In this 26-minute presentation, John Pezzano — railfan and technology enthusiast — walks us through the custom digital archival system he designed and built for the Saluda Depot Museum in Saluda, NC. Using a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer running Linux, John created a low-cost, open-source solution that brings the museum's historic railroad collection to life for both staff and visitors.

The system stores photographs and detailed descriptions of museum artifacts, including donor information and the history of how and where each artifact was used. Three touchscreen displays — one in each museum room — allow visitors to search the entire collection or browse by room, making the archive as accessible as the museum itself.

Whether you're a museum professional looking for affordable archival solutions, a Raspberry Pi or Linux enthusiast, a railfan, or simply someone interested in how small nonprofits can leverage technology to preserve history, this presentation delivers practical, real-world insights.