Louisiana Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide

Published: October 12, 2026

Louisiana’s railroad museums are a junction depot, a sawmill town, and a model-railroad club in an old school. DeQuincy keeps the 1923 Kansas City Southern station and the equipment parked beside it. Long Leaf, south of Alexandria, is the Crowell mill and the Red River & Gulf locomotives that served it. Jackson’s Old Hickory Train Museum is the Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders. The Louisiana Steam Train Association keeps Southern Pacific 2-8-2 No. 745 and is building that engine a new home at Garyville.

Southern Pacific 2-8-2 745 preserved at LASTA

Louisiana Steam Train Association's marquee piece is Southern Pacific 2-8-2 #745, which was operational until 2019 and currently being overhauled. LASTA photo.

The seasonal Polar Express at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, and any ride Long Leaf posts for its fall festival, are on the Louisiana scenic-train guide. American-Rails does not sell tickets. Confirm the doors before you drive.

On this page: At a glance · Louisiana railroads · DeQuincy · Long Leaf · Jackson · Southern Pacific 745 · Related reading

At a glance

Place	Town	What it is known for	Site
DeQuincy Railroad Museum	DeQuincy	1923 Kansas City Southern depot, Mission Revival. Museum from 1974. National Register September 22, 1983. A 1913 steam switcher, two cabooses, and a 1947 Pullman coach	dequincyrailroadmuseum1923.com · 400 Lake Charles Avenue
Southern Forest Heritage Museum	Long Leaf	Crowell sawmill town. Red River & Gulf, born 1905. Baldwin 4-6-0 No. 106 of 1923, Mogul No. 202 of 1913, and 4-6-0 No. 400. A one-mile loop behind motor car M-4	forestheritagemuseum.org · 77 Long Leaf Road
Old Hickory Train Museum	Jackson	Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders. Open houses on the second and fourth Saturdays. The narrow-gauge train is idle	dovetailstudio.com/trains · 3406 College Street
Louisiana Steam Train Association	Garyville	Southern Pacific Mk-5 2-8-2 No. 745, built 1921 at the Algiers Shops. Out of excursion service since 2019 for boiler work. A new home is under way at the Timbermill Museum	lasta.org

Louisiana railroads

The Pontchartrain Railroad was chartered in 1830 and opened in 1831, the first railroad chartered west of the Alleghenies. It connected a New Orleans suburb with Milneburg on Lake Pontchartrain. Mileage peaked at 5,223 in 1920. The 2020 figure is 2,971. The classic carriers were the Missouri Pacific, the Kansas City Southern, Southern Pacific’s Texas & New Orleans on the Sunset Route, the Texas & Pacific, and the Illinois Central. Union Pacific and Canadian National still use large parts of that map. The pine woods had their own railroads. The state account is the Louisiana railroads page, and the logging overview is here.

On a regular 2026 calendar the booked ride is the Polar Express at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, December 11 through December 31. That trip, and the short festival rides at Long Leaf, stay on the scenic guide.

DeQuincy

The Kansas City Southern completed its line through DeQuincy about 1897. The track forked there, one leg toward Lake Charles and the other toward Beaumont and Port Arthur. The wooden depot gave way in 1923 to a two-story Mission Revival station at 400 Lake Charles Avenue. The National Register listing is September 22, 1983, reference 83000494.

In 1974 the railroad gave the depot to the city, and the DeQuincy Railroad Museum has occupied it since. The waiting room, the agent’s office, and the baggage room interpret the junction. Outdoors, under a pavilion, are a 1913 steam switch engine, two cabooses, and a 1947 Pullman coach. Louisiana Railroad Days is held on the grounds on the second weekend in April. The collection is static.

Long Leaf

The Southern Forest Heritage Museum occupies the Crowell sawmill town at 77 Long Leaf Road, about three miles south of Forest Hill and south of Alexandria. The buildings are a National Register complex at the national level of significance. The Red River & Gulf was born in 1905 from the Crowell & Spencer log tram. It was the common carrier that connected the mills with the outside railroads, and the museum’s history gives its last revenue run as the night of March 26, 1953.

Three Crowell steam locomotives are on the grounds. No. 106 is a Baldwin 4-6-0 of 1923, the last engine bought for the Red River & Gulf. It is kept in the Car Knocker Shop, and a volunteer effort is under way to restore its appearance. No. 202 is a Baldwin 2-6-0 of 1913, built for Meridian Lumber and later lettered for Crowell, in the machine shop. No. 400 is a Baldwin 4-6-0 built for Crowell & Spencer. It made its last run in 1954 and stands outdoors. None of the three is an operating locomotive.

The museum runs a one-mile loop around the mill, trains as needed, generally with Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf motor car M-4. Passengers board at the commissary. The fall-festival date, and whether a ride is on sale, are on the scenic guide.

Jackson

The Old Hickory Train Museum is at 3406 College Street in Jackson, behind the Republic of West Florida museum, in the old Jackson High School. The Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders hold open houses on the second and fourth Saturdays. The layouts are the visit.

A narrow-gauge train on the grounds commemorates the Clinton & Port Hudson. The equipment was brought to Jackson in 1998. The operator’s own page says the train is not in operation. Go for the models.

Southern Pacific 745

The Louisiana Steam Train Association was founded in 1997 to keep steam in the state. Its engine is Southern Pacific No. 745, an Mk-5 2-8-2 built in 1921 at the railroad’s Algiers Shops in New Orleans. LASTA calls it the last surviving steam locomotive built in Louisiana. The association’s figures are 63-inch drivers, cylinders 26 by 28 inches, 200 pounds boiler pressure, 51,076 pounds of tractive effort, and a weight of 280,960 pounds.

No. 745 later stood in Audubon Park until it was removed in 1984. It returned to excursion service and came out in 2019 for the 1,472-day boiler inspection. The association is building a new engine house and a short railroad at the Timbermill Museum in Garyville, on the old Garyville Northern. That work was still ahead in the association’s December 2025 reports. A public trip, when the association announces one, belongs on the scenic guide.

Railroad museums · Louisiana railroads · Louisiana scenic trains · Logging railroads
Southern Pacific · Kansas City Southern · Missouri Pacific · Illinois Central · Texas & Pacific · Union Pacific
Texas railroad museums · Arkansas railroad museums · Mississippi railroad museums

Sources

DeQuincy Railroad Museum, dequincyrailroadmuseum1923.com, 400 Lake Charles Avenue. 1923 Kansas City Southern depot. Museum from 1974. Outdoors: a 1913 steam switch engine, two cabooses, and a 1947 Pullman coach. Louisiana Railroad Days, second weekend in April. National Register September 22, 1983, reference 83000494. The Kansas City Southern line through DeQuincy was completed about 1897 and forked toward Lake Charles and toward Beaumont and Port Arthur. The collection is static. Hours follow the museum.
Southern Forest Heritage Museum, forestheritagemuseum.org, 77 Long Leaf Road, about three miles south of Forest Hill. Crowell sawmill complex, National Register at national significance. Red River & Gulf born in 1905 from the Crowell & Spencer tram. Railroad-history page: last revenue run the night of March 26, 1953. No. 106, Baldwin 4-6-0 of 1923, in the Car Knocker Shop, appearance work under way. No. 202, Baldwin 2-6-0 of 1913 for Meridian Lumber, in the machine shop. No. 400, Baldwin 4-6-0 for Crowell & Spencer, last run 1954, outdoors. One-mile loop, generally Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf motor car M-4, boarding at the commissary, trains as needed. Ride dates follow the scenic guide.
Old Hickory Train Museum and the Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders, 3406 College Street, Jackson, behind the Republic of West Florida museum. Open houses on the second and fourth Saturdays. The club’s ticket page says the narrow-gauge train is not in operation. The equipment was brought to Jackson in 1998 and commemorates the Clinton & Port Hudson.
Louisiana Steam Train Association, lasta.org, founded 1997. Southern Pacific 745, Mk-5 2-8-2, built 1921 at the Algiers Shops. Rolling-stock page: 63-inch drivers, 26-by-28-inch cylinders, 200 pounds, 51,076 pounds tractive effort, 280,960 pounds. LASTA calls it the last surviving steam locomotive built in Louisiana. Removed from Audubon Park in 1984. Out of excursion service in 2019 for the 1,472-day boiler inspection. December 2025 reports: engine house and railroad at the Timbermill Museum in Garyville still ahead. No standing excursion. The scenic guide carries any announced trip.
Pontchartrain Railroad, chartered 1830 and opened 1831. Peak mileage 5,223 in 1920. Current mileage 2,971 in 2020. Missouri Pacific, Kansas City Southern, Southern Pacific’s Texas & New Orleans, the Texas & Pacific, and the Illinois Central. Those figures and names match the Louisiana railroads page. The Polar Express, December 11–31 at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, and Long Leaf’s festival rides stay on the scenic guide.

Confirm hours and which locomotive is on the property before you travel.

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