Plans for the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum are chugging along.

The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, a nonprofit group of about 200 to 300 community members, recently released a design for the museum. It will be housed in the historic Southern Pacific Freight Warehouse, which was built in 1894. That's the same year the railroad came to the city.

The arrival of the railroad is widely credited with bringing growth and prosperity to what was then a relatively small town.

During the first phase of rehabilitation, set to begin early next year, the building will be stabilized, the roof patched and a new foundation put in, said Peggy Mandeville, the city's transportation associate. The final two phases will take care of replacing some of the wood siding and installing a new roof, fire sprinklers, ramps for disabled access and a restroom.

It will cost an estimated $1.4 million to complete the entire project. So it could be several years before the group raises enough money to make the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum a reality.
When the renovation is complete, the building will house exhibits and artifacts, including historic locomotives and a motorized section car that visitors can ride.