Railway buffs: Which are your favorite railroad museums?

Question

I'd love to write a coffee-table book on the world's railroad museums. Right now I'm partial to the British Railway Musuem in York and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Which great museums would you like to see in the book?

Answer 1

The California State Railroad Museum is a fantastic museum.  It gains even more significance when one considers it is right across the street from Charles Crocker's hardware store, he being one of the "Big Four" that implemented the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad.

Many of the pieces on display are restored "operational".  I hear, from time to time, people ask, "If you hit the big lottery, what would you do with the money?"  Easy.  I fund the rebuilding of the 4294 and be the first guy behind the throttle once it steams up.

This is the last of the 4-8-8-2 cab forward behemoths that were unique to the Southern Pacific, out-shopped by Baldwin in 1942, the last of the breed.  Little known is that this class of engine, AC-12, won an SAE engineering award for its design.

They have a multitude of both indoor and out of doors displays, with the "radio wands" for walk around, self guided tours, with the "wands" telling of the history of each piece.

If ever in Sacramento, go.  It is well worth the time, and Old Sacramento has lots of four star restaurants, night clubs and entertainment of all sorts.

When the museum had its grand opening, in 1981, I was fortunate enough to have been a fireman "pilot" on the UP 8444, a 4-8-4 Northern, and the 3985, a UP 4-6-6-4 Challenger class articulated, for that portion of their journey from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Sacramento, on the leg from Sparks, Nevada, to Roseville, California.  I have two pictures from this trip posted on my Yahoo 360.  Check it out.

Answer 2

It's not dedicated just to railroads, but the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan has a great display of some of the world's largest locomotives.  Truly mind-numbing how big they were in their heyday.

Answer 3

I like the Monticello and Sangamon Valley railway in Monticellow ILL.  Dad used to volunteer out there in the early 1970's.  And it is were i got to make my first run.  Road # 1189. F-7 in a Wabash Scheme.  I would love to go to steam town some day and the grand canyon railway and Durango and silverton and and and....

Answer 4

I like the New York City Transit Museum.  It has some bus stuff, but a lot of it is about the subway

Answer 5

You are right on with the one In Sacramento,The Steam Eng. with

crew in front for tunnel operation(Awesome) I think it had 8 drivers(pulling wheels) while I was there for A-7 transfer,my day off I went to Railroad Museum,I could have spent 2 days just looking.

Write the book ,My vote Sacremento,

Answer 6

I agree with you concerning the National Railway Museum at York (note correct title) This now has an 'outstation' in the town of Shildon, Co Durham which is also excellent. The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. London is also good in respect of underground railways.

Answer 7

Boomer Wisdom Big Big news for you!

★http://www.osoq.com/funstuff/extra/extra...

Answer 8

Steamtown National Historic Site (Reading, PA)

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_boo...

Answer 9

Mount Clare in Baltimore..... where it all started.

East Broad Top (operating rr for tourism)

strasburg (oldest operating common carrier in USA)