National New York Central Railroad Museum facts for kids
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Some Norfolk Southern intermodal trains pass between the museum and Elkhart Amtrak station
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| Established | 1987 |
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| Location | Elkhart, Indiana |
| Type | Railroad |
The National New York Central Railroad Museum is a cool place in Elkhart, Indiana. It's a railroad museum that keeps the history of the New York Central Railroad (NYC) alive.
At the museum, you can see real train equipment outside. Inside, there are amazing model railroads and old items from the NYC and other railroads. You can also learn about the history of trains. The museum is always growing to show more about local and national train history. The museum building itself includes parts of a special NYC 20th Century Limited train and a freight house built in 1907.
Contents
Train History in Elkhart
Elkhart was a super important spot for trains in the U.S. It connected the East and West as railroads grew. In 1833, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway (LS&MS) built a train line through Elkhart. The NYC later took over this line in 1914.
The museum is right across from the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) main train line. You can often see NS freight trains passing by, sometimes every 15 minutes! The Elkhart Amtrak Station is also close by. You can watch passenger trains like the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited arrive and depart daily.
Awesome Trains and Equipment
The museum has many different types of trains and equipment. You can see powerful locomotives and special railcars.
Locomotives: The Powerhouses
Locomotives are the engines that pull trains. The museum has some amazing ones!
Steam Locomotives
- New York Central 3001: This huge steam engine was built in 1940. It's the biggest surviving example of the NYC's modern steam trains. It's one of only two NYC 4-8-2 engines left. This engine was super fast, reaching speeds up to 80 miles per hour (129 km/h). It was designed to pull trains through mountains but also ran along the NYC's "Water Level Route" in New York.
Diesel Locomotives
- 1953 EMD E8 (NYC #4085): This diesel engine was the lead locomotive for the famous 20th Century Limited train. It pulled the very last eastbound trip of that train from Chicago, Illinois on December 2, 1967.
Electric Locomotives
- Penn Central (PC) 4882: This electric engine, a Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) GG1, was built in 1939. It was painted in PC colors. It was one of the fastest engines of its time, reaching speeds up to 100 miles per hour (161 km/h). A famous designer named Raymond Loewy helped create its sleek look.
- Electric Interurban Car 15: This car belonged to the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad. It was built in 1926.
Cabooses: The End of the Line
- 1974 Conrail bay window caboose #21230: A caboose is a special car at the very end of a freight train. This one has "bay windows" that stick out, giving the crew a good view of the train.
Other Cool Equipment
- Several Pullman Company railcars: These were fancy passenger cars, often used for sleeping or dining.
- A 150 ton (165 Tonnes) railroad crane: This huge crane was used to lift heavy objects, like train cars.
- Two steel Baltimore & Ohio Railroad freight cars: These cars carried goods.
- A 250 ton (275 Tonnes) self-propelled crane: This crane could move itself!
- A railroad post office car: Trains used to carry mail and even sort it on the go.
- A PRR diner car: This car was where passengers could eat meals while traveling.
Inside the Museum
When you go inside the museum, you'll find:
- Model railroads: Detailed miniature train sets that show how trains looked and operated.
- NYC memorabilia: A collection of items, photos, and documents from the New York Central Railroad.
See also
- NYC Mohawk
- 20th Century Limited
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
