The railroad industry peaked from the 1880s through World War I and then slowly declined. However, the industry has seen a resurgence in recent years and many of the trains and locomotives that once operated on the country’s railways are now being preserved and displayed at steam train museums around the nation. Visiting these railway museums is the best way to see these magnificent pieces of machinery and the history that they represent.
Savannah, Georgia
The Museum of Transport and Technology (or M&T) is an historic train museum in the town of Savannah, Georgia. It is home to the oldest and most complete antebellum railroad manufacturing and repair facility in the United States, which was originally built for the Central of Georgia Railroad. The complex includes a roundhouse with an operating turntable, the massive brick smokestack, and a variety of train cars and locomotives.
Guests can also step aboard the Mallard, a steam locomotive that broke the world speed record in 1938 and is now on display in the Great Hall at the Museum of Transport and Technology. Other exhibits include a model train shop, 1950s print shop, and images of the antebellum railroad era. During the warmer months, visitors can take a ride on the M&T’s passenger train.
Fulton, Kentucky
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Museum is a historic railway museum in the town of Fulton, Kentucky, located along the banks of the Kentucky River. It is the largest living railway museum in the United States and contains more than a thousand pieces of railroad equipment. The museum’s collection spans several eras of railway development and features a range of locomotive types, including steam, electric, and diesel-powered models. The museum’s collection includes the oldest passenger train in the world, the General Robert E. Lee, as well as a variety of vintage freight and passenger cars.
Longueville, France
The Living Railway Museum is a railway museum in the village of Longueville near Provins, France. The museum houses a collection of old trains and steam locomotives, and regularly takes small passenger trips. It also has a restoration workshop and is constantly restoring or overhauling pieces of equipment. The museum also hosts a number of special events, such as the Christmas train called the Train du Pere Noel and the Easter egg train.
The museum is run by a group of volunteers. It has 280 vehicles in its National Collection and approximately 100 are always on display at the museum. The rest are divided between Locomotion at Shildon, other museums and heritage railways. The museum also owns the only surviving bar-framed Victorian locomotive, the Coppernob, which was heavily damaged in WWII bombing raids and has been patched up. Another of its important displays is the 1934 GWR Diesel Railcar No. 4 which was designed for business travellers. It is now undergoing cosmetic restoration.
