Monticello Railway Museum
Encyclopedia
The Monticello Railway Museum (initialized MRM, reporting mark
MRMZ) is a non-profit railroad museum
located in Monticello, Illinois
. It is home to over 100 pieces of railroad equipment, including several restored diesel locomotives and cars.
The museum offers a tourist railroad
which operates excursion trains over a former railroad line that was owned by Illinois Terminal
and Illinois Central Gulf. For a donation, guests can operate one of the locomotives during the "Throttle Time" program. Trains run May through October and on holidays. Visit the museums website for the latest information.
The Camp Creek yard was originally built by the museum's volunteers. The Terminal Division is a re-built Illinois Terminal right-of-way running from Camp Creek up to Blacker's towards White Heath
. The Central Division was purchased by the museum from the Illinois Central. The Central Division purchase allowed the museum to enter into downtown Monticello to the historic Wabash Railroad
depot and is the mainline of the museum's heritage railroad. The Central Division is currently being restored up to White Heath to allow occasional operation into that town. Only a short section of the Terminal Division is currently in use from the central switch down past Nelson's Crossing depot into Camp Creek yard, but has been restored to within a few miles of White Heath.
at Market St. Exit 166. Turn at the stoplight onto Iron Horse Place at the Best Western Gateway Inn, and follow the frontage road to the end. 25 minutes from Champaign and Decatur. 50 minutes from Bloomington.
The first land purchased was about five miles (8 km) of former Illinois Terminal
interurban right of way between Monticello and White Heath. This right of way had been abandoned a few years before and the grade had only ballast in place. A former popcorn field was purchased for a railroad yard and maintenance area. The volunteers prepared the yard area for the arrival of locomotive #1 and moved it from the Heritage Center's lot in Monticello. Through the years track was laid on the former Illinois Terminal interurban grade toward White Heath until approximately 2½ miles was completed. A run-around was constructed at (Blacker's), about 2 miles from White Heath. No further construction took place on the former interurban grade and Blacker's became the North end of the line. In 1988, after the purchase of some of the adjacent Illinois Central Gulf's Decatur District, the portion of the Museum's trackage built on the former Illinois Terminal interurban grade was designated the "Terminal Division."
In 1987, the Museum purchased 7 ½ miles of Illinois Central Gulf Decatur District trackage between Monticello and White Heath which parallels the Illinois Terminal
right-of-way. The Nelson Crossing display track lead was extended to a new connecting turnout in the former ICG trackage, joining the Museum's track with the newly purchased line. The connection was built by Museum volunteers in just two weekends. After a short "Golden Spike" ceremony, the Museum's first run into Monticello was made. The former Illinois Central Gulf trackage to Monticello and White Heath was designated the Museum's "Central Division."
Today the train ride primarily traverses the Central Division, using the Terminal Division only when pulling into the depot at Nelson's Crossing. The station names used on both the Central and Terminal Divisions were used by the original railroads.
depot was formerly located in Deland, Illinois. The depot was built in 1919 and rebuilt in 1942. The depot was moved to the museum in 1980 and is the ticket office and gift shop of the museum.
The Wabash Depot was built in 1899 to replace a smaller depot, burned earlier that year. At the time the Wabash mainline went through Monticello between what is now the grain elevator and McDonald's
. The line was moved west onto a fill, straightened, and a new steel bridge was built over what was the Illinois Central Railroad
(now Monticello Railway Museum trackage). On April 20, 1904, the depot was moved to higher ground beside the new mainline. The depot was moved to its present location on May 29, 1987, and was restored by the Monticello Depot Association. January 1. 1993, that organization, its members and assets were absorbed into the Monticello Railway Museum.
Reporting mark
A reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...
MRMZ) is a non-profit railroad museum
Railway museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives , railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment.See List of railway museums...
located in Monticello, Illinois
Monticello, Illinois
Monticello is a city in Piatt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,138 at the 2000 census, and 5,374 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Piatt County.-Geography:Monticello is located at ....
. It is home to over 100 pieces of railroad equipment, including several restored diesel locomotives and cars.
Overview
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
which operates excursion trains over a former railroad line that was owned by Illinois Terminal
Illinois Terminal
Opened in January 1999, the Illinois Terminal is an intermodal transportation center, providing city bus, intercity bus, and rail connections to, from, and within Champaign, Illinois...
and Illinois Central Gulf. For a donation, guests can operate one of the locomotives during the "Throttle Time" program. Trains run May through October and on holidays. Visit the museums website for the latest information.
The Camp Creek yard was originally built by the museum's volunteers. The Terminal Division is a re-built Illinois Terminal right-of-way running from Camp Creek up to Blacker's towards White Heath
White Heath, Illinois
White Heath is an unincorporated census-designated place in Piatt County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 290.-Geography:White Heath is located at . It is located in Sangamon Township.-History:...
. The Central Division was purchased by the museum from the Illinois Central. The Central Division purchase allowed the museum to enter into downtown Monticello to the historic Wabash Railroad
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
depot and is the mainline of the museum's heritage railroad. The Central Division is currently being restored up to White Heath to allow occasional operation into that town. Only a short section of the Terminal Division is currently in use from the central switch down past Nelson's Crossing depot into Camp Creek yard, but has been restored to within a few miles of White Heath.
Location
The Monticello Railway Museum is located off Interstate 72Interstate 72
Interstate 72 is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern United States. Its western terminus is in Hannibal, Missouri, at an intersection with U.S. Route 61; its eastern terminus is at Country Fair Drive in Champaign, Illinois. In 2006, the Illinois General Assembly dedicated all of Interstate 72...
at Market St. Exit 166. Turn at the stoplight onto Iron Horse Place at the Best Western Gateway Inn, and follow the frontage road to the end. 25 minutes from Champaign and Decatur. 50 minutes from Bloomington.
History
The Monticello Railway Museum, a not-for-profit educational organization, was founded in 1966 as "SPUR, Inc" (Society for the Perpetuation of Unretired Railfans, Inc). Its original goal was to encourage the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to continue operating its steam-powered railfan excurions. When that effort failed, the organization decided to operate its own steam-powered excursions and began a search for equipment and a suitable location. SPUR contacted the Illinois Central Railroad about operating on the West end of ICRR's lightly used Rantoul District between LeRoy and Sabina, Illinois. For such an operation, ICRR would require SPUR's equipment to be in "ICC condition" and use the railroad's union train crews. SPUR concluded this would be prohibitively expensive for the organization and continued its search. In 1969, SPUR was invited to Monticello, Illinois by a member of the Illinois Pioneer Heritage Center and moved its first piece of equipment, locomotive #1, a 1925 ALCo 0-4-0T, to a vacant lot near the Heritage Center in Monticello. The organization's name was changed in 1970 to the Monticello & Sangamon Valley Railway Historical Society, Inc., and then shortened in 1982 to the present day Monticello Railway Museum.The first land purchased was about five miles (8 km) of former Illinois Terminal
Illinois Terminal
Opened in January 1999, the Illinois Terminal is an intermodal transportation center, providing city bus, intercity bus, and rail connections to, from, and within Champaign, Illinois...
interurban right of way between Monticello and White Heath. This right of way had been abandoned a few years before and the grade had only ballast in place. A former popcorn field was purchased for a railroad yard and maintenance area. The volunteers prepared the yard area for the arrival of locomotive #1 and moved it from the Heritage Center's lot in Monticello. Through the years track was laid on the former Illinois Terminal interurban grade toward White Heath until approximately 2½ miles was completed. A run-around was constructed at (Blacker's), about 2 miles from White Heath. No further construction took place on the former interurban grade and Blacker's became the North end of the line. In 1988, after the purchase of some of the adjacent Illinois Central Gulf's Decatur District, the portion of the Museum's trackage built on the former Illinois Terminal interurban grade was designated the "Terminal Division."
In 1987, the Museum purchased 7 ½ miles of Illinois Central Gulf Decatur District trackage between Monticello and White Heath which parallels the Illinois Terminal
Illinois Terminal
Opened in January 1999, the Illinois Terminal is an intermodal transportation center, providing city bus, intercity bus, and rail connections to, from, and within Champaign, Illinois...
right-of-way. The Nelson Crossing display track lead was extended to a new connecting turnout in the former ICG trackage, joining the Museum's track with the newly purchased line. The connection was built by Museum volunteers in just two weekends. After a short "Golden Spike" ceremony, the Museum's first run into Monticello was made. The former Illinois Central Gulf trackage to Monticello and White Heath was designated the Museum's "Central Division."
Today the train ride primarily traverses the Central Division, using the Terminal Division only when pulling into the depot at Nelson's Crossing. The station names used on both the Central and Terminal Divisions were used by the original railroads.
Locomotives
- Southern Railway 2-8-02-8-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
Consolidation #401 built in 1907 by the Baldwin Locomotive WorksBaldwin Locomotive WorksThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
, It is now operational after 15 years of restoration. #401 arrived at the museum in 1971 from Margerum, Alabama.
- Wabash RailroadWabash RailroadThe Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
F7A #1189 was the last F7A ordered by the Wabash and was the last F7A model locomotive built by General Motor Division, Ltd. at London, Ontario, Canada. Assembled in April 1953, it spent most of its time on the 220 miles (354.1 km) of the St. Thomas division between Buffalo, NY, and Windsor, Ontario. Retired in September 1979, and in January 1980, was sent to Decatur, Illinois, to be scrapped. Norfolk & Western Railroad donated it to the museum in 1982. After being restored by the museum, it was dedicated on August 15, 1992.
- Canadian National FPA4 #6789 was built in 1959 by the Montreal Locomotive WorksMontreal Locomotive WorksMontreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company...
. It was retired in 1989 and acquired in 1994 by its private owner.
- Milwaukee Road NW2 #1649 was built in 1947 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. This unit arrived at the museum in 2000 and restoration was completed in late 2003.
- Illinois Central GP11GP11The EMD GP11 is a four-axle diesel locomotive rebuilt by the Illinois Central Railroad’s Paducah shops. It is very similar in appearance to the GP8 and GP10....
#8733 was built by the Electro-Motive Division in 1958 as a GP9. It was in the last order of GP-9's purchased new by the IC. Its original number was 9386 and was rebuilt in 1980 as a GP11, at the Paducah Shops in Kentucky. The locomotive was donated by Canadian National-Illinois Central in 2001. This unit has been restored to an operational condition.
- Long Island Railroad RS-3ALCO RS-3The ALCO RS-3 is a 1,600 hp , B-B road switcher railroad locomotive. It was manufactured by American Locomotive Company and Montreal Locomotive Works from May 1950 to August 1956, and 1,418 were produced — 1,265 for American railroads, 98 for Canadian railroads, 48 for Brazilian and 7...
#1559 was built in 1955 by the American Locomotive Works (ALCO). The Gettysburg RailroadGettysburg RailroadThe Gettysburg Railroad was a railway line in Pennsylvania that operated from 1858-1870 over the 17 mile main line from the terminus in Gettysburg to the 1849 Hanover Junction...
purchased it, renumbered it #301, and later sold it to the Maryland Midland Railroad. It is currently painted in Illinois Central RailroadIllinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
livery as #704 for the 150th anniversary for that railroad.
- Lincoln Sand & Gravel #44 was donated in 1975. Built in 1940 for Morrell Meatpacking, this was one of seven 44 toners of this style built by The Davenport Locomotive Co. This engine saw use at the museum from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s and early 1990s. #44 is currently on display at the museum.
- Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
E8AEMD E8The EMD E8 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E8A, was manufactured from August, 1949 to December, 1953, and 449 were produced – 446 for U.S., and 3 for Canada...
#5764 was built in 1952 by Electro-Motive Division. This unit was the last passenger engine built for the Pennsy. Other numbers for this engine were PC 4264, MBTA 4264 and BDT 5764. It was last used by the Tennessee Central Railroad from whom its private owner purchased it. The locomotive is current being restored and when completed will emerge as Illinois Central #5764 to go with the museum's replica Illinois Central streamline passenger train.
- Engine #1 was acquired in 1966 from the Western Indiana Aggregate & Stone in Montezuma, Indiana. Built in 1925 by American Locomotive Works (Alco) and weighing 27½ tons, this 0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
came with a saddle tank. It was trucked to Monticello where restoration work began in a parking lot. The tank was removed and tender #4342 was donated by the Illinois Central to use with the engine. The first run was on October 12, 1970, on 200 feet (61 m) of newly laid track at the museum site. The locomotive was last used at the museum in 1988 and has be cosmetically restored and placed on display at the entrance to Iron Horse Place. It is the subject of an excellent documentary, "Running a Steam Locomotive" (see the See Also section below).
- Engine #191, built by the American Locomotive Works (Alco) in 1916. was used at Republic SteelRepublic SteelRepublic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.The Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899....
of Massilon, Ohio. This 85 ton 0-6-0 with 51" drivers was purchased and arrived at the museum in 1970. The first operation of this engine was in on October 9, 1972, and the last was in 1987.
- Mississippi Eastern Railway 4-6-04-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
#303 was built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive WorksBaldwin Locomotive WorksThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
. It was donated to the museum and arrived in 2000.
- Canadian National FPB4ALCO FAThe ALCO FA was a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains. The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and GE in Schenectady, New York, between January 1946 and May 1959. They were of a cab unit design, and both cab-equipped lead FA and cabless booster FB models...
#6862 was built in 1958 by the Montreal Locomotive WorksMontreal Locomotive WorksMontreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company...
. It was retired in 1989 and was acquired by its private owner in 1995.
Notable rolling stock
- Illinois Central #892 is a combine passenger/baggage car built in 1918 by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
for the IC. American Steel Foundries converted it to brake testing car #1948 and equipped it with instrumentation for various tests on railroad hardware manufactured by ACF. The floor section over both trucks had glass inserted to allow for viewing during the tests. The baggage portion of the car retained its glass floor during restoration at the museum. This car was donated by ACF in 1976.
- Rock IslandChicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadThe Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
#2541 was built by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1925 for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. It was used in Chicago commuter service until the mid-1970s.
- Illinois Central #7 was built in 1917 by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
as an office-observation car for the Illinois Central RailroadIllinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
.
- Illinois Central #3531 was built in 1950 for the Nickel Plate Road which named it the "City of Finlay" and numbered it #210. It is a 10-roomette/6-bedroom sleeping car. It was purchased by the Illinois Central in 1965, rebuilt with smooth sides, was renumbered #3531 and named "Council Bluffs". This car was painted in 2007 and is on display.
- Nautilus II aquarium car was rebuilt in 1957 from the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad lunch-counter car, "Turkey Run" The car was used by the John G. Shedd Aquarium of Chicago to transport marine specimens until 1972. The 16 portable 190 gallon Cyprus holding tanks, combined with 20 welded-steel tanks, cound hold up to 3,000 specimens. The tanks were loaded onto a barge and the collections were made from the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean. The car was donated in 1974.
- Delaware & Hudson baggage car #405 was built for that railroad and sold to the former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio RailroadGulf, Mobile and Ohio RailroadThe Gulf, Mobile and Ohio was a Class I railroad in the central United States whose primary routes extended from Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to St...
when it became #457. It was acquired by the museum in 1995 from the Illinois Central RailroadIllinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
.
- Pleasant Valley sleeper was built in 1942 by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
. It was to be used for a joint venture between the New York Central and the Santa Fe Railroads. As it was built during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it has MasoniteMasoniteMasonite is a type of hardboard invented by William H. Mason.-History:Masonite was invented in 1924 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason. Mass production started in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s Masonite was used for many applications including doors, roofing, walls, desktops, and canoes...
interior walls rather than steel. This car is a 6-6-4 sleeper meaning it has six open sections, six roomettes and four bedrooms.
- Illinois Central #3312 "Gulfport" was built in 1942 as part of the first light-weight Panama Limited train set. The "Gulfport" is a sleeper, observation, and lounge car. It was one of only two built from Pullman Lot 6672, plan 4201. Its sister car, the Memphis, was destroyed by a derailment in 1965. The Gulfport was sold by the Illinois Central in 1968 to Bobbie Thompson Farms near Thornton, MS. It saw service as a hunting cabin until 2005, when the car was donated to the Museum. When sold by the Illinois Central, the trucks were retained by the IC. New trucks have been acquired and several members made a trip to Mississippi in August 2005 to prepare the car for over-the-road travel. Initial inspection of the car shows that there is a lot of work ahead to see this car back in service. Although largely intact, time has not been kind. Mechanical systems will have to be replaced, the roof repaired, and the vestibule and side sills rebuilt. The car was trucked to Monticello in July 2006, placed on its new trucks, and delivered to the museum.
- Illinois Central coach #2612 "Carondelet" was built by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1947. It was purchased in 1995 and restoration was completed in 2000.
- Illinois Central coach #2920 was built in 1925 by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
.
- Illinois Central Diner #4112 Currently awaiting restoration. Unique L-Shaped boothes at the nd of this car. Kitchen is still in good condition.
Structures
Nelson's Crossing Depot was donated in 1977. This Illinois Central RailroadIllinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
depot was formerly located in Deland, Illinois. The depot was built in 1919 and rebuilt in 1942. The depot was moved to the museum in 1980 and is the ticket office and gift shop of the museum.
The Wabash Depot was built in 1899 to replace a smaller depot, burned earlier that year. At the time the Wabash mainline went through Monticello between what is now the grain elevator and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. The line was moved west onto a fill, straightened, and a new steel bridge was built over what was the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
(now Monticello Railway Museum trackage). On April 20, 1904, the depot was moved to higher ground beside the new mainline. The depot was moved to its present location on May 29, 1987, and was restored by the Monticello Depot Association. January 1. 1993, that organization, its members and assets were absorbed into the Monticello Railway Museum.
Railroad Days
Among the special events at the museum, there is Railroad Days held each year the third weekend of September. One ticket per day allows riders to experience the ultimate railroad experience in the Midwest. A regular passenger train using former Illinois Central coaches and office car #7, a mixed-freight train, plus motor cars going into White Heath.Fireworks Special
A fireworks special train leaves at 8.00pm and travels north to the museum grounds to set and watch fireworks. Air conditioned coaches and open air car, and open window coaches along with two locomotives are used.See also
- List of United States railroads
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of railway museums
- This 1980 documentary film of Engine #1 was shot at this location. It provides an excellent overview of steam engine physics and nomenclature, and how to operate one. http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Running_a_Steam_Locomotive_Vol._1_Basics_of_Steam_Locomotive_Operation/70059888
External links
- Monticello Railway Museum – Official Website