Travel Town Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Travel Town Museum

Main shed
Established	December 14, 1952 (1952-12-14)
Location	5200 Zoo Drive Los Angeles, California 90027 United States
Founder	Charley Atkins
Owner	Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks

The Travel Town Museum is a cool place in Los Angeles, California, where you can explore old trains! It opened on December 14, 1952, inside Griffith Park. This museum focuses on the history of trains in the western United States, especially around Southern California and Los Angeles, from the 1880s to the 1930s. It's a great spot to see real, full-sized locomotives and railway cars up close.

How Travel Town Began

A plaque honoring the museum's founders

In the late 1940s, a park employee named Charley Atkins and some train fans had a great idea. They thought a real steam locomotive would be a fantastic addition to the small train ride already at Griffith Park. They found two small locomotives that were about to be scrapped by the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department. These trains had been used to carry stone for building breakwaters (walls that protect harbors) at the Port of Los Angeles from Santa Catalina Island, California.

With support from park leaders, Charley Atkins reached out to big railroad companies in California. He asked if they could donate any equipment. At that time, the era of steam locomotives was ending, so many companies were happy to help. The first trains were set up so kids could climb all over them!

Travel Town officially opened on December 14, 1952. For a few years, the trains were open day and night. But in 1955, fences were added to protect them from damage. A dining car from the Union Pacific Railroad was donated in 1954 and became a popular spot for birthday parties. Later, some narrow-gauge trains from Oahu in Hawaii ran on a track for a while, but they eventually returned home. In 1965, the museum was reorganized and celebrated again.

Amazing Train Collection

The museum has a huge collection of 43 full-sized train engines, cars, and other railway vehicles. It's like a giant outdoor toy box for train lovers!

Meet the Locomotives and Cars

Here are some of the cool trains and cars you can see at Travel Town:

• Heisler Locomotive #1369: This powerful train was built in 1918. It was used to pull timber from forests in the Mother Lode area. It weighs 75 tons! All 12 of its wheels are driving wheels, powered by special pistons and drive shafts. This engine helped build the dam that provides drinking water to San Francisco. It was donated to Travel Town in 1952.

• Shay Locomotive #2: Built in 1922, this oil-fired Shay locomotive has 12 geared wheels. It worked for the Little River Redwood Company and later for the Camino, Placerville & Lake Tahoe Railroad, mostly hauling lumber. It weighs over 166,500 pounds!

• Union Pacific Switcher #4439: This switcher engine was built in 1918. It was one of the last steam engines to work regularly in the Los Angeles area, retiring in 1957. It was donated to the museum that same year.

• Sleeping Car Rose Bowl #6636: This sleeping car was built in 1937. It was originally named Telegraph Hill. It was involved in a famous train accident in 1939, but it survived! After repairs, it was renamed Rose Bowl and continued to carry passengers.

• Pullman Dormitory/Club Car Little Nugget #LA-701: Built in 1937, this car was part of the fancy City of Los Angeles passenger train. It was one of the most luxurious train cars ever, serving as a club lounge for first-class passengers.

• Electric Locomotive Electra #1544: This electric train was built in 1902. It was used during the cleanup after the big San Francisco earthquake and fire! Later, it worked as a switcher until 1952.

• Southern Pacific Electric Car #1543: Built in 1911, this electric car was used for passenger service. During World War II, it was used for wartime transport. People called these cars blimps because of their size.

• Wooden Caboose (1881): This old wooden caboose was built in 1881. It was given to the children of Los Angeles!

• Narrow Gauge Caboose (1900): This caboose came from the Oahu Railway & Land Company in Hawaii.

• Oahu Railway Coach #1: This beautiful wooden coach from Hawaii is paneled in mahogany. It was used for short trips between towns. It even had an early-style restroom!

• Oahu Railway Combination Car #36: This car carried both passengers and baggage or mail. It was often used on smaller train lines. Sometimes, the seating in these cars was simpler than in regular coaches.

• American Locomotive #1: Built in 1864, this is a very old locomotive! It worked for the original Western Pacific Railroad and later for the Central Pacific Railroad. It was restored in 2019 and now has a working bell and air whistle.

• Western Pacific Caboose #754: A caboose built in 1910 by Haskell & Barker.

• Richfield Oil Tank Car #670: This tank car from 1911 was used to deliver oil.

• Western Pacific Consolidation #26: This powerful steam locomotive was built in 1909 to haul freight. It worked for 45 years and was donated to the "Children of Los Angeles" in 1954.

• AT&SF Motorized Passenger Railcar #M-177: This unique car from 1929 has an engine built into a passenger car body. It has been fully restored and is operational as of 2020!

• AT&SF Consolidation #664: Built in 1899, this steam locomotive was used for freight trains across many divisions of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was still active when donated to the museum in 1953.

• US Navy Diesel-Electric Switcher #1: This 42-ton diesel engine was built in 1942 for the United States Navy. It hauled coal and supplies. It was later named "Charley Atkins" after the museum's founder.

• Baldwin RS-12 #56: Built in 1955, this locomotive was planned to be used for a new train line from Travel Town to the Los Angeles Zoo.

• Los Angeles Electric Car (1890s): A four-wheeled electric car from Los Angeles from the 1890s.

• San Francisco Cable Car #21: This is a real San Francisco cable car from around 1880! It's a "California" car, with some open-air benches. It was loaned to Travel Town permanently in 1955.

• Southern Pacific Railway Post Office Car #12: This narrow-gauge car from the 1880s was used for mail, baggage, and even as a caboose.

• AT&SF Pullman Snack Car #3355: A snack car built in 1928 by the Pullman Company.

• Union Pacific Pullman Dining Car #3669: A dining car built in 1921.

• Southern Pacific Switcher #1273: This locomotive was built in 1921 and worked as a switcher in Sacramento yards. It traveled over 1.5 million miles in 35 years before being donated in 1957.

• Hetch Hetchy Railroad Mikado #1000: Built in 1920, this steam locomotive was used to build the O'Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite, California. It later worked for logging and oil companies before being donated in 1954.

• Southern Pacific Atlantic #3025: This steam locomotive from 1904 was designed for high speeds, over 100 mph! It was the first standard-gauge locomotive displayed at Travel Town in 1952.

• Los Angeles Harbor Department Saddle Tank Locomotive #31: Built in 1921, this small steam engine hauled rock for building the Los Angeles Port of San Pedro. It was donated in 1953.

• Los Angeles Saddle Tank Locomotive #32: Another saddle tank steam locomotive, built in 1914, also used for harbor development. It was donated with #31.

• Conrock Saddle Tank Locomotive #1: This steam switcher from 1925 worked at a quarry for 30 years. It was retired in 1955 due to air pollution rules.

• Los Angeles Harbor Department Ballast Cars: Two side-dump cars used for carrying ballast (the crushed stone under train tracks).

• Carson & Colorado Stock Car #163: A wooden narrow-gauge stock car used for transporting livestock.

• Carson & Colorado Box Car #1: This wooden box car ran through the deserts of California and Nevada. Sometimes, people rode on top of it for free!

• Sharp and Fellows Prairie #7: Built in 1902, this locomotive was rebuilt as a Prairie type and used by Sharp and Fellows, Inc.

• Southern Pacific Switcher #20: A switcher locomotive built in 1880.

• AT&SF Caboose #999110: A caboose built in 1926.

• Southern Pacific Bay Window Caboose #4049: A caboose built in 1961.

• Southern Pacific Box Car #30036: A wooden box car from around 1930.

• Pennsylvania Railroad Dining Car #4418: A dining car built around 1925.

• Southern Pacific Pullman Chair Car #2513: A chair car built in 1919.

• Union Pacific Pullman Sleeping Car Hunters Point: A sleeping car built in 1940.

• Los Angeles Railway Horse-Drawn Tram: A tram car from around 1880 that was pulled by horses!

• Track Inspection Speeder: A motorized vehicle used to inspect train tracks.

• Wrecker Crane #CSCV1887: A self-propelled diesel crane built in 1942, used for clearing train accidents.

• U.S. Navy Boom Car #61-02011: A flat car used to support the wrecker crane.

• Kalamazoo Handcar: A four-man pump-action powered car for tracks.

• Velocipede: A one-man, pump-action powered "bicycle" with an outrigger, used for track inspection.

• Harvey House Display: This exhibit shows what a "Harvey House" was like. These were famous restaurants along the Santa Fe Railway where passengers could get a good meal.

• Standard Oil Delivery Cart: An old tank car used for oil deliveries, with the slogan "Red Crown the gasoline of quality."

• Little General Miniature Locomotive: This miniature train was originally built in 1905 for amusement parks. It traveled to many parks in Ohio before coming to Travel Town as a historical artifact of early park rides.

More Cool Exhibits

• Railway Signals: You can see examples of old railway signals like a semaphore and a wig-wag signal.
• Track Construction: Learn about how train tracks were built over time, from early methods with nailed logs to modern concrete sleepers.
• Track Switches: See different ways train tracks can be switched to change directions.

Take a Train Ride!

You can buy tickets to ride the Travel Town Railroad! It's a fun miniature railway that takes you on two circles around the museum grounds. This little train used to be owned by famous cowboy singer Gene Autry! The original steam engine was damaged, so now the train is pulled by a different engine called Courage, which looks like a steam locomotive. This is one of three miniature train rides in Griffith Park.

Inside the Exhibit Room

The exhibit room has lots of interesting items like old menus, china, and timetables that tell the story of railroading in the United States.

Main Exhibit Hall

This hall has more transportation examples and exhibits:

• A display showing the inside of a train boiler.
• An old hand-drawn fire-hose cart.
• Many horse-drawn wagons, including a milk delivery wagon, a circus wagon, and even a chariot from the movie Ben-Hur!
• Old cars and trucks, like a 1932 Packard Sedan and a 1918 Mack Dump Truck.
• A fire engine.
• "Holden's Corner," a fun, interactive safety center for kids.
• The "Little General" locomotive demonstration engine.
• A viewing platform for the East Valley Lines model railroad club's N scale train layout.

East Valley Lines

Behind a door in the main exhibit hall, you'll find the East Valley Lines Model Rail-Road N Gauge Club. They have a huge and detailed model train layout!

What Used to Be Here

Over the years, the museum's collection has changed. Some items have been moved to other museums where they fit better.

Fire Engines

The museum used to have a large collection of fire engines. But in 2002, these were moved to the new Los Angeles Fire Fighting Museum in Hollywood. The space they left behind is now home to some old wooden narrow-gauge railroad cars from the Owens Valley.

Aircraft

Travel Town also used to have military aircraft. These planes were moved to other museums in the late 1980s and 1990s. For example, a rare Japanese "Zero" plane went to the Planes of Fame. Other planes were traded to museums in Florida and near Fresno, California. Even a small rocket was transferred to Vandenberg Air Force Base.