Monticello Railway Museum facts for kids
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A museum tourist train, being led by Wabash Railroad F7A #1189, rests in front of the Nelson's Crossing depot.
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| Locale | Monticello, Piatt County, Central Illinois |
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Quick facts for kids Preserved operations |
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| Reporting mark | MRMZ (Temporary equipment transfers/loans) |
| Length | 15 mi (24 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Preservation history | |
| Headquarters | Monticello, Illinois |
The Monticello Railway Museum (also known as MRYM) is a special place in Monticello, Illinois. It's a non-profit museum that saves and shares the history of railroads. You can find it about 18 miles west of Champaign, Illinois. The museum is home to over 100 pieces of old railroad equipment. This includes many cool diesel locomotives and passenger cars that have been brought back to life.
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Discover the Monticello Railway Museum
The museum offers a fun way to experience history: a tourist railroad! You can ride excursion trains on old tracks that once belonged to the Illinois Terminal and Illinois Central Gulf railroads. It's like stepping back in time.
If you're really into trains, you can even try the "Throttle Time" program. For a donation, you get to operate one of the locomotives yourself! Trains run from May through October, and on special holidays too.
The museum's Camp Creek yard was built by amazing volunteers. Part of the track, called the Terminal Division, follows an old Illinois Terminal route. The Central Division was bought from the Illinois Central railroad. This allowed the museum to reach downtown Monticello and the historic Wabash Railroad depot. This depot is now the main station for the museum's trains.
Finding the Museum
The Monticello Railway Museum is easy to find! It's located right off Interstate 72 at Market Street Exit 166. Just turn at the stoplight onto Iron Horse Place, near the Best Western Gateway Inn. Then, follow the road until you reach the end. It takes about 25 minutes to drive from Champaign or Decatur. From Bloomington, it's about 50 minutes.
How the Museum Started
The Monticello Railway Museum is an educational organization that began in 1966. It was first called "SPUR, Inc." (Society for the Perpetuation of Unretired Railfans, Inc). Their first idea was to keep steam trains running for fans on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.
When that didn't work out, SPUR decided to run their own steam trains. They started looking for old train equipment and a good place to operate. In 1966, they were invited to Monticello, Illinois. They moved their very first piece of equipment, locomotive #1, to a vacant lot there. This locomotive was a 1925 Alco 0-4-0T.
In 1970, the group changed its name to the Monticello & Sangamon Valley Railway Historical Society, Inc. Then, in 1982, it became the Monticello Railway Museum we know today.
The museum bought its first land: about five miles of old Illinois Terminal track between Monticello and White Heath. This track had been unused for a few years. Volunteers worked hard to lay new track. Over time, they completed about 2.5 miles of track towards White Heath.
In 1987, the museum bought another 7.5 miles of track from the Illinois Central Gulf railroad. This new section, called the "Central Division," runs alongside the old Illinois Terminal track. Volunteers quickly built a connection between the two lines. After a special "Golden Spike" ceremony, the museum's first train ride into Monticello happened!
Today, most train rides happen on the Central Division. The Terminal Division is used mainly when trains pull into the Nelson's Crossing depot. The station names you hear are the same ones used by the original railroads.
Amazing Train Equipment
The museum has many different types of locomotives and cars. Each one has its own unique story!
Locomotives: The Powerhouses
- Southern Railway #401: This steam locomotive was built in 1907. It's a 2-8-0 Consolidation type. After 15 years of hard work, it's now running again! It arrived at the museum in 1971.
- Wabash Railroad #1189: This F7A was the very last F7A ordered by the Wabash Railroad. It was built in 1953. After being retired, it was donated to the museum in 1982. Volunteers restored it, and it was dedicated in 1992. In 2014, it got a big upgrade from Norfolk Southern.
- Canadian National #6789: This FPA4 locomotive was built in 1959. It was retired in 1989 and bought by a private owner in 1994.
- Milwaukee Road #1649: An NW2 built in 1947. It arrived at the museum in 2000 and was fully restored by 2003.
- Illinois Central #8733: This GP11 was originally a GP9 built in 1958. It was rebuilt in 1980 and donated to the museum in 2001. It's now fully operational.
- Illinois Central #6071: An SD40 built in 1964. It was the very first SD40 ever made! It was donated in 2009 and later upgraded.
- Illinois Central #1407: This EMD SW14 was originally an SW7 built in 1949. It was rebuilt and renumbered. It was donated to the museum in 2022.
- Long Island Rail Road #1559: An RS-3 built in 1955. It's currently painted as Illinois Central Railroad #704 to celebrate that railroad's 150th anniversary.
- Lincoln Sand & Gravel #44: This 44-ton engine was built in 1940. It was used at the museum from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Today, it's on display.
- Pennsylvania Railroad #5764: An E8A built in 1952. This was the last passenger engine built for the Pennsy. It's currently being restored. When finished, it will look like Illinois Central #4044.
- Engine #1: This was the museum's very first piece of equipment, acquired in 1966. It's a 1925 0-4-0 steam engine. It was the first to run on the museum's new track in 1970. It's now on display.
- Engine #191: Built in 1916, this 0-6-0 steam engine arrived at the museum in 1972. It operated until 1986.
- Mississippi Eastern Railway #303: A 4-6-0 steam locomotive built in 1916. It arrived at the museum in 2000.
- Canadian National #6862: An FPB4 built in 1958. It was acquired by its private owner in 1995.
- Illinois & Midland Railroad #31: This EMD RS1325 was built in 1960. It's one of only two RS1325s ever made! The museum bought it in 2020.
- Illinois Terminal Railroad #784: An EMD SW1200 built in 1955. The museum bought this locomotive in 2020.
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad #9940: This E9A was built in 1950. It was donated to the museum in 2023.
Rolling Stock: Passenger and Specialty Cars
- Illinois Central #892: This unique car was built in 1918. It's a combine car, meaning it carried both passengers and baggage. It was later used for testing railroad parts. During restoration, the glass floor in the baggage area was kept!
- Rock Island #2541: Built in 1925, this car was used for commuter service in Chicago until the 1970s.
- Illinois Central #7: This special office-observation car was built in 1917 for the Illinois Central Railroad.
- Illinois Central #3531: Originally built in 1950 as a sleeping car for the Nickel Plate Road. It was later bought by the Illinois Central and rebuilt. This car, named "Council Bluffs," is now on display.
- Nautilus II aquarium car: This amazing car was rebuilt in 1957 from an old lunch-counter car. It was used by the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to transport live marine animals! It could hold up to 3,000 specimens. The car was donated in 1974.
- Delaware & Hudson baggage car #405: This car was acquired by the museum in 1995.
- Pleasant Valley sleeper: Built in 1942, this sleeping car was used for long trips. It has six open sections, six small rooms, and four bedrooms.
- Illinois Central #3312 "Gulfport": This special car was built in 1942 as part of the famous Panama Limited train. It's a sleeper, observation, and lounge car. It was donated to the museum in 2005. It needed a lot of work, but it was moved to the museum in 2006.
- Illinois Central coach #2612 "Carondelet": Built in 1947, this passenger coach was purchased in 1995 and fully restored by 2000.
- Illinois Central coach #2920: This passenger coach was built in 1925.
- Illinois Central Diner #4112: This dining car was restored in 2015. It has unique L-shaped booths and a fully working kitchen, including a special stove.
- Illinois Central diner #4110 "Shadrach Bond": Built in 1946, this diner was part of the "Green Diamond" train. It was donated to the museum in 2015 and has been fully restored.
- Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Railroad sleeper #9012 "Timothy B. Blackstone": Built in 1950, this sleeping car was named after a former railroad president. It was donated to the museum in 2015.
Historic Buildings at the Museum
The museum also has some cool old buildings that tell a story.
Nelson's Crossing Depot
This depot was donated in 1977. It was originally an Illinois Central Railroad depot located in Deland, Illinois. It was built in 1919 and rebuilt in 1942. The depot was moved to the museum in 1980. Today, it serves as the museum's ticket office and gift shop.
Wabash Depot
The Wabash Depot was built in 1899. It replaced an earlier depot that had burned down. This depot was moved to its current spot in 1987. It was restored by a group called the Monticello Depot Association. In 1993, this group joined with the Monticello Railway Museum.
Exciting Special Events
The museum hosts several special events throughout the year that are fun for the whole family!
Railroad Days
"Railroad Days" is a big event held every year on the third weekend of September. With one daily ticket, you can enjoy an amazing railroad experience. You can ride a regular passenger train, a mixed-freight train, and even motor cars that go to White Heath.
Fireworks Special
Imagine watching fireworks from a train! The "Fireworks Special" train leaves at 8:00 pm and travels north to the museum grounds. You can choose to ride in air-conditioned coaches, an open-air car, or open-window coaches. It's a unique way to see a fireworks show!
Learn More About Railroads
- List of United States railroads
- List of Illinois railroads
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of railway museums
This 1980 documentary film about Engine #1 was filmed at this museum. It's a great way to learn about how steam engines work and how to operate one: [1]
