The National Railroad Museum (reporting mark NRMX) is a railroad museum located in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, in suburban Green Bay.
The museum is one of the oldest institutions in the United States dedicated to preserving and interpreting the nation's railroad history. It was founded in 1956 by community volunteers in Green Bay. Throughout its history, patron contributions have continued to create one of the largest railroad preservation institutions in the United States.
The National Railroad Museum has a large collection of rolling stock and spanning more than a century of railroading and a number of historic locomotives, including an Aerotrain, Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4017 (One of the world's largest steam locomotive types), and British Railways Class A4 No. 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower (ex-London & North Eastern Railway No. 4496 Golden Shuttle) and train used by the Supreme Allied Commander and his staff in the United Kingdom and continental Europe during World War II.
In addition to the rolling stock, there is a museum building housing a wide variety of railroad artifacts, an archive, and photography gallery. There is also a standard gauge track around the perimeter of the grounds. There is also an 80-foot (24Â m) high wooden observation tower with views of the river and Green Bay. The museum hosts an annual Day Out with Thomas event, where Thomas the Tank Engine pulls young friends past the exhibited rolling stock.
In October of every year in preparation for Halloween, the grounds of the museum are the site of the Green Bay Preble Optimist Club's haunted attraction, "Terror on the Fox", which uses the trains for "haunted" rides through the grounds after dark, along with other attractions.
History
The origin of the National Railroad Museum dates to 1956, when local residents advanced the concept of a national museum dedicated to American railroad history. Two years later, a joint resolution of Congress recognized the museum as the National Railroad Museum. Since then, the museum has operated as a privately funded 501(c)(3) educational organization with a mission to foster an understanding of railroading and its significance to American Life.
Rolling stock collection
Steam locomotives
Diesel locomotives
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route) EMD SD-24 No. 510
- Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) E9A No. 38A
- Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) FM H-10-44 No. 767
- Georgia-Pacific Alco S-2 No. 63-146 - Ex South Buffalo Railway No. 73
- Georgia-Pacific Alco S-2 No. 63-180 - Ex Fairport, Painesville and Eastern Railroad Company No. 103
- Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad General Motors "Aerotrain" - Trainset No. 2
- Green Bay and Western Railroad Alco C430 No. 315
- Manistique and Lake Superior Railway Alco S-3 No. 1 - Later Ann Arbor Railroad No. 10. Currently painted as Green Bay Route No. 103
- Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway EMC NW1 No. D538 (later Minneapolis and St. Louis No. 90, then Tomahawk & Western No. 90)
- Soo Line Railroad EMD GP30 No. 715 (later Wisconsin Central Ltd No. 715)
- Southern Pacific Railroad ALCO S-6 No. 1203 - Currently painted as Green Bay Route No. 106
- St. Paul Union Depot GE 44-ton switcher No. 441
- United States Army Center cab switcher No. 106
- United States Army ALCO RSD-1 No. 8651
Electric locomotives
- Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 No. 4890
Passenger cars
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Railway Post Office car No. 57
- Atlantic Coast Line Railroad - Diner Dothan
- Chicago and North Western Railway Combination Baggage/Passenger car No. 7411
- Chicago and North Western Railway Hospital Service Car Joseph Lister
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad observation car No. 300 Silver Spirit - recently restored.
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route) 7 duplex bedroom, 4 section, 3 double bedroom, 1 compartment sleeping car No. 1269 Poplar River (ex Great Northernâ€"same name and number) - used on the Empire Builder
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route) railway post office car No. 2330
- Green Bay and Western Railroad (Green Bay Route) - Combination Mail-Baggage-Express car No. 21 (ex passenger coach No. 52)
- Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Passenger car No. 62
- Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Combination baggage/passenger car No. 63
- London and North Eastern Railway No. 1591 â€" from Dwight D. Eisenhower's command train.
- London and North Eastern Railway No. 1592 â€" from Dwight D. Eisenhower's command train.
- Northern Pacific Railway Baggage car No. 1594 - ex Northern Pacific dining car No. 1668
- Pennsylvania Railroad 10 roomette 5 dbouble bedroom sleeping car No. 8077 Cascade Cliff
- Pullman Company sleeping car Pullman No. 8667 "Lake Mitchell"
- Reading Company No. X - Used as part of Terror on the Fox
- Reading Company No. Y - Used as part of Terror on the Fox
- Reading Company No. Z - Currently painted as NRM "Josephine"
- Tennessee Central Railway (Monon) No. 100 - Business car
- Union Pacific Railroad City of Los Angeles Astra Dome dome diner No. 8003
Freight cars
- Akron, Canton & Youngstown No. 3011 - Outside braced boxcar
- American Cyanamid No. CYX 134 - Covered hopper
- Armour and Company refrigerator car PCX 4408
- Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe No. 206983 - Flat car
- Union Refrigerated Transit Company refrigerator car URTX 72733 - leased to Black Hills Packing Company
- Illinois Central Gulf No. ICG 910302 - Flat car
- Menasha Wooden Ware Company boxcar 242 - Replica boxcar
- Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ore hopper car SOO 80374
- Swift Refrigerator Line wooden refrigerator car No. SRLX5156
- Standard Oil Company Single-dome tank car No. AMOX 9758 -
- North American Car Company double door boxcar No. NADX 50143
- North American Car Company covered hopper No. NAHX 30133
- PLM Railway (France) Forty-and-eights boxcar - from Merci Train
- Richter Vinegar Company Vinegar tank car No. RVCX 20 -
- TTX Company TOFC-service flat car No. TTWX 970837
Maintenance of way cars
- Burlington Northern Railroad Jordan spreader BN 973127
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Dynamometer car No. 30
- Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad Flange plow No. 100
- Wisconsin Central Railway subsidiary of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad ("Soo Line") Wrecking Crane W-1
- Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Wrecking crane idler car No. X-
Cabooses
- Ahnapee and Western Railway bay window caboose No. 33
- Chicago Great Western Railroad cupola caboose No. 622
- Chicago and North Western No. 11217 - Bay window
- Illinois Central No. 199488 - Wide vision caboose
- Kickapoo Valley and Northern No. 2
- Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern No. 189 - Currently Soo Line No. 593
Other equipment
- Anheuser-Busch No. X - Chain driven locomotive
- Chicago and North Western No. 32
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy No. 208351
- Kohler Company No. X - Trackmobile
- Schneider National No. A508407 - Semi-trailer (Located on TTX Company No. TTWX 970837)
Other collections
Archives collection
The archives collection includes corporate records and documents, annual reports, maps, mechanical and engineering drawings, oral histories, and ephemera. The holdings represent various railroad companies, labor unions, and fraternal organizations.
Library collection
The library collection represents a variety of topics surrounding the social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of U.S. railroading history.
Artifact collection
The National Railroad Museum houses over 5,000 artifacts, including textiles, uniforms, tools and personal items.
Photograph collection
The photograph collection includes 15,000 photographic prints, slides, and film negatives representing railroading in the United States geographically from 1890 through the present day.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
References
External links
- National Railroad Museum official website
