Illinois Railway Museum facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Illinois Railway Museum

Aerial overview of the museum
Locale	Union, Illinois
Coordinates	42°13′40″N 88°31′43″W / 42.22778380°N 88.52859170°W / 42.22778380; -88.52859170
Connections	Union Pacific Railroad
Commercial operations
Built by	Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company
Original gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Reporting mark	IRMX
Stations	Mainline: 2 Streetcar loop: 5
Length	4.6 mi (7.4 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preservation history
1953	Opened as Illinois Electric Railway Museum
1956	Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company right-of-way acquired
1961	Named Illinois Railway Museum
1964	Museum relocated
1966	Illinois Terminal Railroad interurban car 415 first operated
1968	First steam locomotive operated
1972	First storage barn erected
1981	Streetcar loop constructed
Late 1980s/early 1990s	Railroad line built
Headquarters	Union, Illinois

The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) is the biggest railroad museum in the United States. You can find it in Union, Illinois, which is about 55 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. It's a great place to see many different types of trains!

About the Museum
- How the Museum Started
- What You Can Do There
Museum Buildings and Trains
- Museum Site and Buildings
Train Collection
How the Museum is Run
Special Events
See also

About the Museum

How the Museum Started

The Illinois Railway Museum began in 1953. Ten people bought an old train car called Indiana Railroad interurban car 65. At first, it was called the Illinois Electric Railway Museum. It was located in North Chicago.

In 1961, the museum changed its name to the Illinois Railway Museum. This new name showed that it was collecting more than just electric trains. In 1964, the museum moved to its current home in Union, Illinois. This new spot was along an old train track route.

The museum kept growing. In 1968, the first steam locomotive ran at the museum. In 1972, they built their first storage building for the trains. A one-mile streetcar loop was added in 1981. The museum also bought 4.6 miles of railroad track to use. In 2016, the IRM bought a huge 130-foot turntable. This turntable can turn any locomotive around. The museum owns over 500 pieces of equipment and more than 100 acres of land.

What You Can Do There

The museum is located just east of Union. You can ride trains on the main line and the streetcar loop. Electric trains run from April to October. Diesel and steam trains run from May to September.

You can also ride trolleybuses on special Saturdays. These include Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends. There is also a "Bus Day" in late September or early October. The Illinois Railway Museum is one of only two museums in the U.S. that runs both electric and diesel trains. It is also the only one that offers regular trolleybus rides.

Museum Buildings and Trains

Museum Site and Buildings

The Illinois Railway Museum covers more than 80 acres. This makes it the largest physical rail museum in North America. In 2009, the museum bought another 89 acres of land nearby. This extra land helps protect the museum from new buildings being built too close.

The main museum area in Union has many important structures:

11 buildings to store equipment. These buildings have over 3 miles of covered track.
Two more garages for trolleybuses and motor buses.
A special shop for fixing steam trains.
An old train station from Marengo, Illinois. This station was built in 1851 for the Chicago and North Western railway.
A full Chicago Rapid Transit Company station. This was the 50th Avenue station, closed in 1978.
Five different streetcar stations.
Many old, working neon signs and concrete decorations.
An indoor dining area built in 2003. It is open during certain seasons.
The Multi-purpose Building, finished in 2021. It holds a model railroad display, a changing exhibit gallery, and archives.
A 130-foot turntable from the Union Pacific Railroad.
Seven railroad crossings. Five of these have special wigwag signals.

The museum also has a research library in downtown Marengo. The Pullman Archive moved to the Multi-purpose Building in 2021.

Train Collection

Locomotives

The museum has many different types of locomotives. Here are some of them:

Locomotive details
Number	Image	Type	Builder	Built	Status	Previous owner
1630	Steam locomotive 1630	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1918	Being inspected and fixed	Eagle-Picher Mining and Smelting Company
7		Steam	Vulcan Iron Works	1917	On display	American Creosote Works
231	Diesel locomotive 231	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1977	Working	Dynamic Rail Preservation
644	Diesel locomotive 644	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1974	Working	Dynamic Rail Preservation
945	Electric locomotive 945	Electric	Electro-Motive Division	1982	On display	Amtrak
92	Diesel locomotive 92	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1967	Working	Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
2903	Steam locomotive 2903	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1943	On display	Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
1	Diesel locomotives 1 and 2	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1954	Working	Burlington Northern
2	Diesel locomotives 1 and 2	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1954	Working	Burlington Northern
3	Diesel locomotive 3	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1956	Working	Burlington Northern
5383	Diesel locomotive 5383	Diesel	GE Transportation	1974	Working	Burlington Northern
9400		Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1993	Needs fixing	BNSF Railway, Burlington Northern
2707	Steam locomotive 2707	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1943	On display	City of Cincinnati, Ohio
114	Diesel locomotive 114	Diesel	GE Transportation	1967	Working	Burlington Northern
504	Diesel locomotive 504	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1959	Working	Burlington Northern
637	Steam locomotive 637	Steam	Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works	1892	On display	City of Aurora, Illinois
3007	Steam locomotive 3007	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1930	On display, needs fixing	City of Griggsville, Illinois
4963	Steam locomotive 4963	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1923	On display	Chicago scrapyard
9255	Diesel locomotive 9255	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1950	Working	Burlington Northern
9911A (Silver Pilot)	Diesel locomotive 9911A	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1940	Working	Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
9976	Diesel locomotive 9976	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1953	Working	Burlington Northern
411	Diesel locomotive 411	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1949	Working	Metra
515	Diesel locomotive 515	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1953	Working	Iowa Pacific Holdings
1518	Diesel locomotive 1518	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1949	Working	Chicago and North Western Railway
1689	Diesel locomotive 1689	Diesel	American Locomotive Company	1954	Working	Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
6847	Diesel locomotive 6847	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1976	Working	Union Pacific Railroad
7009	Diesel locomotive 7009	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1985	Working	National Railway Equipment
803	Electric locomotive 803	Electric	GE Transportation	1949	Working	Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
5	Steam locomotive 5	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1922	On display	Chicago scrapyard
15	Diesel locomotive 15	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1950	Working	Midwest Generation LLC
4601	Electric locomotive 4601	Electric	GE Transportation	1956	On display	Railroad Museum of New England
9	Steam locomotive 9	Steam	H.K. Porter, Inc.	1925	On display	Private owner
16	Steam locomotive 16	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1915	On display	The Henry Ford Museum
6323	Steam locomotive 6323	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1942	On display	Private owner in Detroit, Michigan
8380	Steam locomotive 8380	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1929	On display	Northwestern Steel and Wire Company
26	Steam locomotive 26	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1926	On display	Private owner
2407	Diesel locomotive 2407	Diesel	American Locomotive Company	1960	Working	Green Bay and Western Railroad
201	Steam locomotive 201	Steam	Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works	1880	On display	Private owner
3719	Steam locomotive 3719	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1900	On display	Steamtown, U.S.A.
1605	Diesel locomotive 1605	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1953	Working	Norfolk and Western Railroad
5	Steam locomotive 5	Steam	Lima Locomotive Works	1929	Working	J. Neils Lumber Co.
35	Steam locomotive 35	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1916	On display	Marquette and Huron Mountain Railroad
207		Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1936	On display	Private owner in Detroit, Michigan
99	Steam locomotive 99	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1919	On display	South Shore Railroad
902	Diesel locomotive 902	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1957	On display	MBTA
308	Diesel locomotive 308	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1949	Working	Metra
614	Diesel locomotive 614	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1974	Needs fixing	Metra
30	Inspection car 30	Inspection car	Dodge	1947	On display	Mid-Continent Railway Museum
118C	Diesel locomotive 118C	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1951	Working	Milwaukee Road
265	Steam locomotive 265	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1944	On display	City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
760	Diesel locomotive 760	Diesel	Fairbanks-Morse	1944	Working	Milwaukee Road
21	Diesel locomotive 21	Diesel	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1948	Working	Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway
200	Diesel locomotive 200	Diesel	American Locomotive Company	1951	Working	Minnesota Transfer Railway
14	Diesel locomotive 14	Diesel	American Locomotive Company	1947	Working	Nekoosa Paper, Inc.
2050	Steam locomotive 2050	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1923	On display	AK Steel Holding
4927	Electric locomotive 4927	Electric	GE Transportation	1942	On display	Amtrak
7	Steam locomotive 7	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1926	On display	Central Illinois Public Service Company
938	Steam locomotive 938	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1910	On display	Fort Worth and Western Railroad
4506	Diesel locomotive 4506	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1955	Working	Rock Island
975	Steam locomotive 975	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1918	On display	City of Beaumont, Texas
1518	Diesel locomotive 1518	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1951	Working	Southern Pacific
400	Diesel locomotive 400	Diesel	American Locomotive Company	1958	On display
800		Diesel	American Locomotive Company	1964	Working	Morristown and Erie Railway
101		Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1924	Needs fixing	T. R. Miller
4	Fireless locomotive 4	Fireless	H.K. Porter, Inc.	1946	On display	Transport Museum Association
18	Gas turbine locomotive 18	Gas turbine	GE Transportation	1960	On display	Union Pacific
428	Steam locomotive 428	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1900	Being fixed	Union Pacific Railroad
1848	Diesel locomotive 1848	Diesel	GE Transportation	1988	Working	Union Pacific Railroad
6930	Diesel locomotive 6930	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1970	On display	Union Pacific Railroad
8537	Diesel locomotive 8537	Diesel	GE Transportation	1944	Working	United States Army Transportation Corps
967B		Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1955	Working	Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
7525	Diesel locomotive 7525	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1971	Working	Wisconsin Central
30	Diesel locomotive 30	Diesel	Electro-Motive Division	1960	Working	Atlantic and Western Railway

Electric Streetcars and Interurban Vehicles

The museum also has a large collection of electric trains, including streetcars and interurban cars.

Electric Interurban Cars and Streetcars details
Number	Image	Type	Builder	Built	Status	Previous Owner(s)
431	Interurban Coach 431	Interurban Coach	Cincinnati Car Company	1927	Working	Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
409	Interurban Coach 409	Interurban Coach	Pullman Car Company	1923	Working	Trolleyville USA, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
460	Interurban Coach 460	Interurban Coach	St. Louis Car Company	1945	Working	Trolleyville USA, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
451	Interurban Coach 451	Interurban Coach	St. Louis Car Company	1945	Being fixed	Trolleyville USA, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
453	Interurban Coach 453	Interurban Coach	St. Louis Car Company	1945	Being fixed	Trolleyville USA, Electric City Trolley Museum, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
36	Interurban Coach 36	Interurban Coach	Stephenson Car Company	1902	Working	Trolleyville USA, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
308	Interurban Coach 308	Interurban Coach	Niles Car Company	1906	Working	Indiana Museum of Transportation and Communication, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
309	Interurban Coach 309	Interurban Coach	Hicks Car Works	1907	Working	Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
319	Interurban Coach 319	Interurban Coach	Jewett Car Company	1914	Working	Trolleyville USA, Chicago Aurora & Elgin
321	Interurban Car 321	Interurban Car	Jewett Car Company	1914	Not working	Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
306		Interurban Coach	St. Louis Car Company	1924	Being fixed	Shaker Heights Rapid Transit,Trolleyville USA, Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric
160	Interurban Coach 160	Interurban Coach	Brill Car Company	1915	Working	Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
172	Interurban Coach 172	Interurban Coach	Cincinnati Car Company	1920	Not working	Indiana Railway Museum, Anderson Railroad Club, Indiana Museum of Transportation and Communication, Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee
251	Interurban Combine 251	Interurban Combine	Jewett Car Company	1917	Working	Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee
253	Interurban Combine 253	Interurban Combine	Jewett Car Company	1917	Not working	Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
714	Interurban Coach 714	Interurban Coach	Cincinnati Car Company	1926	Working	Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
749	Interurban Coach 749	Interurban Coach	Pullman Car Company	1928	Working	Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
757	Interurban Coach 757	Interurban Coach	Standard Steel Car Company	1930	Working	Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
763	Interurban Coach 763	Interurban Coach	Standard Steel Car Company	1930	Not working	Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
801-802 (Electroliner)	Electroliner 801-802	Interurban Four-Section Articulated Streamliner	St. Louis Car Company	1941	Being fixed	Philadelphia Suburban Transportation, Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
19		Interurban Coach	Pullman Car Company	1928	Not working	National Park Service, Chicago South Shore & South Bend
28		Interurban Coach	Standard Steel Car Company	1929	Not working	Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, Chicago South Shore & South Bend
34	Interurban Coach 34	Interurban Coach	Standard Steel Car Company	1929	Working	Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
40		Interurban Coach	Standard Steel Car Company	1929	Working	National Park Service, Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
8		Interurban Coach	Pullman Car Company	1926	Not working	Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
101	Interurban Coach 101	Interurban Center-Entrance Coach	American Car Company	1917	Working	Illinois Terminal
233		Interurban Office Car	St. Louis Car Company	1906	Not working	Illini Railroad Club, Illinois Terminal
234	Interurban Observation Car 234	Interurban Observation Car	Danville Car Company	1910	Working	Illini Railroad Club, Illinois Terminal
277	Interurban Combine 277	Interurban Combine	St. Louis Car Company	1913	Working	Illinois Terminal
415	Interurban Coach/Streetcar 415	Interurban Coach/Streetcar	St. Louis Car Company	1924	Working	Illinois Terminal
504	Interurban Sleeper 504	Interurban Sleeper	American Car & Foundry Company	1910	Not working	Illinois Terminal
518		Interurban Trailer	St. Louis Car Company	1911	Working	Illini Railroad Club, Illinois Terminal
65	Light Interurban Coach 65	Light Interurban Coach	Pullman Car Company	1931	Working	Indiana Railroad, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City
1754		Rapid Transit Car	Jewett Car Company	1906	Working	Chicago Elevated Railway, Chicago Transit Authority
1268		Rapid Transit Trailer	American Car & Foundry Company	1907	Working	Chicago Rapid Transit Company, Chicago Transit Authority
1500-1600 series	Bi level Highliner EMU	Bi level Highliner EMU	St Louis	1971-1972	Working	Metra Electric

Other Vehicles and Equipment

The museum has many other interesting items:

A Toronto Transit Commission CLRV #4034 streetcar. It is being changed to fit the museum's tracks.
The Nebraska Zephyr: A fast passenger train from the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
Two New York City Transit Authority subway cars (numbers 7926–7927) from 1960.
The museum's train station: Built in 1851, it is the oldest train station west of the Appalachian Mountains that is still used regularly.
23 electric trolleybuses from many cities like Chicago, Cleveland, and Vancouver.
13 motor buses from different companies.
87 passenger cars from various builders.
106 freight cars from many different railroad companies.

Locomotives That Used to Be Here

Some locomotives that were once at the museum have moved to other places:

Locomotive details
Number	Image	Type	Builder	Built	Status	Owner
154	Steam locomotive 154	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1909	On display	The Henry Ford Museum
102	Steam locomotive 102	Steam	American Locomotive Company	1923	On display	End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum
34	Steam locomotive 34	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1916	Stored; being fixed	Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
475	Steam locomotive 475	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1906	Working	Strasburg Rail Road
2	Steam locomotive 2	Steam	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1912	Working	Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, Oregon Rail Heritage Center

Other famous locomotives have visited the museum. These include trains from the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet and Metra.

How the Museum is Run

The Illinois Railway Museum is a non-profit organization. It is owned and managed by its members. A group of directors, chosen by the members, helps run the museum. Most of the people who work at the museum are volunteers. They are organized into different departments like Steam, Diesel, and Electric Car. If you are interested in trains, you are encouraged to volunteer! The museum provides all the necessary training.

Special Events

The museum hosts fun events, including:

Day Out with Thomas