The Western Michigan Society for Industrial Heritage's (WMSIH) Handicap Railcar Project will equip a railcar with an onboard handicap platform lift, a handicap accessible restroom, and wheelchair tie downs. The railcar will be operated on the family friendly Coopersville & Marne (C&M) Railway attraction based in Coopersville, Michigan.

The ALL Aboard Campaign is a fundraising effort to raise the money necessary to renovate a historic Pullman Sleeper and equip it with a platform lift and necessary equipment to make it suitable for wheelchair-bound and semi-ambulatory individuals who cannot board the train using the steep, narrow stairways found on the historic railcars of the C&M.

The WMSIH has received a $35,000 challenge grant from the Meijer Corporation and a $25,000 grant from the Steelcase Foundation. These generous grants and matching donations bring us to 90% of the budgeted project total of $125,000. These grants require us to raise the final $11,000 by the end of October 2008.

Your help is necessary to meet these grant requirements. You can help by donating directly to the project (donations are tax deductible), providing in-kind services and/or materials, or connecting us with foundations to which we can make a donation request.

Please call (616-997-7387), write (PO Box 273, Coopersville, MI 49404) or e-mail us with information or donations towards this project. All donations including in-kind services will receive a receipt for tax reporting purposes.

The completion of this railcar will enable anyone who is unable to negotiate the steep stairs and narrow hallways of the C&M to enjoy this family-friendly recreational outlet with their families and friends. The C&M Railway operates April through December with theme trains such as the spring Bunny Train, Memorial Day Troop Train, Great Train Robbery, Pumpkin Train and Santa Train as well as twice daily excursion trains on wednesdays and weekends throughout the summer. The C&M is also availabe for school, tour group and special event charter groups. For more on the C&M Railway visit their website at www.coopersvilleandmarne.org.

The Western Michigan Society for Industrial Heritage (WMSIH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to making recreational railroading in Western Michigan accessible to disabled residents and visitors. For more information on the Industrial Heritage Society visit our web page at www.coopersville.com/industrialheritage.