Forney Transportation Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1955 |
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| Location | 4303 Brighton Boulevard Denver, Colorado 80216 |
| Type | Transportation museum |
| Public transit access | Bus Route 48: East 48th Ave./Commerce City, RTD |
The Forney Transportation Museum is a super cool place in Denver, Colorado. It's a museum all about different ways people and things move around! It was started by a man named J.D. Forney. He also founded a company called Forney Industries.
Amazing Collections
The museum has about 800 different items on display. When it first started, it mostly showed off old cars. But soon, it grew to include all kinds of transportation! Their motto is "Anything on Wheels." Here are some of the awesome things you can see:
- Amelia Earhart's special "Gold Bug" car, made by the Kissel company.
- A giant Union Pacific "Big Boy" steam train, Number 4005. This is one of the biggest steam locomotives ever built!
- The Chicago & Northwestern Class R-1 steam train, Number 444. This is the only one of its kind that used oil for fuel.
- A special "Forney locomotive" (Cora-Texas Plantation Co. 0-4-4T No. 1). This type of train was designed by Matthias N. Forney, who was a relative of the museum's founder.
- A Union Pacific Rotary Snowplow, Number 900099. This huge machine was used to clear deep snow from train tracks.
- The Denver & Rio Grande Western GP30 train, Number 3006. It used to pull freight trains through the amazing Rocky Mountains.
- A small Henschel 0-4-0T train, NR-7. This engine worked in Denmark for a construction company.
Museum History
The Forney Museum of Transportation began as one person's collection. It has grown into one of the best transportation collections in the country! Mr. J.D. Forney, who started Forney Industries in Fort Collins, Colorado, became interested in old cars. This happened after his wife and kids gave him a 1921 Kissel yellow car. It was the same model he used when he was dating his wife, Rae.
Forney Industries made many different products. These included an airplane called the Fornaire F-1 Aircoupe. They also made central vacuum systems and portable vacuum cleaners. Plus, they created auto generators and battery chargers. But their most famous products were electric welders and welding supplies.
Mr. Forney started taking old cars and carriages as trades when he sold his welders. In 1955, the Forney Museum officially opened in Fort Collins, Colorado. By 1964, it became a non-profit organization. This means it's a group that helps the public and doesn't try to make money for owners.
Amazing Locomotives
The Union Pacific Big Boy train, Number 4005, was built in 1941. It's one of the few remaining examples of the world's largest steam locomotives. Only 25 of these huge 4-8-8-4 type trains were ever made. Today, only 8 of them still exist. Seven are on display in museums, and one, Number 4014, can still run! Train 4005 was briefly changed to burn oil from 1946 to 1948. It was also involved in a train accident in 1953.
The Forney locomotive was designed by Matthias Forney. This special type of engine was built by several companies. The one at the Forney Museum, Cora-Texas Plantation Co. 0-4-4T No. 1, was built in 1897. These trains were often used on elevated railways, like those in New York, Brooklyn, and Chicago. People called them the "Little Giants." Around 1900, more than 500 of them were used to carry both goods and people. However, steam trains on elevated tracks were soon replaced by new electric engines. After that, Forney engines were sold to buyers all over the world. They were used for mining, logging, on farms, and for short trips carrying goods and passengers. Forney locomotives also carried goods and people in the Denver area. The Denver, Lakewood and Golden Railway and the Denver Circle Railroad were two well-known systems that used them.
The Chicago & Northwestern Class R-1 train, Number 444, was built in 1906. It was changed to burn oil in 1925. This train last worked for the C&NW as a switcher, moving cars around in a train yard. It retired in 1956. It was stored in a roundhouse until 1958 when a man named William B. Heckman bought it. He owned the Black Hills Central Railroad. Workers from two different train companies helped move Number 444. It traveled under its own power to Hill City, South Dakota. There, the governor of South Dakota held a special ceremony to celebrate its arrival. Since 1968, this train has been on display in Denver. It is the only C&NW steam engine that burned oil that still exists. Two other R-1 Class trains also survive, but they are being fixed up to run again.
The UP 900099 snowplow was built in 1909. It was used by different train companies before it came to the Union Pacific in 1951. It was renumbered a few times, finally becoming UP 900099 in 1959. This huge snowplow retired in 1969 and was then given to the museum.
Locomotive NR-7 was built in 1930 in Germany. This engine worked in Denmark for a company that built bridges. In 1961, the engine was moved to America. A man named Arthur Seifert bought it. He wanted to use it for a Disneyland-style resort, but that plan never happened. J.D. Forney bought the engine in 1962. From 1962 to 1967, NR-7 was on display in Fort Collins. Since 1968, the locomotive has been in Denver, where you can see it today.
Visiting the Museum
The museum is located in Denver, Colorado. The building has about 70,000 square feet (6,500 square meters) of space for visitors to explore.
Gallery
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A wide view of the museum's inside
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The huge Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4005 inside the museum
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The Chicago and North Western R-1 No. 444 inside the museum
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The Forney locomotive No. 108 on display inside the museum
