Railroad Museum in Union, Illinois

[Everydaymatters]

I live just a few miles from the Railroad Museum in Union, Illinois and wondered if any of you have ever had the chance to visit it. I haven't been there for a couple of years, but it is run by an all-volunteer staff and is open only during the summer. Nice place to visit.

What are some other Railroad Museums around the country?

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Here are two:

Palatka Florida

http://www.railsofpalatka.org/index/photos/

Parrish Florida

The Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum, Inc.

http://www.fgcrrm.org/

 

[MrFSS]

Indiana Museum in Noblesville, IN (N of Indy) has some nice stuff, pictures HERE.

The California Museum in Sacramento is one of the big ones in the country. Pictures HERE.

And, the Tennessee Valley Museum in Chattanooga has a nice collection. Pictures HERE.

My pictures of the Illinois Rail Museum are HERE.

 

[GP35]

Galveston RR museum

http://www.galvestonrrmuseum.com/

Houston RR museum

http://www.kingswayrc.com/gcst/

Anyone visiting Illinios RR museum, get some pictures of 2-10-2 Engine 975 for me. If I ever win the lotto, I'm buying that engine and fully restoring it.

 

[user 683]

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

 

[AKA]

Mad River RR museum. Bellview Ohio.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Durham Western Heritage Musuem in Omaha NE. Since I have gotten the "train bug" in the last year, its a place I want to fuel up the car and go check out. Amtrak serves OMA (Omaha) as well if anyone ever travels through.

 

[Rafi]

I'll second the B&O Railroad Museum; the roundhouse has to be seen to be believed, and it's where my wedding reception is being held on October 14.

I'll submit the Ellicott Mills Station, located in Ellicott City, MD, as well. It's the oldest railroad station in the country, it's where our railroads began (literally), and it's a fantastic little museum in pristine condition.

A B&O tour isn't complete without going to both (only about 30 mins apart), as they are the original terminuses of the railroad; it's a real shame that CSX won't allow weekend excursions between the two.

-Rafi

 

[Guest_Gingee_*]

We have a Wheels of Time Museum in Peoria. It is a volunteer museum also.

 

[SouthernServesTheSouth]

The Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia has a many types of locomotives. Both the "J" 611 and the 1218 are on display there. You can step into the cab of the 611 and there are several passenger cars attached that you can tour. Vist their web site www.vmt.org for additional information.

 

[rile42]

There is a New York Central museum in Elkart, Indiana. I seem to recall seeing it on my many trips on the LSL and CL between Cleveland and Chicago.

 

[JayPea]

I live in the state of Washington but just returned from visiting my uncle and aunt who live near Champaign, IL. While there my uncle and I took the 3 hour trip to Union to the museum. Not having visited any other railroad museums, I have no basis for comparison but the trip to Union was well worth it. There are plans to begin a railroad museum about 90 miles from where I live, as there are many vintage cars and engines now being stored at the Spokane Fairgrounds that have to be moved from there. There are tentative plans to begin a railroad museum about 25 miles from Spokane. Hopefully they will be able to go through with it.

 

[DaveKCMO]

union station in kansas city has a new rail exhibit that is small, but growing. info can be found here: KC Rail Experience

 

[JayPea]

union station in kansas city has a new rail exhibit that is small, but growing. info can be found here: KC Rail Experience

Speaking of KC's Union Station, a large part of my return from Illinois to Washington was via the Southwest Chief. The 45-minute or so service stop at Kansas City allowed me to take a look inside Union Station. What beautiful architecture! My uncle went with me to Los Angeles, and as we were making our way into Union Station, a man and woman who were Kansas City natives told us that Union Station may be shut down due to lack of funding. I sure hope that's not true. It would be a shame to lose such a treasure.

 

[MichiganFoamer]

I will vouch for the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI: http://www.nationalrrmuseum.org/

And if you ever make it up to the Great White North, I highly recommend the Canadian Railway Museum near Montreal: http://www.exporail.org/

Don't forget to see the Alleghany @ the Henry Ford Museum (along with LOTS of other great stuff): http://www.hfmgv.org/museum/transportation/allegheny.asp

Haven't been to Union yet, but want to go there in the worst way. Must get there some weekend when the Electroliner is running!

 

[Gimeno Lippman]

Yes, I was just at the museum in Union in mid July. Very nice. My 5 year old son and I enjoyed it as a side trip while railfanning at Rochelle, Il. Folks were very friendly there. Enjoyed the whole trip. stayed at the Super 8 in Rochelle. One of the nicest cleanest Super 8s I have ever been in.