Railroad Museum

[USS ALASKA]

B&O Railroad Museum

http://www.borail.org/

"The Civil War was the first major conflict where railroads played a prominent role, and the B&O was the major line that straddled a divided country. Between April 19, 1861 (The Baltimore Riot of 1861), and April 21, 1865 (Lincoln's funeral train leaving Baltimore for Illinois), the B&O stood as witness and participant in the greatest conflict the United States has ever faced. The story that the B&O Railroad Museum can tell better than any other organization on earth is the story of how railroads and railroaders shaped the course of American history during pivotal moments of the conflict."

http://www.borail.org/Civil-War.aspx

"The museum houses collections of 19th- and 20th-century artifacts related to America's railroads. The collection includes 250 pieces of railroad rolling stock, 15,000 artifacts, 5,000 cubic feet (140 m3) of archival material, four significant 19th-century buildings, including the historic roundhouse, and a mile of track, considered the most historic mile of railroad track in the United States. Train rides are offered on the mile of track on Wednesday through Sunday from April through December and weekends in January. In 2002, the museum had 160,000 visitors annually."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26O_Railroad_Museum

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USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

"The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania educates the public regarding the Commonwealth's rich railroad history, discovering the relevance of railroads in building the nation and the role of today's railroads in our lives."

https://rrmuseumpa.org/

"The museum has more than 100 historic locomotives and railroad cars that chronicle American railroad history. An interactive display allows visitors to "take the throttle" on a simulated run in a real freight locomotive, climb aboard a caboose, inspect a 62-ton locomotive from underneath, view restoration activities via closed-circuit television, enjoy interactive educational programs, and more."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_Museum_of_Pennsylvania

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USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Steamtown National Historic Site

https://www.nps.gov/stea/index.htm

"Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on 62.48 acres (25.3 ha) in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). The museum is built around a working turntable and a roundhouse that are largely replications of the original DL&W facilities; the roundhouse, for example, was reconstructed from remnants of a 1932 structure. The site also features several original outbuildings dated between 1899 and 1902. All the buildings on the site are listed with the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Yard-Dickson Manufacturing Co. Site."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamtown_National_Historic_Site

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Strasburg Rail Road

"Strasburg Rail Road is America's oldest operating railroad with a charter dating back to June 9, 1832. First used for passenger and freight transportation, the short line limped along for more than a century until in 1958, on the verge of abandonment, the railroad was salvaged and given new life as a tourist railroad.

When you visit Strasburg Rail Road, the first thing you can expect is an authentic experience of a real steam railroad. The locomotives and passenger cars, (known as "rolling stock") are not replicas, and our staff members are not reenactors. Strasburg Rail Road has five working steam locomotives and 19 operating passenger cars, including our President's Car, First-Class Parlor Car and our Dining Car. All equipment is restored and maintained on-site in our Mechanical Shop."

https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/

"The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the western hemisphere and the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road continues to operate under its original charter and original name (Strasburg Rail Road Company). Located just outside of the town of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, the railroad is a heritage railroad offering excursion trains, hauled by steam locomotives, through the heart of world-famous Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Strasburg currently has five (5) serviceable historic steam locomotives (Canadian National 7312, Canadian National 89, Great Western 90, N&W 475, Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15 (rebuilt as Thomas the Tank Engine) on its roster and has the nation's largest fleet of historic wooden passenger coaches in operation. The Strasburg Rail Road is also one of the few railroads in the United States to occasionally use steam locomotives to haul revenue freight trains. It hosts 300,000 visitors per year.

Across the street from the Strasburg Rail Road is the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. The Strasburg Rail Road serves as the Museum's physical rail connection to the Amtrak Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line junction in Paradise, Pennsylvania."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasburg_Rail_Road

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USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Georgia State Railroad Museum

"This National Historic Landmark site, formerly named the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, is the oldest and largest existing nineteenth-century railroad operations complex in the nation. Construction began in 1850. Thirteen of the original structures remain today. The Central of Georgia Railway handled freight, passengers, maintenance, and manufacturing at this single location."

http://railga.com/oddend/roundhouse.html

"The Central of Georgia Railroad: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities is a 33.2-acre (134,000 m2) National Historic Landmark District in Savannah, Georgia. It is dominated by the Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed, and was constructed in 1853 by the Central of Georgia Railway (CofG) before the outbreak of the American Civil War. This pair of buildings was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, a listing which was expanded in 1978 to include additional buildings described here.

The Georgia State Railroad Museum (formerly called the "Roundhouse Railroad Museum") of the Central of Georgia Railway (CG) in Savannah, Georgia. The complex is considered the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States. The museum, located at 655 Louisville Road, is part of a historic district included in the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic railroad structures at the Georgia State Railroad Museum site include a partial roundhouse with operating turntable, partial machine shop, Tender Frame Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Boiler House, Storehouse & Print Shop, Lumber and Planning Sheds, Coach and Paint Shops, and a partial Carpentry Shop which now houses Savannah Children's Museum. Many of these structures are open for visitors to explore.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_of_Georgia_Railroad:_Savannah_Shops_and_Terminal_Facilities

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Pat Young]

Steamtown and the B&O museums are great.

 

[Jimklag]

Steamtown and the B&O museums are great.

I am ashamed to say that I have been to neither of those fine museums. They have been added to the bucket list.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Steamtown and the B&O museums are great.

I am ashamed to say that I have been to neither of those fine museums. They have been added to the bucket list.

Beware the B & O Museum - you can get lost in things to do in the area. Inner Harbor, Fort McHenry (something or other about a song they play at sporting events...), the Museum of Industry, the Science Center, the USS Constellation, the National Aquarium, USCG Chesapeake, a great Children's Museum, the Poe House and Museum, the Irish Shrine and Railroad Workers Museum...just lots and lots of lots and lots. If you want to include anything within an hours drive...you could spend a month there.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Pat Young]

I am ashamed to say that I have been to neither of those fine museums. They have been added to the bucket list.

Steamtown was one of my kid's favorite places to visit. We stayed at the old train station which was also the HQ for the DLW railroad. Nearby is a coal mine museum which has an excellent tour. All in Scranton Pa.

 

[pamc153PA]

I've been to Steamtown, B&O, Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, and Strasburg Railroad, all thanks to my son's steam train obsession. I've been to each one several times, and I think Steamtown and the PA RR Museum are my favorites. Both are well-designed, and well-maintained, and are pretty close to where we live. The B&O is the one that has the biggest CW exhibit, and there are a lot of things to do nearby, like Inner Harbor.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

"Welcome to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, the official railroad museum of the state of Alabama! We're located just south of Birmingham in Calera, Alabama. Our museum features operating standard gauge and narrow gauge trains, two restored depots, an indoor collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia, and an outdoor collection of railroad cars, locomotives, and cabooses.

The museum is dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historically significant railway equipment. Our exhibits, operating railroads, and educational programs function as both a unique means of tourism and recreation, and also a way to preserve the rich history of Alabama and our nation."

https://www.hodrrm.org/default.cfm

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum (initialised HOD, reporting mark HODX) is the official state railroad museum of Alabama. Dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historically significant railway equipment, the museum is located at 1919 Ninth Street, Calera, Alabama, on I-65 approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of Birmingham.

The museum features a wide range of locomotives, cars and other railroad equipment that dates from the 19th century to the 1950s and operates regularly scheduled excursions with museum equipment over the museum's track. It also features two depots that are approximately 100 years old.

The museum operates a heritage railroad that offers two excursion trains every Saturday from March - December. It also operates excursions on special dates such as Halloween and Christmas. The standard gauge train operates with a diesel locomotive on a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) section of the former Alabama Mineral Railroad, a division of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The museum offers visitors the opportunity to ride in the cab of the locomotive and in a caboose in addition to the enclosed and open-air passenger cars.

Additionally, the museum operates a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge live steam engine locomotive and passenger cars on a one-quarter-mile (0.4 km) long loop. This train served the nearby Birmingham Zoo for many years before being placed into operation at the museum.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Dixie_Railroad_Museum

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Reading Railroad Heritage Museum

'The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, located in Hamburg, PA, is owned and operated by the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the Reading Railroad. Open to the public since 2008, the Museum tells the story of the Reading Railroad, one of the world's largest corporations, made even more famous by the game of MONOPOLY. Outdoor tours feature historic Reading Railroad locomotives and freight and passenger cars. Indoors, view a video entitled "The Reading Railroad Shaped Communities," a re-created station agent's office, exhibits interpreting the contributions of the Reading Railroad to the business, technological, cultural, and social fabric of the region, and seasonally changing exhibits on a variety of railroad subjects. Children can ride an outdoor, hand-powered miniature railroad. '

http://www.hamburgpa.org/business/the-reading-railroad-heritage-museum/

"In July 1863, a Philadelphia & Reading Railroad official sent a telegram advising the home office that Confederate forces under Gen. Robert E. Lee were advancing on Gettysburg.

In turn, railroad officials marshaled a plan that put trains on the ready in Harrisburg if the state capital needed to be evacuated.

The historic incident is chronicled in an exhibit at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg."

http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=279449

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Railroaders Memorial Museum

http://www.railroadcity.com/

"The Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum is dedicated to revealing, interpreting, commemorating and celebrating the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry. The museum also operates the visitor center at Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site.

Altoona is one of the hubs of the area's tourist industry. Many significant cultural resources are within the city itself, and most of these resources are linked directly to the city's long history as a railroad center. Altoona is in a section of southwestern Pennsylvania that is home to a number of significant cultural and historic resources. The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site, Staple Bend Tunnel, and the historic iron furnace at Mt. Etna are all within 25 miles (40 km) of Altoona.

For more than a century, Altoona was one of the most important rail facilities in the United States. The city was home to the Altoona Works, the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) repair and maintenance shops, locomotive construction facility, and test department. Altoona's location at the foot of the Allegheny front and its proximity to the Horseshoe Curve route over the mountains made the city a key location in the PRR's Altoona operations.

PRR's contribution to the nation's transportation infrastructure, and to production standardization, marks it as one of the most important contributors to America's industrial revolution. By the 1920s, the Altoona railroad works employed 15,000 workers; by 1945 the PRR's facilities at Altoona had become the world's largest rail shop complex."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroaders_Memorial_Museum

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USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Western Maryland Railway Historical Society Museum

http://www.westernmarylandrhs.com/index.php

"The Western Maryland Railway Historical Society is one of the few organizations of its kind to own and operate its own museum. This affords members and the public alike the unique opportunity to enjoy and study our collection to its best advantage. It also serves as a focal point for Society activities and events.

The Museum complex houses our extensive collection of WM artifacts and memorabilia, a voluminous photo archive, archival material directly from the Western Maryland Railway, and an extensive railroader's library featuring historical and technical publications about the WM and other roads of the region. Major exhibits include the caller's boards from Hagerstown, Md., and Ridgeley, W.Va., and the CTC panel for most of the Lurgan Subdivision."

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USS ALASKA

 

[Southern Unionist]

The California State Railroad Museum has some of America's best preserved and restored 4-4-0 and similar variant steam locomotives, including 2-6-0 and 4-2-0. They have more climate-controlled exhibit space than most rail museums, keeping their most valuable items in an ideal storage environment. Larger and newer engines sometimes operate for short distances outdoors. It's only a few blocks from Sacramento's old west town.

https://www.californiarailroad.museum/

Also, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC houses more historic locomotives than you might expect, but they are scattered among various buildings. As a whole, it's a nice collection. All are indoors.

The South Carolina State Museum in Columbia has an exact replica of the engine Best Friend of Charleston along with its train, one of the first operational trains in the US. The same room houses a cutaway replica of the Confederate submarine Hunley.

http://scmuseum.org/

 

[mofederal]

 

[mofederal]

http://transportmuseumassociation.org/

The official museum site. I don't know much about the museum anymore. It was been a long time since I have been there. The last time was in the 1980's. the actual site gives a more detailed information on it's holdings and other information on it.

 

[USS ALASKA]

National Railroad Museum

Our Mission Statement

" Our mission is to inspire lifelong learning by providing dynamic educational opportunities through the preservation of railroad objects, engaging exhibits and innovative programs."

http://nationalrrmuseum.org/

'The National Railroad Museum (reporting mark NRMX) is a railroad museum located in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, in suburban Green Bay.

Founded in 1956, by community volunteers in Green Bay, the National Railroad Museum is one of the oldest institutions in the United States dedicated to preserving and interpreting the nation's railroad history. Throughout its history, patron contributions have continued to create one of the largest railroad preservation institutions in the United States.

The National Railroad Museum has a large collection of rolling stock and spanning more than a century of railroading and a number of historic locomotives, including an Aerotrain, Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4017 (One of the world's largest steam locomotive types), and British Railways Class A4 No. 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower (ex-London & North Eastern Railway No. 4496 Golden Shuttle) and train used by the Supreme Allied Commander and his staff in the United Kingdom and continental Europe during World War II.

In addition to the rolling stock, there is a museum building housing a wide variety of railroad artifacts, an archive, and photography gallery. There is also a standard gauge track around the perimeter of the grounds. There is also an 80-foot (24 m) high wooden observation tower with views of the river and Green Bay. The museum hosts an annual Day Out with Thomas event, where Thomas the Tank Engine pulls young friends past the exhibited rolling stock."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railroad_Museum

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USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Southeastern Railway Museum

"The Southeastern Railway Museum occupies a 35-acre site in Duluth, Georgia, in northeast suburban Atlanta. In operation since 1970, the Southeastern Railway Museum features about 90 items of rolling stock including historic Pullman cars and classic steam locomotives. Museum hours vary seasonally, and more information (directions, street address, hours, admission) is available on the plan your visit page.

Ride in restored cabooses behind restored antique diesel locomotives, stand next to the massive driving wheels of the locomotive that once pulled passenger trains to Key West on the "railroad that went to sea," tour the business car that helped bring the Olympics to Atlanta, pose on the platform of the private car once used by President Warren G. Harding, and see just how green Southern Railway green can be as you walk the length of the diesel-electric locomotive that ran the point on the last Crescent before AMTRAK assumed control of the famous train.

The Museum is owned by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and operated by a community based board as a separate 501(c)3 organization. The Museum does not receive operating funds from any government agency, and operates based on donations, the support of sponsors, and gate receipts.

Mission
The mission of the Southeastern Railway Museum is to provide an educational atmosphere that will vividly bring to life the cultural, technological and historical importance of transportation to our region. This is accomplished through the preservation, conservation and display of publications, memorabilia and equipment; operation of historic equipment; and the portrayal of the lives of those people who created and provided that transportation."

https://www.train-museum.org

"The Southeastern Railway Museum (initialised SRM, AAR code SMRX) is a railroad museum located in Duluth, Georgia, in suburban Atlanta.

The museum was founded in 1970 by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. There are over 90 pieces of rolling stock exhibited on the 30-acre (12 ha) site. In 2000, the museum was given the title of being Georgia's official transportation history museum, and the collection of exhibits continues to diversify to reflect this.

In addition to the rolling stock there is a wide variety of railroad artifacts and an extensive archive. The grounds also contain the restored 1871 Duluth passenger train depot, a G16/Park train ride, and a model railroad housed in Building 1. Visitors can also take a brief train ride on restored cabooses over track which runs the length of the property."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_Railway_Museum

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[1950lemans]

For a small state Connecticut has three active railroad museums. Unfortunately none of them deal with the Civil War period but rather with the 1890-WW I steam era and the booming WW II era. All trace their "ancestry" to the New Haven Railroad which came into existence in the 1870s.

Two of the museums are based in western CT towards NY. During the CW, this area wasn't even farmland IIRC. CW industry was the Hartford-New Haven area eastwards towards Rhode Island. Transportation of goods was done mostly by coastal boats and a few small coastal RRs.

Here's an interesting angle to a railroad museum - "The Chocolate Decadence Tour for 2018". Railroad Museum of New England. Wine and chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate on a choo-choo.
http://www.rmne.org/chocolate-decadence-tour/