Welcome Lifetime Member -Mr. & Mrs. Jim Hobgood, Dekalb Regional Model Railroad Museum Owner

There are so many positive things happening within our organization right now. We at Meridian Rails Historical Society celebrated our official ‘1 year‘ birthday on December 1st, officially received the former Railway Express Agency Building as a donation from the City of Meridian in late November and raised over $11,000 on Giving Tuesday. To say that it has been a big month for us would be an understatement. We would like to celebrate all of this success by introducing you to one of the very people who have helped make this entire endeavor possible – Mr. Jim Hobgood.

As the owner of the Dekalb Regional Model Railroad Museum, Mr. Hobgood also serves on our board of advisors. Within the railroad preservation industry there are lots of different ‘interests’ — Jim Hobgood is one of the few railroad enthusiasts that enjoys all areas. As a kid Jim grew up watching trains pass by his childhood home in Marion, Mississippi. As Jim grew, so did that fascination. When watching the trains pass by wasn’t enough, he developed a love for traveling via train and traveling to new destinations to see trains (which he still enjoys doing to this day).

Pictured to the left: Photo of Mr. Hobgood on his most recent visit to Steamtown USA in Scranton, PA.

Photo courtesy of Jim Hobgood.

Jim's love for the rails really came full circle when he decided to begin model railroading. After a working in various positions for the State of Mississippi, formerly holding the title of 'Mayor of Marion, MS' and even serving as a state representative -- in his retirement, Mr. Hobgood made the decision to plant a seed of joy in the form of the Dekalb Regional Model Railroad Museum in the town he resides in with his beautiful wife, Mrs. Carolyn Botts Hobgood.

It is apparent that Jim has a vision of sharing something he loves with others and enjoys that seed (or in this case love of trains) spread and grow to others. Through Jim's participation with Meridian Rails Historical Society, he has spread (or reignited) that passion in the City of Meridian. This month Mr. Hobgood joined us as an official 'Lifetime Member' by making a generous contribution to our organization. We are forever grateful for the support he has provided us within the last year and all of the wisdom and history he brings to our group.

Photo above: Pictured from left to right - Mr. Bill Lowe, Mr. Brandon Harper, Mrs. Lucy Dormont, Dr. Richard Abney, Dr. James Purdy, Mr. Jim Hobgood & Mr. Tyler Caroll

Photo courtesy of Meridian Rails Historical Society

So, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hobgood, we strongly encourage you take the short drive to DeKalb Regional Model Railroad Museum located at 299 Main Avenue Dekalb, MS. The museum is open by appointment only. Appointments can be made by contacting Mr. Hobgood at 601-938-1729. You can also join us as we venture to Dekalb to celebrate the holidays with Jim at the Dekalb Regional Model Railroad Museum's Christmas Open House this upcoming Thursday, December 16th 2021 from 3:00pm-5:00pm.