Travel Town Museum facts for kids
Main shed
|
|
| Established | December 14, 1952 |
|---|---|
| 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 fun railway museum located in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. It opened on December 14, 1952. This museum focuses on the history of trains and transportation in the western United States. You can see how trains looked and worked from the 1880s to the 1930s, especially those used in Southern California and the Los Angeles area.
Contents
How Travel Town Started
.jpg)
In the late 1940s, a park employee named Charley Atkins and some train fans had a great idea. They thought a real, full-size steam train would be a cool addition to the small train ride already at Griffith Park. They found two small locomotives that were about to be scrapped. These trains had been used to carry stone for building breakwaters at the Port of Los Angeles.
With support from park leaders, Charley Atkins reached out to big railroad companies in California. He asked if they could donate any old equipment. At that time, steam trains were being replaced by newer ones, so many companies were happy to help. The first trains at Travel Town were set up so kids could climb all over them!
Travel Town officially opened on December 14, 1952. At first, the trains were open day and night. But in 1955, fences were put up to protect the trains from damage. In 1954, a dining car was donated, which became a popular spot for birthday parties. The museum has grown a lot since then, and its exhibits were reorganized in 1965.
Amazing Train Collection
The museum has a large collection of 43 full-size trains, including engines, passenger cars, and other railway vehicles. Here are some of the cool trains you can see:
Steam Locomotives
- Heisler Locomotive #1369: This powerful train was built in 1918. It was used to pull heavy timber from forests to sawmills in the "Mother Lode" area of California. It weighs 75 tons and has 12 driving wheels! It was first used to help build a dam that provides drinking water to San Francisco. Later, it worked for a lumber company before being donated to Travel Town in 1952.
- Shay Locomotive #2: Built in 1922, this oil-fired train was designed to work on steep, curvy tracks, often used in logging. It was used by lumber companies in California to carry wood from the mountains to other train lines. It weighs over 83 tons!
- Union Pacific Switcher #4439: This train was built in 1918 and used to move other train cars around in busy train yards, like in Cheyenne, Wyoming and the Los Angeles Harbor. It was one of the last steam engines to regularly work in the Los Angeles area before being donated in 1957.
- Western Pacific Consolidation #26: This steam locomotive was built in 1909 to haul freight. It worked for 45 years on the Western Pacific Railroad and was one of the last of its kind used by that company. It was given to the "Children of Los Angeles" in 1954.
- Santa Fe Consolidation #664: Built in 1899, this train was used for freight on many different parts of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was still actively working when it was donated to the museum in 1953.
- Hetch Hetchy Mikado #1000: This train was built in 1920 and used to help build the O'Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite, California. It was later used by lumber and oil companies before coming to Travel Town in 1954.
- Southern Pacific Atlantic #3025: Built in 1904, this train was designed for speed, able to go over 100 miles per hour! It was the very first standard-size train to be displayed at Travel Town in 1952.
- Los Angeles Harbor Department #31 and #32: These small steam locomotives were built in 1921 and 1914, respectively. They were used to haul rock for building the Port of Los Angeles and on Santa Catalina Island, California. They were saved from being scrapped and donated in 1953.
- Conrock Saddle Tank Locomotive #1: This steam engine, built in 1925, worked for 30 years at a rock quarry. It has a special "saddle tank" over its boiler to hold water. It was retired in 1955 due to air pollution rules.
Diesel and Electric Locomotives
- US Navy Diesel-Electric Switcher #1: This diesel train was built in 1942 and used by the United States Navy to move supplies. It worked at naval stations in Rhode Island and San Diego, California. It was later named "Charley Atkins" after the museum's founder.
- Baldwin RS-12 #56: This diesel locomotive was built in 1955. It was used by the McCloud River Railroad and later the California Western Railroad. There were plans to use it for a new train line to the Los Angeles Zoo.
- Pacific Electric "Electra" #1544: This electric locomotive was built in 1902. It was used during the cleanup after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. Later, it worked for the Pacific Electric company 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 by the Pacific Electric. These cars were nicknamed "blimps" because of their large size.
Passenger and Freight Cars
- Union Pacific Sleeping Car "Rose Bowl" (#6636): This sleeping car was built in 1937. It was involved in a famous train accident in 1939 but survived! After repairs, it was renamed "Rose Bowl" and used on another famous train, the City of Los Angeles.
- 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 and lounge for first-class passengers.
- Oahu Railway & Land Company Coach #1 and Combination Car #36: These wooden narrow-gauge cars came from Oahu, Hawaii. The coach has beautiful mahogany inside. The combination car carried both passengers and baggage. From 1955 to 1961, these cars were used for rides right at Travel Town!
- San Francisco Cable Car #21: This historic cable car from San Francisco was built around 1880. It's a "California" car, meaning it has both enclosed and open-air seating. It was loaned to Travel Town in 1955.
- Southern Pacific Railway Post Office Car #12: This narrow-gauge wooden car from the 1880s was used for many things, including carrying mail and baggage.
- Southern Pacific Stock Car #163 and Box Car #1: These narrow-gauge wooden cars were originally used on the Carson and Colorado Railroad. The stock car carried livestock, and the box car carried goods. Interestingly, people sometimes rode on top of the box car for free!
- Pennsylvania Railroad Dining Car #4418: This dining car was built around 1925 and was used by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Other Cool Exhibits
- Motor Vehicles: You can see old trucks like a 1945 International Harvester delivery truck, a 1948 Nash Ambassador Sedan, a 1918 Mack Dump Truck, and even a fire engine!
- Horse-Drawn Wagons: The museum has several old wagons, including a milk delivery wagon, a circus wagon, and even a chariot from the movie Ben-Hur!
- Railway Signals: Learn about how trains used to signal each other with a semaphore and a "Wig-Wag" grade crossing signal.
- Track Construction: See examples of how train tracks have been built over the years, from early wooden sleepers to modern concrete ones.
- Train Excursions: You can buy tickets to ride the Travel Town Railroad, a miniature train that goes around the museum grounds. The train you ride today, named Courage, replaced an older steam engine. This is one of three miniature train rides in Griffith Park!
- Exhibit Room: Inside, you'll find old train menus, timetables, and other items that tell the story of railroading in the U.S.
- Main Exhibit Hall: This hall has more transportation examples, including a cut-away boiler that shows how a steam engine works, and an interactive "Holden's Corner" for railway safety.
- East Valley Lines: This club has a huge model train layout that you can see behind a roll-up door in the main exhibit hall.
Past Exhibits
Over the years, Travel Town has had many different exhibits. Some have moved to other museums that are a better fit for them.
- Fire Engines: A large collection of fire engines used to be at Travel Town. In 2002, they were moved to the new Los Angeles Fire Fighting Museum in Hollywood. The space they left behind is now home to old wooden narrow-gauge railroad cars.
- Aircraft: The museum also used to have military airplanes. In the late 1980s and 1990s, these aircraft were moved to other aviation museums. For example, a rare Japanese "Zero" plane went to the Planes of Fame Air Museum.
Images for kids
-
Heisler Locomotive #1369
-
Heisler Locomotive #1369
-
Heisler Locomotive #1369
-
Shay Locomotive #2
-
Shay Locomotive #2
-
Shay Locomotive #2
-
Union Pacific Switcher #4439
-
Union Pacific Sleeping Car "Rose Bowl"
-
Pullman Dormitory/Club Car "Little Nugget"
-
Pacific Electric "Electra" #1544
-
Southern Pacific Electric Car #1543
-
Wooden caboose
-
Narrow gauge caboose from Oahu Railway & Land Company
-
Oahu Railway & Land Company Coach #1
-
Oahu Railway & Land Company Coach #1
-
Oahu Railway & Land Company Combination Car #36
-
American locomotive #1
-
American locomotive #1
-
Western Pacific Caboose #754
-
Richfield Oil Tank car #670
-
Western Pacific Consolidation #26
-
Western Pacific Consolidation #26
-
AT&SF motorized passenger railcar #M-177
-
Santa Fe Consolidation #664
-
US Navy Diesel-Electric Switcher #1
-
Baldwin RS-12 #56
-
Four-wheeled electric car from Los Angeles
-
San Francisco Cable Car #21
-
San Francisco Cable Car #21
-
Southern Pacific Railway Post Office Car #12
-
Pullman snack car #3355
-
Union Pacific Pullman Dining car #3669
-
Southern Pacific Switcher #1273
-
Southern Pacific Switcher #1273
-
Hetch Hetchy Mikado #1000
-
Hetch Hetchy Mikado #1000
-
Southern Pacific Atlantic #3025
-
Southern Pacific Atlantic #3025
-
Los Angeles Harbor Department #31
-
Los Angeles Harbor Department #32
-
Conrock Saddle Tank Locomotive #1
-
Los Angeles Harbor Department side-dump ballast cars
-
Southern Pacific Stock Car #163
-
Southern Pacific Stock Car #163
-
Southern Pacific Box Car #1
-
Prairie locomotive #7
-
Pennsylvania Railroad Dining Car #4418
-
Track inspection speeder
-
Wrecker crane #CSCV1887
-
Harvey House display
-
Standard Oil Company oil delivery cart
-
Miniature locomotive "Little General"
-
Miniature railroad "Courage"
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
