Southeastern Railway Museum facts for kids
| Georgia's Official Transportation History Museum | |
A General Electric 44-ton switcher train engine at the Southeastern Railway Museum.
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| Established | 1970 by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society |
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| Location | 3595 Buford Hwy. Duluth, Georgia USA |
| Type | Railroad and transportation Museum |
| Collection size | over 90 pieces of rolling stock exhibited |
The Southeastern Railway Museum (SRM) is a large railroad museum located in Duluth, Georgia, near the city of Atlanta. If you love trains and learning about how people used to travel, this is a fascinating place to visit!
The museum was started in 1970 by a group of train enthusiasts from the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Today, it sits on a 30-acre site and has a huge collection of over 90 historic train cars and engines, also known as rolling stock. Because of its amazing collection, the museum was named Georgia's official transportation history museum in 2000. This means it also collects other types of vehicles, like buses and trolleys.
Besides the trains, visitors can see many other railroad artifacts and explore a restored train station from 1871. You can even take a short ride on a train pulled by a historic caboose! The museum also has a miniature park train and a model railroad for visitors to enjoy.
Contents
The Train Collection
The museum's collection of trains is called "rolling stock." It includes many different types of locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars from different times in history.
Steam Locomotives
Steam locomotives are powerful engines that are powered by burning coal to heat water into steam. The museum has several impressive examples.
- Atlanta and West Point Railroad No. 290: A large "Heavy Pacific" type steam locomotive, famous for pulling the Crescent passenger train between New Orleans and New York.
- Savannah and Atlanta Railway No. 750: A "Light Pacific" locomotive that was also used for pulling passenger trains.
- Georgia Power No. 97: A smaller engine that was used for moving train cars around in industrial areas. It has a unique tank on top for holding water.
- Southern Railway No. 1509 "Maud": An even smaller, older locomotive from the 1800s, nicknamed "Maud."
Diesel Locomotives
Diesel locomotives replaced steam engines in the mid-20th century. They use diesel fuel to power an electric generator, which then powers the wheels.
- Southern Railway No. 6901: A classic EMD E8 locomotive, known for its sleek, streamlined look. These were often used for famous passenger trains.
- Georgia Railroad No. 1026: A versatile EMD GP7 locomotive that could be used for both pulling freight and passenger trains.
- New York, Ontario and Western Railway No. 104: A small but strong GE 44-ton switcher engine, designed for moving cars around in a rail yard.
Passenger Cars
Passenger cars are where people sat, ate, and slept on long train journeys. The museum has some very special ones.
- The Superb: This private car was like a hotel on wheels. It was used by two U.S. Presidents, Warren G. Harding and Woodrow Wilson.
- The Marco Polo: Another private car, this one was used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his travels.
- Southern Railway Diner No. 3168: A dining car where passengers would enjoy full meals served at tables, just like in a restaurant.
- Amtrak Loch Arkaig: A Slumbercoach, which was a type of sleeping car with small, private rooms for passengers on overnight trips.
Freight and Work Cars
Trains were also essential for moving goods across the country. The museum shows how this was done with its collection of freight cars and other work equipment.
- Southern Railway "Big John" Hopper Car: A very large hopper car designed to carry huge amounts of grain.
- Fruit Growers Express Reefer: A "reefer," or refrigerated boxcar, used to keep food cold during transport before modern refrigerated trucks existed.
- Cabooses: The museum has several cabooses from different railroads. A caboose was the last car on a freight train, where the train crew could work and rest.
- Jordan Spreader: A special piece of equipment used to spread gravel for the tracks or to clear snow in the winter.
Other Vehicles on Display
Because it's Georgia's official transportation museum, the collection includes more than just trains.
Buses and Trolleys
You can see how public transportation has changed over the years by looking at these vehicles:
- Georgia Railway and Power Company Streetcar No. 269: An old-fashioned electric streetcar, also known as a trolley, that once ran through the streets of Atlanta.
- Atlanta Transit System Trackless Trolley No. 1296: An electric bus that got its power from overhead wires, but ran on rubber tires instead of tracks.
- MARTA Buses: The museum has several buses from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), showing how bus design has evolved over the decades.
- Atlanta Airport People Mover: The museum even has two cars from the original automated train that carries people between terminals at the Atlanta airport.
Special Events at the Museum
The museum is a busy place with fun events all year long. Some of the annual events include:
- Caboose Days in the spring.
- Trains, Trucks & Tractors in August.
- Classics at the Crossing car show in the fall.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
