The Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum

The Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum, located in the Northern Pacific Railway’s beautiful former Wallace, Idaho depot, houses a small collection of railroad artifacts related to the local area and that of the railroads which operated there. It is not a large museum but for anyone interested in history and or railroads a visit should very much be in order if you have a chance. Perhaps what the museum is most well known for is its annual Depot Days event, which celebrates transportation and is highlighted by a car show.

The Northern Pacific Railway was the first of the three major Northwestern railroads to begin construction. Unlike many other railroads the Northern Pacific did not change names numerous times throughout its existence and would likewise never acquire numerous other smaller roads to form its system. Perhaps what the railroad is best remembered for is its Ying Yang herald and its distinguished flagship passenger train, the North Coast Limited, which used a beautiful two-tone green livery.

Being that Hill held such an influence over the three railroads, including the jointly owned Seattle, Portland & Spokane, the Northern Pacific likely was destined to be merged with the other two roads at some point. The railroads tried for decades to merge but were blocked numerous times by the ICC, mostly citing monopoly issues as the reason. It took until 1970 when the ICC finally granted permission to do so (partly because the Milwaukee Road consented after years of trying to block the merger) forming the then Burlington Northern.

The Wallace depot was styled in the chateau design and was actually constructed of brick shipped all of the way from China. Finished around the turn of the century it played host to passenger trains for years and after services ended it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places while still owned by then Burlington Northern. Since then the building has been completely restored and is actually a very popular attraction to the local area.

So, for those in classic/appealing cars you may want to plan a trip to the event! Also, if you are interested in biking and/or the Milwaukee Road, very close by is part of the former Pacific Extension turned into a rail/trail, Route of the Hiawatha.

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, which has received superb reviews by readers, if you're looking for one to visit. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.