Ohio Railway Museum facts for kids
The Ohio Railway Museum is a cool place where you can learn all about trains and their history! It was started way back in 1948 and is located in Worthington, Ohio, which is close to Columbus. It even has its own working train line!
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History of the Museum
The Ohio Railway Museum is one of the oldest groups in North America that saves old railroad equipment and teaches people about train history. It even has an operating railroad line! The museum began in 1948 as "The Central Ohio Railfans Association." It officially changed its name to The Ohio Railway Museum on February 17, 1993.
What the Museum Does
The Ohio Railway Museum (ORM) is an educational place. Its main goal is to save and operate old railway equipment. They especially focus on trains and artifacts that have a history in Ohio. The museum teaches people about trains through special events, publications, and by letting visitors experience rides on historic equipment.
Cool Trains and Cars at the Museum
Here are some of the special trains and cars you can find at the Ohio Railway Museum:
- Ohio Public Service #21
- Norfolk & Western #578
- Marble Cliff Quarry Co. #1
- Kansas City Public Service #472
- Columbus Street Railway (Columbus & Southern Electric) #703
- Illinois Terminal Railroad #450
- Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric #2
- Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad #7
- Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad #119
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) #163
- Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway #501
- Ohio Public Service #64 (Built As #41)
- United States Army Transportation Corps #7178
More About the Collection
Ohio Public Service #21
Car #21 was the very first piece the museum got in 1947. It moved to the museum grounds in 1948. This car is a great example of how wooden interurban cars were built between 1900 and 1910. It was made in 1905 by the Niles Car and Manufacturing Company in Niles, Ohio. An interurban car is like a streetcar that travels between cities.
This car is about 50 feet (15 meters) long and weighs about 60,500 pounds (27,442 kg). It has a special section for baggage, a smoking area that could seat 12 people, and a main passenger area for 34 people. The car is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a very important historical item!
Norfolk & Western #578
Norfolk and Western 578 is a "Pacific" type steam locomotive. It was built in March 1910. This big train is about 90 feet (27 meters) long with its tender. When it's fully loaded, it weighs 285 tons (259,000 kg)!
The "4-6-2" in its name tells you how its wheels are arranged:
- 4 wheels at the front (pilot truck)
- 6 big wheels in the middle that make it move (driving wheels)
- 2 wheels at the back (trailing truck)
The name "Pacific" was given to this type of wheel arrangement because it was first used on the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
Locomotive #578 was used for passenger service, pulling up to 8 heavy Pullman passenger cars at speeds up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h). It was given to the Ohio Railway Museum on February 12, 1959. This locomotive is special because it's the last one of its kind (E2a) that still exists!
Marble Cliff Quarries #1
This small steam locomotive was built in 1924. It's called a "saddle tank" locomotive because its water tank sits on top of the boiler like a saddle. It is about 20 feet (6 meters) long and weighs 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg).
It was given to the museum in 1954 and was even used to help move the big N&W #578 onto the museum property! In 2006, it was cleaned up to look nice and was displayed at another museum. In 2018, it came back to the Ohio Railway Museum and is now on display there.
Kansas City Public Service #472
Car #472 is a streetcar built in 1900. It's about 30 feet (9 meters) long and can seat 24 passengers, with a crew of 2 people. It was given to the museum in 1956.
Columbus Railway Power and Light #703
Car #703 is a streetcar from Columbus, built in 1925. It weighs about 36,620 pounds (16,611 kg) and is about 45 feet (13.8 meters) long. It can seat 48 passengers and has room for 2 crew members. This streetcar was donated to the museum in 1962. It is currently being restored so it can run again!
Illinois Terminal Railroad #450
Car #450 is a PCC car. PCC stands for "Presidents' Conference Committee," which was a group that designed these modern streetcars. It was built in 1949 and is about 50 feet (15.3 meters) long. It weighs about 42,680 pounds (19,359 kg). This car was given to the museum in 1964. Today, it takes visitors on rides up and down the line on the museum's operating days!
