RailsWest Railroad Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Council Bluffs
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Former Rock Island Line passenger rail station | |||||||||||||||||||||
Council Bluffs station in May 2011.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 1512 South Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1899 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Former services | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 1512 S. Main St. Council Bluffs, Iowa |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | less than one acre | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1899 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Architect | Chief Engineer, CRI & PRR; Volk, John, & Co. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Architectural style | Romanesque | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 95000856 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | July 21, 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||
The RailsWest Railroad Museum is a cool place to learn about trains! It's located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This museum is run by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County. It shows how important railroads were to the city's past.
Contents
History of the Train Station
The museum is inside an old train station. This station was built for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. Another company, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, also used it.
A Historic Building
This old train station is very special. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building in American history. It's officially called the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot. Many people also just called it the Rock Island Depot.
When the Station Was Busy
The station first opened in 1899. For many years, it was a busy place! Famous passenger trains stopped here every day. Some of these trains included the Rocky Mountain Rocket, the Midwest Hiawatha, the Arrow, and the Corn Belt Rocket. These trains carried people all across the country. Passenger train service at this station ended in 1971. Other similar train stations were built in Iowa City, Iowa and Ottawa, Illinois.
What You Can See at the Museum
RailsWest has lots of interesting things to explore! You can learn about the eight different railroad companies that served Council Bluffs. There are also displays about the Railway Mail Service. This was when mail was sorted right on the train!
Model Trains and Real Trains
The museum has a huge HO scale model railroad. This is a miniature world of trains! Outside the old station, you can see real, big trains.
- There's a Union Pacific locomotive (train engine) called 814.
- You can also see Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive 915.
- There are cabooses from the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. A caboose is the last car on a freight train.
- Check out a 1953 switch engine. This small engine was built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works. It was used to move train cars around.
- You can also see the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Omaha lounge car. This car was a comfortable place for passengers to relax.
- There's a Union Pacific boxcar. This type of car carries goods.
- Don't miss the Union Pacific Railway Post Office car 5908. This is where mail was handled on the go!
Watching Trains Go By
The museum is right next to active train tracks. These tracks are used by the Union Pacific, BNSF, and Iowa Interstate Railroad. There's a safe, fenced-in area where you can watch the trains. This is a fun activity called railfanning!
Images for kids
-
Union Pacific 814
-
Union Pacific 814 side view
-
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 915
