifact — it’s a tribute to a man whose passion for railroads helped shape our story.

To Sharon: thank you for entrusting us with this piece of James’ legacy. And to James: your love of history lives on in every visitor who pauses to admire your gift.

Welcome home, velocipede. You’re officially here to stay.