Hesston Steam Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hesston Steam Museum |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 Hesston Steam Museum
Location in Indiana
|
|
| Location | Galena Township, LaPorte County, Indiana |
| Nearest town | Hesston, Indiana |
| Area | 155 acres (0.242 sq mi; 63 ha; 0.63 km2) |
| Established | 1956 |
The Hesston Steam Museum is an exciting outdoor museum in Hesston, Indiana. It's run by the La Porte County Historical Steam Society. This huge museum covers 155 acres, which is about 117 football fields! Here, you can explore four different kinds of railroads and see many amazing steam-powered machines and old farm equipment.
Discovering the Hesston Steam Museum
How the Museum Started
The Hesston Steam Museum began because a few local steam fans wanted to keep old steam machines working. In 1956, they bought 22 acres of land. This land became the main show grounds. They even built a dam to create Duck Lake, which provided water for the steam engines.
The group, first called La Porte County Threshermen, held their first show in 1957. Big steam traction engines were the main attraction. Over the next few years, they added a sawmill in 1959 and an electric plant in 1961.
In 1964, they bought their first steam locomotive. A kind person named Elliott Donnelley helped them buy more land. Between 1965 and 1968, the museum grew to 155 acres. They also built a special railroad that could use two different track sizes. In 1968, the group officially became the La Porte County Historical Steam Society, Inc.
The Museum's Railroads Begin
The museum's railroad started running on weekends in 1969. More buildings were built, and more equipment arrived to be fixed up and shown. A special Shay locomotive was fully restored and celebrated in 1975.
After Mr. Donnelley passed away in 1975, his family donated another railroad. This railroad had a very narrow 14-inch track. Museum members carefully moved it from his estate. They rebuilt this tiny railroad at the museum, finishing it in 1982.
Overcoming a Fire
On May 26, 1985, a big fire sadly destroyed much of the large railroad equipment. Nine cars, a Henschel locomotive, and a diesel locomotive were lost. Other important locomotives, like the Shay and Porter, were badly damaged. The fire caused about $2.5 million in damage.
Despite the fire, the museum quickly got back on track. Members bought two new diesel locomotives. With a new passenger car, train rides started again in time for the 1985 show. In 1986, they began to clean up the damage.
The India locomotive was pulled from the fire's rubble in March 1986. Just 89 days later, it was running again! Soon after, they started building two new passenger cars. The museum also received four locomotives and eight flat cars from Germany. These arrived in April 1987. One of these, a CSK locomotive, was fired up for the first time ever in August 1987. It now regularly pulls trains on weekends.
Amazing Locomotives at Hesston
The museum has four different types of railroads. Each uses a different track width, called a "gauge." You can see many different locomotives here, from steam engines to diesel engines.
| Number | Original Owner | Gauge | Type | Builder | Build Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Locomotives | ||||||
| 1 | Indianapolis Power & Light | Standard | 0-4-0F | Porter Locomotive Works | 1950 | Not running. Only the frame and wheels are left. |
| 2 | United Fruit Company | 3 ft (914 mm) | 2-6-0 | Porter Locomotive Works | 1911 | Running again since 2019. |
| 7 | New Mexico Lumber Company | 3 ft
36 inch |
Class C (Three truck) Shay | Lima Locomotive Works | 1929 | Running. This was the last narrow gauge Shay locomotive ever built. |
| 17 | United Fruit Company | 36 inch | 2-6-0 | Porter Locomotive Works | 1920 | Being fixed up to run again. |
| 125 | A. Meyer (?) | 2 ft (610 mm) | 0-4-0T | Ceskomoravska Kolben-Danek | 1940 | Running. From the Czech Republic. |
| 242 | Brookfield Zoo | 24 inch | 2-4-2 | Sandley Locomotive Works | 1972 | Running. Named "James R. Donnelley". |
| 99 3361 | Deutsche Reichsbahn | 24 inch | 0-8-0 | Orenstein & Koppel | 1938 | Can run, but currently stored. From Germany. |
| 1 | German Army | 24 inch | 2-8-0 | Arnold Jung | 1918 | Stored. Named Feldbahn. |
| 3001 | Kiddieland Amusement Park | 14 inch | 4-8-4 | Wagner and Sons Miniature Train Company | 1949 | Running. |
| N/A | Kiddieland Amusement Park | 14 in (356 mm) | 4-6-4 | Wagner and Sons Miniature Train Company | 1941 | Running. |
| 5910-15 | OH Parks & Rec | 14 inch | 4-4-0 | Crown Metal Products | 1959 | On display, not running. |
| 3 | Stet and Query Central | 14 inch | 4-4-0 | Built by Wagner & Son. Cab modified by Sandley Works when owned by E. Donnelley | 1922 | Can run, but currently stored. |
| 1 | Kiddieland Amusement Park | 14 inch | 4-6-4 | Wagner & Son. | 1938 | Running. |
| N/A | Hesston Steam Museum | 3 ft | 2-2-0 | Rick Weber | 2022 | Running. This is a half-size copy of the famous Tom Thumb locomotive. |
| Diesel Locomotives | ||||||
| 15 | Carpenter Steel | 2 ft | DDT 12 Ton | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1958 | Running. Used for moving cars and on quieter days. |
| 2 | Carpenter Steel | 2 ft | DDT 12 Ton | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1957 | Running. Used for moving cars and on quieter days. |
| 3 | Inland Steel | 2 ft | DDT 12 Ton | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1958 | Stored. It was damaged in the 1985 fire. |
| 4 | Illinois Brick Company | 2 ft | DGT 10 Ton | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1953 | Running. Used for moving cars and on quieter days. |
| 999 | Brookfield Zoo | 2 ft | SW-1 | Sandley Locomotive Works | 1966 | Running. Used for moving cars and on quieter days. |
| 1 | Sullivan Machinery | 2 ft | 7 Ton | Whitcomb Locomotive Works | 1923 | On display, not running. |
| 5 | Stet and Query Central | 14 inch | Boxcab | Likely Sandley Locomotive Works | 19?? | Running. Used for moving cars and on quieter days. |
Narrow Gauge Railroads
The museum has a special three-rail, dual-gauge, narrow-gauge railroad. It runs for 2.5 miles around the museum property. This unique setup allows both 3-foot and 2-foot narrow-gauge trains to use the same track!
14-Inch Gauge Trains
These 14-inch gauge trains are about one-quarter the size of real trains. They are powered by steam or gasoline. Many of these tiny trains were built for amusement parks between the 1920s and 1950s.
7.5-Inch Gauge Trains
These trains are very small, with rails only 7.5 inches apart. They are carefully built by the people who operate them. These tiny trains travel through wooded hills and under a bridge on a 1-mile winding route.
Other Cool Equipment
Besides the amazing railroads, the museum also has many other steam-powered machines and old farm equipment.
The Sawmill
The Hesston Saw Mill was built in 1900. It's a great example of the sawmills that were common in the countryside in the 1890s. This mill has a huge 60-inch saw blade. It's powered by a special steam engine made in Pennsylvania.
Electric Power Plant
The museum's power plant was the first to provide electricity to the LaPorte County, Indiana courthouse. The main engine in the plant once powered a sawmill in Elkhart, Indiana.
Steam Traction Engines
The museum has many examples of steam traction engines. These powerful machines were built between 1899 and 1922. You can see them in action during the Labor Day Weekend Steam & Power Show. They are used to process grains for the fall harvest.
The Tom Thumb Locomotive Model
In September 2022, the museum announced a special new addition. They completed a half-size working model of the famous Tom Thumb locomotive. This model was built by Rick Weber. The original Tom Thumb was the very first working steam locomotive built in America, back in 1830! The model was shown at the museum's 66th Steam and Power Show.
