Visiting a steam train museum is a great opportunity to travel back in time. These historic train museums feature a collection of beautiful locomotives that will surely take your breath away. Some of these train exhibits are even operational, giving you a chance to experience the thrill of riding on a historic railway vehicle.
The largest train museum in the world is located in the United States. The railroad museum in Pennsylvania is home to over a hundred different pieces of historical artifacts. One of the highlights of this train museum is the Daniel Nason Big Boy, which is one of the largest locomotives in the world. The Big Boy is capable of pulling over six miles per hour and can carry up to 140,000 pounds of weight. Besides the giant locomotives, the museum also features three botanical gardens. These are a welcome respite from the sight of steel and steam.
In addition to the historic steam locomotives, this museum is home to an extensive collection of train cars. Many of the exhibits are reconstructed to reflect their original appearance. The museum is also home to the largest model railroading display in the nation. The display includes a miniature city and suburban railway that is more than 50 feet long. In addition to the display, the museum also offers several train rides throughout the week.
One of the best steam train museums in the USA, this museum is home to a large collection of vintage passenger trains and locomotives. The exhibits are arranged in a circular pattern and are all sheltered from the elements. This allows visitors to walk up and explore all of the train cars without fear of getting wet or blown away by the wind. The museum also has several reconstructed train cars that allow visitors to climb inside and see what it is like to ride in a passenger train from the past.
Besides the large number of locomotives, the National Museum of Transportation also has an impressive collection of historical documents and photos. The exhibits show how the railway influenced technology, culture and commerce. The museum also explains the evolution of rail transport over the years through various charts and dioramas.
While this steam train museum in New York may not be as huge as others on the list, it still features a significant collection of historic trains. The museum has a lot of interactive activities for kids and is perfect for families. Guests can climb up, down and around the train exhibits and even ride the locomotives. In addition, the museum hosts special events such as Operate-a-Loco where visitors get to sit in the engineer’s seat and control a full-sized train for an eight-mile round trip.
Located in southwestern St. Louis, this museum has the largest collection of large steam locomotives in the world. Some of the most famous locomotives include a UP Big Boy, an AT&SF 2-8-8-2 and an NYC 4-8-4. The museum is also known for having some of the most expansive tracks in the country, allowing visitors to see large locomotives up close.
