Indiana Railway Museum facts for kids
Main Station and Museum of the Indiana Railway Museum
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | French Lick, Indiana |
| Reporting mark | IRM |
| Locale | Indiana |
| Dates of operation | 1961–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Indiana Railway Museum is a fun place in French Lick, Indiana, United States. It's a special museum that collects and shows off old trains and other items that tell the story of railroads in Indiana. It's a great spot to learn about how trains helped shape the state!
Contents
History of the Museum
The Indiana Railway Museum started way back in 1961 in a town called Westport, Indiana. Back then, it only had one train engine and three passenger cars.
Over the years, the museum moved a couple of times. First, it went to Greensburg, Indiana. Then, in 1978, it found its permanent home in French Lick. This happened because the Southern Railway gave the museum 16 miles of old train tracks. These tracks stretched from West Baden, near French Lick, all the way to a small village called Dubois.
Train Collection
The museum has a really cool collection of more than 65 different train cars and engines! They have three old steam locomotives that are on display but don't run anymore. They also have three diesel locomotives that are still working and are used for train rides.
When you go on an excursion, a diesel locomotive usually pulls the train. The train often includes:
- An ALCO RS-1 or EMD GP16 engine
- Three bi-level commuter cars that used to belong to the Chicago and North Western Railroad
- A special car for snacks and drinks
- Four passenger cars from the old Rock Island line
- A unique dome car from the Northern Pacific
- An old caboose from the Illinois Central
Locomotives You Can See
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Here are some of the interesting locomotives at the museum:
- IRM #4: This is an ALCO RS-1 engine. It used to be #4 for the Algers, Winslow and Western Railway.
- IRM #6: A GE 80 Ton engine that was once used by the US Navy.
- IRM #78: An ALCO S-2 engine, which used to be #78 for the Michigan Southern.
- IRM #97: A Baldwin 2-6-0 steam engine, originally built as Mobile and Gulf #97.
- IRM 101: Another ALCO S-4 engine, which was #1 for the Algers, Winslow and Western Railway.
- IRM 208: A Baldwin 2-6-0 steam engine, built as Angelina and Neches River Railroad #208.
- IRM 1813: An EMD GP16 engine, which used to be #1810 for the Seaboard Air Line.
- SFRTA 704 and 706: These are special Colorado Railcar DMU trains that arrived in 2024. They used to be part of Tri-Rail.
The Museum's Train Tracks
The museum owns 16 miles of old train tracks. These tracks used to be part of the Southern Railway and Monon lines. They run from West Baden Springs through French Lick, and then southwest to the towns of Cuzco and Dubois.
A part of the track beyond Dubois is used by the Dubois County Railroad. This company helps connect with the larger Norfolk Southern train network at Huntingburg.
Fun Train Rides and Excursions
The museum runs a 10-mile section of its tracks as a special train ride called the French Lick Scenic Railway. This is a "heritage railroad," meaning it keeps old trains running for people to enjoy.
The train rides are usually a 20-mile round trip. You'll travel through beautiful parts of the Hoosier National Forest and go through the long 2200-foot Burton Tunnel! The whole trip takes about 2 hours.
Sometimes, the museum also works with the city of Jasper to run a train called the "Spirit of Jasper." This train starts from the rebuilt train station in Jasper and sometimes travels all the way to French Lick, known as the "Jasper to French Lick Express."
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of museums in Indiana
