For the second year in a row, the City of Tomball unveiled another attraction at its renovated Downtown Depot Plaza during a special ceremony Dec. 12 at the city’s monthly Second Saturday event.

Mayor Gretchen Fagan and Tomball officials revealed the Plaza’s second bronze statue, this one a life-sized train conductor located on the deck of the historic depot at the end of Market and Elm Street.

At left, a sculpture of a life-sized train conductor is the second statue to be erected at the Tomball Depot.

The conductor is the second sculpture in as many years to be erected at the Depot Plaza, following the introduction of a Thomas Ball statue last year. Both sculptures were created by Oklahoma artist Sandra Van Zandt.

In March, the Tomball City Council approved a $42,000 expenditure from Tomball Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) funds to pay for the sculpture. The Tomball EDC is funded by sales tax and money used by the corporation is utilized to create economic stimulus for the city.

The Tomball Rotary Club also donated money for the sculpture’s creation.

The conductor was designed holding a stop watch and with a “Tom Ball Texas Train Schedule” dated Dec. 2, 1907.

Van Zandt said the idea behind the sculpture was created mostly by members of the Tomball community and that she followed their direction.

“My philosophy is that it’s not about what I want, it’s about what the people it’s going to impact want,” she said.

Shortly after the unveiling of the Thomas Ball statue, Van Zandt was approached by city administrators about the possibility of adding a second statue. Fagan stated at the onset of the statue project that a goal of the Depot renovation may be to introduce several similar statues in the area.

“I knew even as we were done with the first one, plans were already in the works,” Van Zandt said. “I think it was already in their mind.”

The process for sculpting such a piece takes about “nine to 12 months,” Van Zandt said.

“I do a smaller version to make sure we all know what the township wants,” she said. “People have enough time to look at it and say ‘We like this, we like that.’”

The Thomas Ball statue has proven to be a popular attraction in its first year. During any given day, local residents can be seen sitting at the bench with the statue, or alongside it having their picture taken.

“The sculptures in the park lend so much interest to the community,” Van Zandt said.

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