San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum facts for kids
The 1894 former Southern Pacific freight house, occupied by the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
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| Established | 2013 |
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| Location | 1940 Santa Barbara Ave San Luis Obispo, California |
| Type | Railroad museum |
The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is a cool place in San Luis Obispo, California. It was started to save and share the exciting history of railroads in California. The museum focuses on the Central Coast area. They collect, fix up, show, and even run old railroad equipment.
The museum also has a special library for research. It keeps old documents and photos. They are also creating a program to record stories from people who worked on the railroads. You can visit the museum every Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. If you have a group, you can arrange a visit at other times. The museum also has fun special events in May and October each year. You can find out more on their website, through emails, or in their newsletter called Coast Mail.
Contents
The Museum Building
The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum opened its doors in 2013. It is located in a really old building. This building used to be the Southern Pacific Freighthouse. It was built way back in 1894! You can find it at 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue. The museum is right next to the main Union Pacific train tracks. It is also just a short walk from the San Luis Obispo Amtrak station.
What You Can See Inside
The Freighthouse has a big exhibit hall. There is also a fantastic model railroad. This model shows the three-foot-wide tracks of the Pacific Coast Railway. It looks like Port San Luis did around 1920. Another part of the model shows the standard-sized tracks of the Southern Pacific Coast Line. This section goes from Surf to Paso Robles. It even includes the tricky Cuesta Grade crossing. This part of the model shows how things looked around 1950.
There is a special play area just for kids. It has fun train tables where you can play with trains. The museum also has a gift shop. You can buy railroad books, old-style lanterns, and clothes there. The whole building is easy to get around, even for people using wheelchairs. This includes the restrooms and the model railroad area. Outside, there is a platform along the display track. This is a safe spot to watch and take pictures of trains as they pass by.
The Museum's Collection
The museum has many interesting items on display. You can see old express wagons and furniture from train stations. There are also switch stands and parts of signal systems. You can even find telegraph equipment. The museum shows historical and modern photographs too.
Some of the cool vehicles include a handcar and a velocipede. These were small cars used on the tracks. There are also push cars and a pickup truck used for track maintenance. You can see equipment from mine and orchard railways. The museum also displays locomotive headlights, bells, and whistles.
The museum has many books, documents, and photos in its library. They are working to organize everything. If you are a researcher, you can arrange to see these items.
Train Cars and Locomotives
The museum has several exciting train cars and a locomotive. Many of these are being restored to look like new.
- La Cuesta: This is a fancy observation-lounge car from 1926. It was built by the Pullman Company for the Santa Fe Railway. It is currently being restored. You can get on board this car from the freighthouse platform.
- Southern Pacific Caboose No. 1886: This caboose has a bay window. It is on the display track. It is almost completely restored, both inside and out.
- Southern Pacific Tank Car: This tank car was made in 1903. It is on the display track and is being restored.
- Southern Pacific Gondola Car: This steel gondola car has wooden sides. It was used to carry sugar beets. It is on the display track and is being restored.
- Southern Pacific Flatcar F-70-7: This flatcar was built in 1949. It is on the display track and is being restored.
- Plymouth Switching Locomotive No. 2038: This 20-ton locomotive was used by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It was bought in 1941. It helped develop and supply Camp Roberts during World War II. It is on the display track and is in good shape.
- Pacific Coast Railway Boxcar No. 706: The outside of this boxcar has been restored to look good. The inside has been changed to hold storage and restrooms. You can get to it from inside the Freighthouse.
- Pacific Coast Railway Boxcar (1200 series): This boxcar is being restored on the outside. It is displayed on the west side of the building.
- Southern Pacific Caboose (Class C-30-1): This caboose has wooden sides and a cupola. It is waiting to be restored. You can see it at the south end of the display track.
- Southern Pacific Boxcar (Class B-50-13): This boxcar has outside braces. Most of its restoration is finished. Once it is done, the inside will hold more artifacts. You can see it on the display track near the museum's front door.
- Pacific Motor Transport Semitrailers: Two of these semitrailers are waiting to be restored. They are at the south end of the freighthouse. They will be placed on the museum's flatcar. This will create a special exhibit showing how trailers were carried on flatcars.
See also
In Spanish: Museo del Ferrocarril de San Luis Obispo para niños
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of museums in California
