The Whippany Museum is located in Morris County, New Jersey. It is a railway museum and excursion train ride. The railway museum is open to the public every day. There are many things to do in the town of Whippany. Visitors can explore the history of Morristown & Erie Railway, Morris County Central, and other local railroads. Interested in learning more? Follow this link to learn about the railroads.
Morris County Central
If you love train rides, you’ll love the Whippany Railway Museum. This historic train museum is located in the Whippany section of Hanover Township, Morris County. The museum is also home to an excursion train. You can take a ride on the Whippany Railway while visiting the museum. It’s a great way to learn about the history of railroading in the United States. To learn more about the Whippany Railway Museum, read on!
In addition to the museum building itself, the Whippany Railway Museum has a rolling stock collection of its own. The museum features two iconic steam locomotives built in the early 1900s by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. They were originally built for the Southern Railway, which operated from 1894 to 1990 in the southern United States. These steam locomotives were later sold to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railroad, which later purchased them. The Whippany Railway Museum was founded by Earle H. Gil, who had a passion for railroading and a charter member of the Morris County Central Railroad.
Originally opened in 1985, the Whippany Railway Museum houses privately owned railroad equipment. Today, it hosts displays and restoration efforts. In addition, the museum has a wide range of exhibits focusing on the area’s railroad history. The Whippany Railway Museum is open Sundays, April to October. Admission to the Museum is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children under 12. While admission is nominal, it supports the Museum’s mission of preservation.
Morristown & Erie Railway
Located in the township of Hanover, New Jersey, the Whippany Railway Museum is a great place to take the family for a train ride and railway museum tour. This museum is located in the Whippany section of Hanover Township, Morris County. The Whippany Railway Museum was built in 1898. Visitors can enjoy the train’s unique exhibits and take a ride on an excursion train.
The Morristown & Erie Railway has a rich history and is considered a small, local railway, but it was once one of the best-run railroads in the country. In 1940, McEwan led stockholders announced that the railroad had paid off its last bond and had begun to recover its financial stability. By the mid-1940s, the railroad had acquired three heavy freight steam locomotives, known as “Consolidation” locomotives. These steam locomotives were soon the main freight power for the unique New Jersey shortline. Its popularity increased and it became an image of industrial power.
The history of the Morristown & Erie Railway can be traced to the Whippany River Railroad, which was chartered on August 1, 1895. The railroad connected the towns of Whippany and Morristown. It also established an interchange with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad in Morristown. In 1896, paper mill owner Robert W. McEwan purchased the railroad and kept it alive. It continued to thrive because of its close proximity to the mills and willing customers.
