Archives & Research

The Interurban Railway Museum's Johnnie J. Myers Transportation Research Center contains photographs, books, documents, artifacts, and oral histories relating to electric train transportation, with a focus on North Central Texas during the 1908-1948 timeframe. Our archives also include a large book and magazine collection about early trolley and train systems across the United States.

 Johnnie J. Myers has worked in transportation for most of his career, including as Assistant Vice President of Bus Operations at DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit). During his career, he amassed a large collection of information on railway systems and over 40,000 photographs. He donated most of these photographs to the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano. In May of 2008, the Museum dedicated the Johnnie J. Myers Transportation Research Center to house his collection.

In addition to collecting materials relating to electric railway systems, Johnnie J. Myers restores electric rail cars as a hobby. In the 1980s Myers worked to restore Historic Car 360, originally built in 1911, in order to install it outside of the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano, Texas.

The Johnnie J. Myers Transportation Research Center welcomes professional researchers, students from local colleges and universities, and other interested individuals by appointment only.  We also support research by organizations from cities and towns located along the former routes of the Texas Electric Railway. 

We have an extensive collection, which continues to grow. In order to share it with a larger audience, online access is now available with additional items becoming accessible each week.  

The Johnnie J. Myers Transportation Research Center collections are not restricted, and photos are available for reproduction. 

Below is a list of research collections and aids that are primarily available to users only in the museum. 

Need more information? Want to schedule a research appointment? Do you have archival materials collecting dust and you don't know what to do with them? You're in luck! Cheryl can help you with all of your archival needs.

Email:  chsmith@plano.gov 

Phone: 972-941-2117