What’s your favorite Train Museum?

I have not visited that many, so my experience is limited to the Pennsylvania Museum, the B&O museum in Baltimore that I barely remember, Steamtown, The colorado Museum in Golden,  NC museum at Spencer, the Illinois Museum at Union and one in Indiana.    Also I have visited Orbisonia on the EBT many times and Cumbres and Toltec once.   Neither of these are called museums but have a lot of great old equipment.     

Mainly because of personal Interest, I like the following as first choices, Pennsylvania Mus in Strasburg and the EBT at Orbisonia,

The others are all good too, some have the equipment more visible or accessible than others.     I have had a good time on visits to Spencer and a great time visiting the Cumbres & Toltec wandering around their yard and riding.

I was back home again a few weeks ago to Northwest Indiana. Growing up a Hoosier, I am a fan of the Monon. If in Northwest Indiana area checkout the Monon Connection Museum on US 421 a little north of Monon Indiana. I visited again and found that they now have a nice HO layout in a new room addition. Harold, the volunteer curator, is very knowledgeable in the history of the MONON. The museum has a limited amount of rolling stock but just got one of the Henry Flager private cars that will soon be displayed. Great collection of lanterns, signs, and other various railroad items. Whistle Stop Restaurant has good food at fair price. Living in Roanoke Va.,  I  also like the Virginia Transportation Museum and O Winston Link Museum.

Here are a few pics of the Monon Connection Museum, which is a private collection. Link to museum.

I'll add the Railroad Museum of Long Island to the list.  I've only been there once, and it admittedly has nowhere near the amount of real trains on exhibit as museums such as the B&O or the PRR Museum in Strasburg.

BUT: It has the Lionel Visitor's Center Layout that was previously in Michigan, so for toy train fans, that's a great thing to go see.  (This is the Riverhead part of the facility, there is another location in Greenport, I believe from reading the website that there may be more actual trains on display there)

-Dave

California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento.

Gadsden Pacific Division Toy Train Museum in Tucson, AZ.   Non profit. 6000 square ft building with 8 layouts of different gauges.   Outdoor g gauge layout.  Ride on train that goes around the property twice.  Full size Rio Grande caboose.  Free admission although donations are greatly appreciated.  Open house twice a month.  2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 12:30 to 4:30 from September tomMay.  One of the best toy train museums in the southwest.   Check out Facebook page or website.  

B&O in Baltimore. Walking into the round, round house was wild.

Dick

"Spencer is a very nice museum" by KJSTrains

After reviewing this forum I was surprised that the North Caroline Museum of Transportation has not been listed as a favorite.

Four of us traveled in May 2018 to Spencer NC to be blown away with all the wonderful engines and rolling stock on display.   My favorite was the 37 bay roundhouse, with turntable, full of great engines and trains.  This was the day for their annual train show where I found mostly HO for sale, but I did find some great buys at good prices.  Found several buys not always seen during attending shows in Ohio, KY, and WV.

I encourage the forum members to take a trip to Spencer, just north of Charlotte, NC.

I had forgotten about this one. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown

California. It has an operating roundhouse. Lots of things used in old movies. 

At least one operating Shay that I can remember. And the focal point

for Petticoat Junction. Worth a trip.

beardog posted:

I had forgotten about this one. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown

California. It has an operating roundhouse. Lots of things used in old movies. 

At least one operating Shay that I can remember. And the focal point

for Petticoat Junction. Worth a trip.

Good call.

Yes.  Very much worth a visit!

A really nice operating museum is the Cass Scenic RR in Cass, West Virginia.

National Railroad Museum,  Green Bay, WI.  4017 Union Pacific Big Boy, Pennsylvania GG-! and more.

The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay WI is my pick. The highlights (for me) include a Big Boy, an Aerotrain and the Eisenhower Command Train (can't find that pic). They also have a great collection of drumheads and dinnerware. You can go through their storage sheds walk through all of the stored passenger cars. If you have allergies, I would recommend taking an anti-histamine first. Some of those cars are musty! That said, it's still cool being able to tour them.

Also, when in Green Bay it's worth a visit to the Titletown Brewing Co. It's located in the old C&NW Green Bay station. Great food and great beer such as "The 400", named after the C&NW passenger train. Of course no trip to Green Bay would be complete without seeing Lambeau Field. Go Packers!!

Rob

Nairb Rekab posted:

National Railroad Museum,  Green Bay, WI.  4017 Union Pacific Big Boy, Pennsylvania GG-! and more.

You just beat me to it!!

Also while in Green Bay check out the O Gauge train store at railtycoon.com and HO and N gauge trains at www.enginehouseservices.com

Lots of my favorite train museums mentioned here (B&O, all the Strausburg sites, EBT) but I must say I really enjoyed visiting the NMOT near St Louis, thought it was many many years ago. 

I haven't been to many, but I growing up in the Boston area, we would go to the Seashore Trolley Museum whenever we went camping in Maine (seemed like every summer) so that'll always be a special place for me.

I also got to stop at Steamtown a few years back on the way back from a fraternity convention.  That was a very cool experience for me.  It was on a Sunday morning and snowing so I had the place pretty much to myself.