Southeastern Railway Museum facts for kids
Georgia's Official Transportation History Museum | |
![]() New York, Ontario & Western Railway General Electric 44-ton switcher #104 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 (also called SRM) is a fun museum about trains in Duluth, Georgia. It's located near Atlanta.
The museum started in 1970. It was created by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Today, the museum has more than 90 different trains and vehicles. These are spread out over a large area of 30 acres.
In 2000, the museum became Georgia's official museum for transportation history. This means it collects all kinds of vehicles, not just trains. You can see many cool things here.
Besides the trains, there are lots of old railroad items. There's also a huge collection of historical papers and photos. You can visit a restored train station from 1871. There's even a small train ride and a model train display. Visitors can also ride in old cabooses on a short track.
Contents
Explore the Train Collection
The museum has a huge collection of trains. These include old steam engines and modern diesel locomotives. You can also see passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses.
Steam Locomotives: Old Powerhouses
Steam locomotives are like giant kettles on wheels. They use boiling water to create steam, which makes them move. These engines were very important a long time ago.
- Atlanta and West Point Railroad 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific No. 290
- Savannah and Atlanta Railway 4-6-2 Light Pacific No. 750
- Gainesville Midland Railway 2-10-0 No. 203
- Chattahoochee Valley Railroad 2-8-0 No. 21
- Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad 4-4-0 General II
- Georgia Power USATC 0-6-0T No. 97
- Southern Railway 1509 "Maud" 0-4-4T
- Campbell Limestone 2-Truck Heisler No. 9
Diesel Locomotives: Modern Workhorses
Diesel locomotives use powerful diesel engines. They are like giant trucks on rails. These engines replaced steam trains because they were more efficient.
- Southern Railway EMD SW7 No. 8202
- Southern Railway EMD E8 No. 6901
- Southern Railway EMD GP30 No. 2594
- Armco Steel Baldwin-Westinghouse Boxcab No. B-70
- Hartwell Railroad General Electric 44-ton switcher No. 2
- New York, Ontario and Western Railway General Electric 44-ton switcher No. 104 (pictured in infobox)
- Georgia Railroad EMD GP7 No. 1026 (pictured)
- Louisville & Nashville ALCO S-4m No. 2326
- CSX EMD SD45-2 No. 8954
- SMRX GE 50-Tonner No. 3
Passenger Cars: Travel in Style
Passenger cars are where people rode the trains. The museum has many different types. Some were very fancy and used by important people.
- Norfolk Southern/Central of Georgia No. NS 30 Marco Polo/Savannah. This car was used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Seaboard Coast Line Railroad No. 301 Superb. This car was used by U.S. Presidents Warren G. Harding and Woodrow Wilson.
- Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Sleeper/Lounge Washington Club
- Clinchfield Railroad Bar/Lounge car No. 112. This car was used for meetings and parties.
- Southern Railway Diner No. 3168
- Southern Railway Coach No. 3780. It is painted as New Georgia Railroad No. 1104.
- Southern Railway Coach No. 812 Charlottesville
- Southern Railway Coach No. 1212
- Southern Railway Coach No. 1065
- Southern Railway Coach No. 1078
- Central of Georgia Coach No. 527
- Central of Georgia Coach No. 651. It is painted as New Georgia Railroad No. 1111. You can ride this car in winter.
- Central of Georgia Coach No. 662
- Atlantic Coast Line Business car No. 307. It is now called SMRX No. 307 Georgia On My Mind.
- Southern Railway 10-1-2 sleeper Thomas Ruffin
- Southern Railway 10-6 sleeper No. 2019 Tugalo River. It is now called Norfolk Southern "NS17".
- Amtrak 24-8 Slumbercoach No. 2092 Loch Arkaig
- USAX Troop kitchen car No. 200
Head-End Equipment: Mail and Baggage
These cars were usually at the front of the train. They carried mail, packages, and luggage.
- Southern Railway RPO/Baggage car No. 153. It is used to store museum archives.
- Southern Railway RPO No. 1701 Grand Junction
- Southern Railway Baggage car No. 116
- Southern Railway Baggage car No. 451. It is used for archive storage.
- Southern Railway Baggage car No. 582
- Southern Railway Baggage car No. 6457
- Southern Railway Baggage car No. 4529. This car is used for meetings and parties.
- Central of Georgia Railway Baggage car No. 405
Freight Cars: Moving Goods
Freight cars are used to carry all sorts of goods. They move everything from coal to cars across the country.
- Central of Georgia Railway Bulkhead flat No. 11403. It carries parts from other trains.
- DODX heavy duty flat car No. 38416
- Southern Railway flat car No. 117092. It carries the frame of Southern Railway 1509.
- Southern Railway hopper car No. 74745
- Southern Railway "Big John" hopper car No. 8717
- Southern Railway 86 ft boxcar No. 9690
- Southern Railway gondola No. 900097
- Southern Railway gondola No. 291069
- Southern Railway boxcar No. 33309
- Norfolk Southern hopper car No. 993359
- L&N (H.P. Hood and Sons) milk tank car No. 40605
- Fruit Growers Express reefer No. 55558
- Norfolk and Western gondola No. 99984
- Seaboard Air Line boxcar No. 9028
- Chattahoochee Valley boxcars Nos. 1010, 9012, 9014, 98703, 98705, 98707, 98708
- GATX Kaolin tank car No. 40649
Cabooses: The End of the Train
A caboose is a special car at the very end of a freight train. It was used by the train crew.
- Southern Railway Wood caboose No. 2156
- Southern Railway Transfer caboose No. XC7871. You can ride this car in spring, summer, and fall.
- Georgia Railroad No. 2866
- Georgia Railroad Steel braced wood caboose No. 2849
- Norfolk and Western No. 500837. You can ride this car in spring, summer, and fall.
- Clinchfield Railroad No. 1064
- Seaboard Coast Line No. 01077
- Central of Georgia Wood caboose No. X92
Maintenance Equipment: Keeping Tracks Safe
These vehicles help keep the railroad tracks in good shape. They are important for safety.
- Seaboard Air Line bunk car No. F70413
- Chattahoochee Valley flatcar with burro crane No. 522
- Jordan Spreader No. JX635
- WofA Pile driver No. 20 with tender No. 7302 and boom car No. 7001
- USAX self-propelled crane No. C-271
- Western Union tool car No. 3558-AB
Other Cool Equipment
The museum also has other interesting pieces of equipment.
- L&N M-1 Berkshire Tender No. 1966
- L&N Auxiliary Water Tender JLDX No. 55. This was once a coal tender.
- The collection also includes a Trackmobile.
Transit Vehicles: Beyond the Rails
The museum also shows other types of transportation. These include streetcars and buses.
Rail Vehicles: City Transit
These vehicles helped people get around cities.
- Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority MARTA CQ 310 heavy rail car No. 509
- Georgia Railway and Power Company streetcar No. 269. This car was used on the Decatur Line.
- Georgia Railway and Power Company streetcar No. 636
Rubber-Tired Vehicles: Buses and More
The museum has a collection of buses and other vehicles that run on tires.
- Atlanta Airport Automated People Mover Westinghouse C-100 vehicles Nos. 1 and 53
- Atlanta Transit System Trackless trolley No. 1296
- Atlanta Transit System Nos. 1732 and 1756
- BC Transit CCF-Brill T-44 Trackless trolley No. 2207
- Cobb Community Transit RTS bus No. 8956
- Gwinnett County Transit Orion VII 32.5' CNG bus No. B014
MARTA-Owned Vehicles: Atlanta's Transit History
These vehicles were used by MARTA, Atlanta's public transportation system.
- Mule streetcar No. 1866
- Georgia Power Company 1941 White bus No. 401
- Atlanta Transit Company 1956 GMC bus No. 253
- Atlanta Transit System 1963 GMC bus No. 946
- MARTA Flxible Metro bus No. 3360
- MARTA New Flyer 40' CNG bus No. 2701
- MARTA GMC "Fishbowl" bus No. 4211
Special Events: Fun for Everyone
The museum holds many special events throughout the year. These events are a great way to learn and have fun!
- Caboose Days in April
- The Fast Track 5K race in May
- Locomotive Celebration in June
- Trains, Trucks & Tractors in August
- Classics at the Crossing in October
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States