RailsWest Railroad Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Council Bluffs
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| Former Rock Island Line passenger rail station | |||||||||||||||||||||
Council Bluffs station in May 2011.
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| Location | 1512 South Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1899 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Former services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1512 S. Main St. Council Bluffs, Iowa |
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| 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. The museum shows the exciting history of railroads in this area. It is run by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County.
Contents
Exploring the RailsWest Railroad Museum
The museum is inside an old train station. This station was once very busy. It served passengers for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. Another company, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, also used it.
A Historic Train Station
This old train station is very special. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building in American history. People also called it the Rock Island Depot.
The station first opened its doors in 1899. For many years, important trains stopped here every day. These trains included the Rocky Mountain Rocket, Midwest Hiawatha, the Arrow, and Corn Belt Rocket. Passenger train service at this station ended in 1971. Other similar stations were built in Iowa City, Iowa and Ottawa, Illinois.
What You Can See at the Museum
RailsWest has many interesting exhibits. You can learn about the eight different railroad companies that served Council Bluffs. There are also displays about the Railway Mail Service. This service used trains to deliver mail across the country.
You can also see a huge HO scale model railroad. It's a miniature world of trains! Outside the old station, there are real train cars to explore.
Meet the Locomotives
You can see two big locomotives up close. One is Union Pacific locomotive 814. The other is Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive 915. These powerful engines once pulled long trains.
Other Cool Train Cars
The museum also has several cabooses. These are the cars at the very end of a freight train. You can see cabooses from the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.
There's also a 1953 switch engine. This smaller engine helped move train cars around the rail yard. You can also explore a Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Omaha lounge car. This car was a comfy place for passengers to relax. A Union Pacific boxcar and a Union Pacific Railway Post Office car (number 5908) are also on display.
Train Spotting Fun
The RailsWest Museum is right next to active train tracks. These tracks are used by the Union Pacific, BNSF, and Iowa Interstate Railroad. The museum has a special fenced area for railfanning. This means you can safely watch real trains go by!
Images for kids
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Union Pacific 814
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Union Pacific 814 side view
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Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 915
