Train cars removed from Stamper Park

LONGVIEW — The view at Stamper Park will soon change no longer include the scene of derailed train cars in Longview. According to a press brief from the city, the Longview Fire Department has maintained a training facility adjacent to the park, since the 1950’s. In the late 1990’s, the department added several rail cars to teach emergency response to a train derailment. The Fire Department has hosted numerous firefighters from around the United States at the unique facility. The train cars were moved to a new location on Friday morning as part of the 2018 voter approved bond package, which includes the development of a new Fire and Police Training Center and the renovation of Stamper Park.

Over the next year, Stamper Park is scheduled to receive a major overhaul. A new pavilion will replace the current one, the basketball courts will be moved, the football fields will be reconfigured, and a new concession stand will be built. In addition, Pecan Street, which currently cuts through the park, will be removed and converted into a pedestrian walkway between the athletic fields.