Museum of Transportation facts for kids
A Burlington Zephyr and a Frisco 2-10-0 on display at the National Museum of Transportation.
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | Kirkwood, Missouri |
| Reporting mark | MOTX |
| Locale | Greater St. Louis |
| Dates of operation | 1944–Present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The National Museum of Transportation (NMOT) is a special museum in Kirkwood, Missouri, near St. Louis. It's a big place, about 42 acres, and it's all about different ways people have traveled!
This museum started in 1944. Its main goal is to find, fix up, and show off many kinds of vehicles. These vehicles cover 150 years of American history. You can see cars, boats, airplanes, and especially lots of trains and railroad equipment. The museum also has a library full of old transportation items and documents.
At one end of the museum's land, you'll find the West Barretts Tunnel. This tunnel was built in 1853. It was one of the very first tunnels for trains west of the Mississippi River. Because it's so old and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The museum has its own train track that connects to a main railway line. This special connection helps the museum bring in really big and unusual train pieces. There's also a fun miniature railroad that goes around a track near the parking lot. Plus, you can ride a full-sized, old-fashioned trolley from April to October, Thursday through Sunday.
Contents
Amazing Vehicles and Equipment
The National Museum of Transportation has a huge collection of vehicles. Let's explore some of the most exciting ones!
Trains and Railroad Equipment
The museum is famous for its large collection of trains. Here are some of the cool trains you can see:
- Aerotrain No. 3: This was a super modern-looking train from the 1950s. It was designed to be lightweight and fast.
- Milwaukee Road Bi-Polar Electric: This is the only one of its kind left! It's a powerful electric train that used two "poles" to get power.
- Union Pacific Big Boy #4006: This is one of the biggest and most powerful steam locomotives ever built! It's truly massive.
- Norfolk & Western Y6a class #2156: This steam locomotive is known for being incredibly strong. It was on loan to another museum for a few years.
- Union Pacific Centennial #6944: This is another huge and powerful locomotive, one of the largest diesel engines ever made.
- Southern Pacific "War Baby" #4460: This steam locomotive was built during World War II.
- EMC 1800 hp B-B #50: This is the only surviving locomotive of its type, once owned by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
- EMD FT #103: This was the very first "F-unit" train, a type of diesel locomotive that became very popular. It's a National Engineering Landmark!
- Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western #952: This is a rare "Camelback" steam locomotive. It has a unique design where the engineer sits in a cab over the boiler.
- Missouri-Kansas-Texas #311: This is the only surviving steam locomotive from the M-K-T railroad.
- Chicago & Illinois Midland #551: This is the only remaining steam locomotive from the C&IM railroad.
- Italian State Railroad E550.025: An electric locomotive from Italy!
- New York Central #2933: One of only two large steam locomotives left from the New York Central Railroad.
- Wabash #573: One of only two steam locomotives left from the Wabash Railroad.
- Union Pacific Rotary Snowplow 900081: This special train was used to clear huge amounts of snow from the tracks.
- The Whale: This is the largest tank car ever built, used for carrying liquids.
- PRR P5 #4700: An electric locomotive from the Pennsylvania Railroad.
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy #9908 Silver Charger: This was the locomotive that pulled the famous General Pershing Zephyr train.
- Frisco 1522: This steam locomotive was used for special trips and excursions for many years.
- Frisco 1621: A sister locomotive to another famous train at the Illinois Railway Museum.
- PRR GG1 #4918: Another powerful electric locomotive from the Pennsylvania Railroad, known for its sleek design.
- Chicago and Northwestern #1015: The only surviving "Atlantic" type locomotive from the Chicago and North Western railroad.
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A 1950s GM Aerotrain from the Rock Island railroad.
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A 4-6-0 Camelback locomotive built by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1873.
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Only surviving Milwaukee Road class EP-2 electric locomotive.
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An Erie Lackawanna Railway EMD SD45 restored to its original condition.
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The 9908 Silver Charger, which drew the General Pershing Zephyr train.
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Norfolk & Western 2156, the strongest-pulling steam locomotive in existence.
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USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive with a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement.
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A Southern Pacific GS-6 War Baby steam locomotive 4-8-4 wheel arrangement.
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Budd-built CB&Q Zephyr diner Silver Spoon.
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Frisco Number 1621.
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Chicago & Illinois Midland 2-8-2, Number 551, the sole surviving C&IM steam locomotive.
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Union Pacific Big Boy Number 4006.
Cool Cars and Automobiles
The Earl C. Lindburg Automotive Center is where you can see many interesting cars, including:
- 1908 Galloway Express truck: An early truck used for deliveries.
- 1901 St. Louis Motor Carriage Company car: A very old car made right in St. Louis!
- 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car: This car was very special because it had a jet engine, like an airplane, instead of a regular car engine!
- 1964½ Ford Mustang: The very first version of the famous Ford Mustang sports car.
- 1915 Ford Model T: This car helped make cars affordable for many families.
- Bobby Darin's Dream Car a DiDia 150: A unique, custom-built car owned by a famous singer.
- A special gallery showing cars that were built in St. Louis.
Boats and Airplanes
Besides trains and cars, the museum also has some other cool vehicles:
- A Missouri River towboat: These boats push barges along rivers.
- A C-47 Skytrain airplane: This type of plane was used a lot during World War II. You can see it at the main gate.
- A T-33 Shooting Star airplane: This was an early jet training aircraft.
Images for kids
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Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków
