DeQuincy Railroad Museum

The DeQuincy Railroad Museum is a non-profit corporation established in 1974 whose mission is to acquire, preserve, and display railroad artifacts of a bygone era and to heighten public awareness of the role of the railroad industry in our area as well the region, State of Louisiana, and country. Housed in the 1923 Kansas City Southern Depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum has on display a large and varied collection of railroad memorabilia, including a restored 1913 steam locomotive, a 1947 passenger coach and two vintage cabooses. Also on display are many model trains and an extensive collection of Gauge 1 model steam and diesel engines.

The museum is housed in the 1923 Kansas City Southern Railroad Depot which has been exquisitely restored to its former grandeur. The depot is one of the most outstanding examples of the Mission Revival style of architecture in the South. The facility includes meeting rooms for public functions and may be rented for private events as well.

The depot and museum serve as our town’s only public link with our past and enriches the lives of our area citizens as well as visitors from far and wide. We encourage school groups to visit to share our educational material on display.

The Kansas City Southern Railroad Depot, built in 1923, is our city's most prominent and recognizable historic building and is located in the DeQuincy Historic District. Its architectural style is Mission Revival and the depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are two passenger waiting rooms, a central agent/ticket office, a baggage room, and an open veranda on the bottom floor. The upstairs rooms were originally used as offices for dispatchers and railroad company officials.

Throughout the year, our larger waiting room is used by local nonprofit organizations for meetings and events and is also available for rent for private functions. On the museum grounds you will find a 1913 steam locomotive, two vintage cabooses, and a 1945 Pullman passenger coach. An outdoor stage, a covered picnic area, playground equipment, and restrooms are conveniently located here.

The DeQuincy Railroad Museum Board of Directors is pleased to announce the display of an extensive collection of model steam and diesel engines at the 1923 Kansas City Southern depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located in downtown DeQuincy. The invaluable collection was donated to the DeQuincy Railroad Museum in August 2006.

In addition to the permanent display at the museum, there are also items displayed at the DeQuincy City Hall, the DeQuincy branch of the Calcasieu Parish Library, and two local banks, City Savings Bank and Chase Bank. The items displayed at the banks will alternate and will rotate in the future to Cameron State Bank and Capital One Bank, also in DeQuincy.

The engines on display are exceptional in their detail and craftsmanship. Manufactured by Samhongsa Co Ltd, Row & Co, Adler, and Markin, they are made of high quality brass and contain the standard electric motors associated with toys, but are scale museum-quality models of actual steam and diesel engines. The scale is referred to as Gauge 1, which is similar to G scale, and runs on G scale track, but each is constructed to the exact specifications of their prototypes.

Most of these were produced in the 1970’s and 1980’s and very few Gauge 1’s are produced today because of the level of workmanship and the associated costs of their production making these exceptional examples of the art of model making. Each of these engines have special wood and brass cases finished like fine furniture and dense foam interiors to protect the models. These models represent some of the largest and most popular trains of the twentieth century. (Blaine Miller)

Beginning with a design concept by former DeQuincy resident Frank F. Douglas of the Douglas Group in Houston, the planning and execution of the display has evolved over several months. Blaine Miller, Assistant Director of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, has directed and overseen the technical aspects of the project with the assistance of Gary W. Cooper and Harry Methvin. The display is presented with state-of-the-art museum quality signage and lighting in a large antique wall cabinet donated to the museum several years ago by Candace W. Cooper in memory of her late father, Jake Willrich. Funding for the project has been provided by the City of DeQuincy.

The depot and museum are located at 400 Lake Charles Avenue in the historic downtown area. Admission is free but donations are welcomed. Without the support of our mayor and city council, and our visitors, we could not continue to operate. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. For further information or to confirm hours please call 337-786-2823. The museum's full mailing address is 400 Lake Charles Avenue, DeQuincy, Louisiana 70633. For more information about the DeQuincy Railroad Museum please click here.

Also, for more information and reading about excursion trains and railroad museums you might want to consider picking up Tourist Trains Guidebook from the editors of Kalmbach Publishing's Trains magazine. The book lists and reviews over 400 excursions and museums found throughout the country and is an excellent resource if you're looking for one to visit. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

All of the above information is courtesy of the DeQuincy Railroad Museum and its president, Gary W. Cooper. My many thanks to him and the museum for allowing it to be featured here.