Indiana Transportation Museum facts for kids
 |
|
Nickel Plate Road GP-7L diesel locomotive #426 pulling the Indiana State Fair Train.
|
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Logansport, Indiana |
| Reporting mark | ITMZ (Temporary equipment transfers/loans) |
| Locale | Northern Indiana |
| Dates of operation | 1960–2023 |
| Successor | Nickel Plate Express |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 38 mi (61 km) |
The Indiana Transportation Museum (ITM) was a railroad museum in Noblesville, Indiana. It used to own many old railroad vehicles, and some of them are still running today! The ITM stopped working in 2023. Now, a new group called the Nickel Plate Express runs the train line.
Contents
About the Museum
The Indiana Transportation Museum was a special place run by volunteers. Their goal was to save and show off Indiana's railroad history. They wanted to share old trains and information with everyone. They also ran trains to show how people traveled long ago.
How the Museum Started
The museum began in 1960. It was first called the Indiana Museum of Transportation and Communication (IMOTAC). At first, they focused on saving old electric streetcars and early passenger trains. They planned to build their museum in southern Indiana, but that didn't happen.
In 1964, IMOTAC signed a long-term agreement with the Noblesville Parks Department. This allowed them to use a 10-acre area in Forest Park. In 1966, they ran special train trips from Noblesville to Indianapolis for Indiana's 150th birthday. The museum bought an old train station from Hobbs, Indiana, in 1967. They moved it to Forest Park in 1968. This station became their gift shop, ticket office, and where people boarded trains. After the museum moved, the Nickel Plate Express started using the depot.
The museum officially opened on August 3, 1968. They even bought a large train shed from Indianapolis. They hoped to rebuild it in Forest Park to store their trains. However, it was too expensive to rebuild, so the parts were eventually scrapped. In 1973, the museum started offering short trolley rides on a half-mile track.
Changing Focus and New Adventures
In the 1980s, the museum decided to include more types of transportation. They changed their name to the Indiana Transportation Museum. In 1983, the ITM started a popular event called FairTrain. This train took people from Carmel, Indiana, to the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It became a yearly tradition. The FairTrain later moved to Fishers, Indiana, and ran until 2015.
The museum also tried to save old railroad tracks that were going to be removed. They wanted to keep them for their trains, but they were not successful. Some of these old tracks became walking and biking trails, like the Monon Trail.
From 1988 to 1998, the ITM ran exciting trips with large steam and diesel locomotives. They also appeared in movies and TV shows, like the Discovery Channel show Rediscovering America. In 1999, they stopped their trolley rides because one of their electric cars needed expensive repairs. Instead, they started offering fun caboose train rides. These rides became very popular until the museum had to move in 2018. In 2014, a famous steam locomotive called the Leviathan 63 visited the museum. This was the last time the ITM operated steam-powered trains.
Moving On
The ITM continued to run trains until 2015. At that time, they were not allowed to use the train line anymore by the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority. The museum then started looking for a new home in Logansport, Indiana.
In 2018, the city of Noblesville asked the museum to leave Forest Park. The ITM had to sell or scrap many of its old trains. They moved most of their remaining equipment to Logansport in 2018 and 2019. Some of their passenger cars went to Santa Claus, Indiana. Famous locomotives like Nickel Plate 587 were moved to Kentucky.
The city of Noblesville took over the old museum site in 2018. This site was later cleaned up and became the home of the Nickel Plate Express in 2022. The ITM tried to buy a short train line in Logansport in 2019, but that deal also fell through. The museum sold its last trains and officially closed down. The Indiana Transportation Museum was officially dissolved on March 5, 2023. Today, the Nickel Plate Express runs fun train rides on some of the old ITM tracks.
What the Museum Had
The museum was home to many important pieces of railroad history. They especially focused on trains and equipment from the Nickel Plate Railroad. Most passengers rode in special cars called Budd cars. These cars were built in 1937 and used to run on other famous railroads.
The ITM also had a large collection of old trolleys and interurban cars. These are electric trains that used to carry people between cities. They even had a fancy private railcar from 1898 that belonged to Henry Morrison Flagler, a famous railroad builder.
One of their most famous trains was the steam locomotive Nickel Plate 587. It was taken out of service in 2003 for major repairs. In 2018, it was moved to Kentucky for storage. As of 2025, there are ongoing discussions about its future.
Fun Events and Programs
While in Noblesville, the Indiana Transportation Museum offered many exciting train rides and events.
Special Train Rides
- The Morse Lake Dinner Train took people from Noblesville to restaurants near Morse Lake.
- The Hamiltonian was another dinner train that traveled to different towns.
- The Fair Train was the museum's biggest event. It carried up to 16,000 people each day to the Indiana State Fair!
- The Polar Bear Express was a holiday train in November and December. Riders could visit Santa Claus.
- The Harvest Train, also known as the Pumpkin Train, ran every October. You could pick out pumpkins along the train line.
- The Blue Arrow, or Pizza Train, took riders to Tipton for pizza.
Learning Programs
The museum also offered special tours for schools. These tours included a visit to the museum and a fun train ride.
See also
- List of United States railroads
- List of Indiana railroads
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of railway museums
