Railroad Museums- Favorites?

[areibel]

Hey Gang-
What makes your favorite RR museum your favorite?
What do you consider good or great exhibits, do you like a lot of historical background, paper, diaplays like dioramas, hardware, rolling stock, etc?
And what appeals to the "non-railfan" members of your family?
One more question, think of other "less desirable" museums to visit, what are the turn offs?
I'd really like to hear any and all opinions, but particularly concrete examples. Not just "cause it has (insert your favorite road) equpiment:!
Thanks!
Al

[Anonymous]

Favorites :

RR Museum of PA
Interactive exhibits for the kids with models, excellent prototype equipment collection, location across the street from Strasburg RR so you can get both in a day.

CA RR Museum
Great collection
Interesting City-excellent RR bookstores nearby

Steamtown
Good collection, historic area, nice train ride

LC

[UPTRAIN]

I like the ones with layouts, documents, pictures, rolling stock, locomotives, a gift shop, and other historical stuff...oh yeah I help out in my spare time at one of those...The Mo-Ark Reigional Railroad Museum Inc. in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

[Anonymous]

My list:
RRers Memorial museum in Altoona
B&O Museum in Baltimore
WM Ry Hist. society's Museum in union Bridge MD
and of course the Brunswick Railroad Museum.

Both the RRMM & the B&O have extensive rolling stock exhibits, models, and great displays, the museum in Union Bridge has great exhibits, authough its small, and they also have some MOW speeders, and are awaiting a former WM loco

The Brunswick Museum for two reasons: I work there, and the large layout is excelent. the exhibits are less than desireable, and are a turn off for many people, as well as a lack of good management on all our parts. they show artifacts, but nothing but descriptions, and the exhibits tell no stories!

[Anonymous]

RR Museum of PA is excellent. Also right across the street is the Strasburg RR. Strasburg RR even runs Thomas the Tank Engine for the younger fans. It makes for a great summer day.

[dknelson]

The Illinois RR Museum in Union IL is notable because of the variety of diesels they have preserved (also steam and traction but their diesel collection is outstanding -- if only everything was under cover and if only all their buildings were more friendly to photography.
One tiny little museum that many of you may never have heard of is in Fennimore Wisconsin, honoring the C&NW narrow gauge line that ran there. They have a water tank, a narrow gauge 2-6-0 (not C&NW but virtually identical to what ran on the line) and the old depot is restored as a museum. Maybe not worth a trip just for that, but if you are in the area (which is a tourist area, what with Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen and the House on the Rock nearby, not to mention the Mustard Museum in Mt Horeb!) it is worth a visit.
Dave Nelson

[JoeKoh]

B&O Baltimore &Ohio baltimore
NKP Bellevue OH(mad river &nkp hist society)
Northwest ohio RR preservation society(findlay oh)
Bartlow twp rr society(deshler)
fulton county historical society(wauseon)
auglaize village(defiance)
garret rr historical society(garret indiana)
Ft wayne rr historical society
As you can see I dont have a favorite just been to alot of nice places and nice people
stay safe
joe

[tree68]

Lots of preserved equipment, a sense of railroading. Steamtown is almost too sterile now - liked it better 10 years ago. NC Museum is good for that. Can't say as I've been to a totally useless rail museum.

One place I like is now a museum about a museum - Rail City, in Sandy Pond, NY. Unfortunately the museum isn't open right now. They are looking for a way to open it with volunteers or something along that line.

Rail city was probably one of the first "living" rail museums. The station (now the museum) was moved from another northern New York locale, the engine came from the Finger Lakes region, and it ran. There were many artifacts on the grounds. If I had the images of a diorama I've seen of it here at work (I did visit when I was young and Rail City was in operation), I'd post them. Maybe later.

[areibel]

Thanks for the answers!
I am a member of a group that would like to organize a museum here in NW PA. We're trying to decide if what items are a big "draw", something that makes it popular. We want railfans to keep coming back, not visit once and have the "been there, done that" attitude.
Plus include things for the whole family, so it's not just a guy with his family following him around rolling their eyes!
Anyone else?

[Anonymous]

My favorite as indicated by another member is IRM. They have a great collection of steam, Diesel, Traction, Trolleys, Freight and Passenger cars.

Haven't been there in several years, but the National Museum in St. Louis has a nice variety.

Sorry for me I haven't been I haven't been to Sacramento yet..

I found Steamtown to be disappointing considering the amount of $'s spent on it . The Altoona Railroad Museum And Horseshoe Curve for me are much preferred with the action available by the Museum and at Horseshoe Curve.

[Anonymous]

My favorites are:

B&ORRM in Baltimore, MD.
Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, PA
RRM of Pennsylvaniain Strasburg, PA
Western Maryland Ry HS in Union Bridge, MD.
East Broad Top in Orbisonia, PA.

B&O Museum is probably the very best one in the USA. Historical equip in an historical roundhouse, great scale models, layouts, memorabilia. It's #1.

Strasburg RR is tops too. The quality of their restoration work is beyond compare. The ride is short but it's an awesome place to visit and experience. #90..WOW!!!!

Across the street is the RRMofPA which should be the model all museums follow. They have spent the money to not only restore equipment but to preserve that excellent condition inside and out of the elements. Tracks are wide enough apart to enjoy seeing a good view of the engines and cars and lighting is very good. It doesn't hurt that it's mostly PRR steam either!

WMRHS is pretty classy too. The buildings themselves are gorgeous and the historical info inside is a wonder to behold. The WMRHS has it's restored equip outside and the Maryland Midland operates from the station area. Very nice place.

EBT is one of the best operating museums in the world! It's almost impossible to find original equipment operating in the original area and using original structures. What a treasure! EBT has had some difficult times but the Friends are doing a great job getting the numerous structures back in shape. I think it's a shame the Government has spent so much on Steamtown and ignored the EBT. EVERYTHING at the EBT is original and shows how it was. Nothing at Steamtown is original except the roundhouse. It can't compare to the authenticity of EBT.

Primarily a good museum needs to have well preserved and hopefully operational equipment for us to see. They need interesting displays and accurate descriptions of items. Paper collections, memorabilia and that sort of thing always help too. Good lighting really helps and having enough space between displays to actually see the equip helps. Many museums have great collections but they are in a sad state of repair, are too close together to see them or they are so dark only a bat can enjoy them.

One's I feel need help are :
National Museum of Transportation in St.Louis, MO
Ohio Ry Museum in Worthington, OH
Roanoke Museum of Transportation in Roanoke,VA.
Age of Steam Museum in Dallas, TX.

I haven't been to these places in several years but when I visited they were crowded or the equipment was in terrible shape. I'd rather see them sell some equip to someone that can repair and appreciate it rather than let it rust into the earth.

ORM has the perfect example of neglect. N&W E-2b 4-6-2 #578. That engine has been so neglected it's a crime. ORM is a trolley museum so I'm sure a steam engine is a low priority so why not sell it and use the money for trolleys? I'm sure there is another museum that could do better with it and appreciate it.

NMT has a lot of great equip but when I was there everything was exposed to the elements and so close together you couldn't take any decent photos. The work they had done on some items was already deteriorating due to exposure.

The Roanoke Museum naturally moved from their otherwise great location in Wasena Park after being flooded a few times. Their new location is just too crowded to enjoy all the great stuff they have there. I appreciate them building the shed over the J though. At least she has a chance of surviving the elements.

Age of Steam Museum has some really super equip but it mostly suffers neglect and from exposure. It also needs more room to see the displays. It's a crime what's happened to the Russian and the Frisco 4-8-4! Don't know if they still have the whistle display hooked up to steam but it's very cool to be able to blow so many whistles!

Anyway, good luck with your project, Hope things work out.

My 2¢
Roger

[Anonymous]

To AREIBEL (Hope that's right), there is already a Museum in Northeast, Pa.. with a fairly decent collection. I'm not sure another one is needed in that area.

I would suggest that you contact them. I'm sure they would welcome you.

[Anonymous]

MD is small, and there are at LEAST 6 sucessful rr museums inthe state. the more museums, the more places to go, the more places preserving history, and the more places to do joint programs with.

[Anonymous]

To attract visitors as I feel (I work at a rr museum) you should have rare or popular rolliung stock, a lot of interactivity, well thought out and informative exhibits, and the exhibits should tell a story. kind of the opposite of our museum.

[Anonymous]

Here are my favorites:
Orange Empire Railway Museum--the museum I grew up at. Lots of diferrent railroads, plus my favorites.

Cumbres and Toltec--Operating steam, wonderful place

As for what makes a great museum: all steam and no diesels. But if you can't do that, then one where the equipment looks nice is the most appealing to the people who don't care about the FPA's manifold pressure, so to speak.

See you around the forums,
Daniel

[Anonymous]

RR Museum in Union, IL. It has something for everyone. I loved the steam displays.

[Anonymous]

Exporail just south of Montreal is pretty cool. Lots of rolling stock and motive power significant to Canada's railway history.