Railroad museums

[Bucksco]

If you could recommend one railroad museum for a friend to visit where would it be?

[David_Telesha]

I couldn't pick just one, but the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston CT, the Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury CT, and the CERM NRHS in Willimantic would be at the top of my list.

The switch tower museum in South Norwalk CT is great too.

[PBenham]

If it were to be just one, then the Lake Shore NRHS' museum in North East,PA would be it. You have a former South Shore "Little Joe"(built in nearby Erie), An Ex-NYC U25B,some nice exhibits inside, and 35-40 trains on CSX (ex-Conrail, PC, NYC, LS&MS,Lake Shore, Buffalo & Erie) and 25 on NS (ex N&W, Nickel Plate). The museum is supposed to be closed when the Amtrak 48-49, Lake Shore Limited a/k/a "Late for Sure" Limited passes, but, you never know with that one!

[SealBook27]

STEAMTOWN: you'll see a steamer turned on the turntable, a caboose ride, a visit to the cab of a live steam engine, a shop tour, and an excursion (which takes most of the day, so you'll have to take that on a second day).

In addition, I'd consider Pennsylvania Railroad Museum at Strasburg (near Lancaster). They have lots to see inside and outside, a train simulator set inside a real diesel cab, and the Strasburg Railroad directly across the road.

[passengerfan]

California State Railroad Museum at both Sacramento and Jamestown.

[coborn35]

Lake Superior Railroad Museum and North Shore Scenic Railroad.
I work/volunteer there, we have a brand new repainted Soo GP30, DMIR SDM, GN NW5, BUDD CAR and many other historic pieces of equipment. I love it how the employees walk through the train and talk with the passengers. (ok, yes, that is MY job, and yes I do go talk to the passengers) The LSRM has a DMIR Mallet steamer, WIlliam Crooks,Minnetonka, (century old steamers, one was the first ever used in MN) and many other things, including an OPERATING WC training simulator.
lsrm.org

[Anonymous]

I would have to say the North Carolina Transportation Musem in Spencer, N.C. It is on the old Southern Yard.

[Snoq. Pass RR]

The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington. Here is a link to their website: www.trainmuseum.org.

[Anonymous]

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD, and Steamtown in Scranton, PA. If you stay overnight in Scranton, stay at the Radisson, which is the former Lackawanna Railroad Station, which has been beautifully restored.

[Anonymous]

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Chattanooga, TN.

Regards! Michaelson

[Train 284]

QUOTE: Originally posted by passengerfan

California State Railroad Museum at both Sacramento and Jamestown.

None better! I have been to both! [:p]

[Tim Burton]

QUOTE: STEAMTOWN: you'll see a steamer turned on the turntable, a caboose ride, a visit to the cab of a live steam engine, a shop tour, and an excursion (which takes most of the day, so you'll have to take that on a second day).

The live steam is nice, but they can't do it between October and April.

Also, there is rarely excursions, since the county requires huge insurance plans in order to run on their tracks. Generally, they only go to the Lackawanna Station and back. If you park behind it, you can get some good shots, better than riding it.

Also, if you look at the tracks in the yard, you can see which are used and know exactly where the locomotive is coming, and get some great pictures of it. They over coal the train and love to make HUGE black clouds which are great for photos.

Oh and don't expect much out of the rangers, there is one who is nice, but I don't want to give his name out or else he might get in trouble for letting me slide up the ladder into the cab during a solo roundhouse tour. Most refuse to talk to you, and prefer to sit in the lobby shooting the #(*&U with each other.

[Tim Burton]

I suggest PRR museum and IRM, both class acts and both don't have government workers. Enough said....

[PBenham]

How long has B&M 3713 been under restoration? PRR 1361? Now, Nickel Plate 765, with volunteers working when they could find the time got back out on the road (for whatever that is worth since NS and CSX will not let her run on their lines) in less than a decade! Granted, the St.Louis group, gave up on SLSF 1522, understandably and I have to wonder how Milwaukee 261 stays alive! But the point here is that the Rangers at Scranton are, basically COPS! They are not interpretive guides, nor are they there to enhance the visitors' experience. They are there to harass and annoy those visitors that fall outside their narrow view ("Box", if you will) of "correct" behavior, and anyone else, while they are at it! I will not return there any time soon, if ever!

[Tim Burton]

1361 for at least 5 years. I saw it in the Feb. and it is still a mess.

But for 2 years now I have been told by Christmas it'd be done.


I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Steamtown Rangers are SOBs.

[Andrew Falconer]

One of the nearest to Kalamzoo is the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.

Give an operations donation if you can afford it, so they are still around next year.

Andrew

[Wdlgln005]

Just one?

The museum closest to your home will be the first. Then you can do trips to other parts of the country. P{art of the fun is to visit PA or CA or IL. In Nashville, I'd go to the Tennessee Central RR museum. Then i'd check out the Yellowjacket in Centennial park. Further West, check out Casey Jones home & museum in Jackson. Get something to eat at the General Store.

[Poppa_Zit]

But the point here is that the Rangers at Scranton are, basically COPS! They are not interpretive guides, nor are they there to enhance the visitors' experience. They are there to harass and annoy those visitors that fall outside their narrow view ("Box", if you will) of "correct" behavior, and anyone else, while they are at it! I will not return there any time soon, if ever!

Time for an opposing viewpoint, for balance:

In my five visits over the last several years have always been treated cordially by the park rangers at Steamtown. While their knowledge about trains may not be as extensive as some railfans, they are still able to articulate the basics to the average park visitors -- families with kids who know virtually nothing about steam trains.

If they hired a bunch of "rail freaks" as park rangers, the job of maintaining security and keeping visitors safe at Steamtown would take a backseat to... well, playing with the trains. We're lucky there IS such a place to observe the steam era of railroading -- yet rail freaks want it to be their personal amusement park.

Why are you unfairly criticizing Steamtown park rangers for doing their job -- security? Sorry, but their job description does not include kissing the butts of rail freaks who want to do whatever they please on the grounds. One guy above said he liked a ranger because the ranger let him sneak into a cab when no one was looking. But he'd be the first to sue if he had gotten hurt doing it, I'd bet.

I sure hope the place can continue to operate despite your boycott. It would be a shame if it had to close because of your absence.