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The Toy Train Depot facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Toy Train Depot is a fun place in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It's both a toy store and a railway museum. Here, you can see amazing scale models of trains. These models include tiny versions of train engines and passenger cars.

This depot is also home to America's Park Ride Train Museum. This museum runs the Alamogordo/Alameda Park Narrow Gauge Railway. It's a real working miniature railway that visitors can ride. You can take a ride for a small fee. The store and museum are non-profit. This means they use any money they make to keep the museum running. They are managed by the Toy Train Depot Foundation.

In January 2007, the McDonald's in Alamogordo gave a special gift to the museum. They donated their Ronald's Railroad caboose. A caboose is the last car on a freight train. This one is full-sized. It is now in a very visible spot on US-54/70. This helps people driving by know where the museum is located. You can ask for a guided tour if you like. Volunteers who know a lot about trains can show you around.

The Toy Train Depot Building's History

The building where the museum is located has a long history. It started its life in 1898. Back then, it was a busy train depot in Torrance, New Mexico. It was a meeting point for two important railroads. These were the New Mexico Central Railroad and the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad.

Later, the building was moved to Corona, New Mexico. It stayed there for 75 years. During that time, it served the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads. The building still has its original ceiling tiles. These tiles are made of stamped tin. It also has its special bay window. This window was used by the train dispatcher to see the tracks.

  • ToyTrainDepot

    The Toy Train Depot is located in Alamogordo, New Mexico

  • ToyTrainDepot 0

    The museum specializes in displays of scale model and toy rail line equipment

  • ToyTrainDepot 1

    Visitors can ride on the trains dedicated to America's Park Train Ride Museum, also part of the Toy Train Depot

  • ToyTrainDepot 2

    Historical artifacts and ephemera are also on display within the Toy Train Depot's original train depot building

  • A Caboose At The Toy Train Depot in Alamogordo, New Mexico

    A caboose at the Toy Train Depot in July 2022

See also

  • Rail Transport Modelling
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