Elkhorn City Railroad Museum facts for kids
Elkhorn City Railroad Museum
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | 100 Pine Street, Elkhorn City, Kentucky 41522 |
| Type | Railroad |
| Founder | Edward "Chick" Spradlin |
| Owner | Elkhorn City Heritage Council |
| Nearest parking | On site (no charge) |
The Elkhorn City Railroad Museum is a fun place in Elkhorn City, Kentucky that teaches you all about trains! It opened in 1990. The museum shows how railroads helped Kentucky's Eastern Mountain Coal Fields region grow. It also shares stories about the local wood and coal industries, and even family histories.
History of the Museum
The museum was started by Edward "Chick" Spradlin. He was a retired railroad worker. Chick spent 40 years working with trains, mostly in the Elkhorn City railyard. This railyard was the end of the Clinchfield Railroad line before it closed in 1981.
Chick wanted to save the history of trains in the area. So, he and some other former railroad workers began collecting old items. They opened the museum in 1990. The building they used was an old coal company office, which was given to the museum.
Chick passed away in 1999. After that, the Elkhorn City Heritage Council took over running the museum. This group works to protect the history of the Elkhorn City area. The museum is still run by volunteers, many of whom used to work for the railroad.
In 2016, a water pipe broke and flooded the main building. This damaged many of the museum's items. The museum had to close for a while. A plan to fix up the museum started in 2019. In 2020, the museum closed again for a short time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened by 2022.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has more than 1,000 pieces of railroad history. These items date from the 1800s all the way to today. You can see two cabooses, which are the last cars on a freight train. There are also velocipedes (small rail bikes) and motor cars.
You can also see old uniforms and equipment. There's even a seat from the private train car of President James Garfield! The museum also has displays about how the Clinchfield Railroad was built. Building it was a huge engineering achievement at the time.
All the items and displays at the museum were donated. Many were left behind when the railroad closed. Community members then saved them. In the winter, when the museum is closed, some displays move to the local library. Sometimes they even go to area schools.
The museum is also a stop for CSX's yearly Santa train. This special Christmas-themed train gives out toys, food, and clothes. It travels through the Appalachian region every November.
