Railroad Museums, Preserving the PastRailroad museums are very interesting places, even if you do not hold a serious interest in railroading! For instance, if you ever had the slightest interest in trains they are excellent resource tools that will teach you a lot about the industry, particularly the subject upon which the museum is based (such as a former railroad company or a state’s railroading history).Railroad museums are also about the only place that we the public can get an up close and personal look at the equipment itself, from boxcars and cabooses to locomotives themselves; steam, diesel, and even the rare electric! Many times these museums will even allow you to look inside or visit the cabs of the locomotives to get a visual idea yourself of the instruments and equipment inside.
Railroad museums in general are very expensive to operate, particularly if they include a tourist train because of the overhead involved in just keeping the equipment maintained as well as restoring awaiting rolling stock that many times is in very poor condition because of years of neglect and exposure to the elements. For instance steam locomotives are extremely expensive to initially restore (usually costing millions and several years of volunteer effort), although they continue to return to life not only because of their historical significance but also because they always draw the largest crowds. There are a number of larger and more recognized museums across the country, which I will include in more detail in the links found below:
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum New York Museum of Transportation Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania North Carolina Transportation Museum Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum California State Railroad Museum Clovis Depot Model Train Museum Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Northern Pacific Railway Museum Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum For information on railroad museums not covered above please click here for a directory of museums and tourist railroads in your area. Also, for a guide to many of the operating historical societies in the country, which also keep alive the memory of not only a specific railroad but also railroading in general please click here.
Large or small railroad museums are great places to see and experience railroad history because not only to you get to actually touch things!, but in many cases, as mentioned before with live operating steam locomotives; you can hear and feel the true power of these machines (a very exhilarating experience, not matter how large or small the steamer might be!).
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