By Railfan & Railroad Staff

NASHVILLE — The Nashville Steam Preservation Society, Inc. is asking for donations after the shop building where they are restoring Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway 4-8-4 576 was heavily damaged in a storm on Thursday.

Storms battered Middle Tennessee on Thursday, bringing wind speeds up to 65 miles per hour, hail and a possible tornado, the Tennessean reports. Minor injuries were reported in the area. The storm partially destroyed the Tennessee Central Railway Museum shop where 576 is being restored, leaving the locomotive, tools and other equipment exposed to the elements. Although images shared by Nashville Steam show a large part of the roof collapsed onto the locomotive, it’s unclear if there was significant damage to it. 

“In order to rapidly recover from this loss, we’re asking for donations to repair the building and replace damaged equipment while we work with our insurance provider and assess further damage,” the group wrote on Friday morning. 

Visit Nashville Steam’s website to learn how you can donate to the recovery effort.