The Northwest Railway Museum broke ground on its new exhibit building Wednesday, Aug. 5. Construction is expected to go through January 2010.

“They have an ambitious, aggressive schedule, but they should be able to meet it,” said museum director Richard Anderson.

The museum hopes to have limited exhibits installed by August 2010, with more being added through 2011, he said.

The 25,000-square-foot building will house half of the museum’s extensive collection of vintage locomotives and railroad cars, and other artifacts.

The $4 million project is the second of several buildings planned for the museum’s Stone Quarry Road campus. Over $2.8 million has already been secured, according to Anderson.

The museum recently received a $62,000 grant for the building from the North American Railway Foundation.