Colfax Railroad Museum facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | 500 E Railroad Ave, Colfax, Wisconsin, 54730 |
|---|---|
| Type | Railway Museum |
The Colfax Railroad Museum is a super cool place in Colfax, Wisconsin where you can explore the exciting world of trains! It's located inside an old train station, called a depot, that was built way back in 1914. This special building is made of sandstone and used to be part of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad.
Contents
What You Can See at the Museum
This museum is packed with amazing things from railroads that once traveled through western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. You can see real train cars and lots of interesting items that people used every day when trains were a main way to travel and move goods.
Cool Trains and Cars
The museum has a great collection of different train cars. Imagine stepping back in time to see these giants!
Diesel Locomotives
- Soo Line #703: This is an EMD GP30 diesel locomotive. It was built in 1963 and stopped working in 1998. Now, it's a static display, meaning it stays in one place for you to admire.
Passenger Cars
You can also see different types of passenger cars, which are the cars where people rode.
- Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha #301: This was a special Railroad Post Office car. It helped deliver mail across the country!
- Milwaukee Road #917202: A baggage car, used for carrying luggage and other items for travelers.
- Northern Pacific #950: A classic coach car where passengers would sit during their journey.
- Soo Line #991: Another coach car, showing how people traveled in comfort.
Freight Cars
Freight cars are used to carry goods.
- Soo Line Boxcar #36400: A boxcar is a type of freight car that is enclosed, perfect for protecting cargo from the weather.
Cabooses
Cabooses are the cars at the very end of a freight train. A crew member used to ride in them.
- Milwaukee Road #X00127
- Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern #018
- Soo Line #256
- Soo Line #273
Other Equipment
- Canadian National Speeder #154-33: This is a "Speeder," a small vehicle used by railroad workers to inspect tracks.
Amazing Collections Inside the Depot
Inside the old train station building, there are even more treasures!
- Railroad Lanterns: The museum has a huge collection of old railroad lanterns. These were used by train workers to signal and see in the dark.
- Railroad China: You can see beautiful china dishes that were used in dining cars on trains.
- Paperweight Collection: The museum is home to the nation's largest collection of railroad-themed paperweights! These small, heavy objects kept papers from blowing away.
The exhibits help you understand what life was like for people who worked on or traveled by train. You can see how technology changed over many years.
The Museum's Story
The building where the museum is located has an interesting history itself! It's the third train station to be built in the village of Colfax.
The current building was constructed between 1914 and 1915. It was built using strong sandstone from a nearby quarry. It even stands on the foundation of the second depot, which was moved to become someone's home!
In 1958, a big storm with tornadoes hit western Wisconsin. One tornado damaged the freighthouse, which was attached to the depot. The wall of the women's waiting room had to be rebuilt using the rubble. Sadly, the freighthouse was never fully repaired after that storm.
See Also
