Photo TR: Something Different

[LoneRider92]

Well, before I was enraptured with roller coasters, I loved trains more than anything else in the world. While they are not tops on my list anymore, I still get a great deal of enjoyment out of them. I noticed a few people here also said that they like trains, so I decided to do a little photo trip report of my number one train location.

 

The Illinois Railway Museum is located in the small town of Union, east of Rockford. While the town is quite small, the museum is HUGE, the largest in America to be exact. I have been going to the museum for 14, maybe 15 years now and I still am wowed by the collection they have. Steam engines, diesel engines, electric engines, freight cars, railway machinery; you name it, they probably have one or two of them. The museum also holds several "firsts", "onlys", and "lasts" and allows guests to explore it all. Pieces in the collection range from a horse-drawn car over 150 years old to one of the biggest steam engines ever created.

 

This isn't just a museum where you look at all the equipment just sitting there. Oh no, the museum has an operational mainline that allows you to take a ride behind any number of different trains (coach, interurbans, caboose, etc.) on a 10-mile round trip. Each of them ride differently as well; riding in a comfortable streamlined passenger train is much different than a rough-riding freight car or rapid-transit unit, so the ride is almost a new experience every time.

 

This day was a special day, as the museum was hosting a celebrity (sort of). Steam has not run at the museum in 6 years, but it has reappeared this year (full story later). Lots of pictures of Leviathan too (No, not that one!)

 

If you love trains, you should try to give it a visit if you're nearby. If you just have a passing fancy or love heavy machinery you should still try to stop by once. It's a great way to spend the day and learn about history.

Welcome to the museum. All volunteers too.

Wow, quite the line today. What could be going on?

Prices, which include unlimited rides on the mainline and trolley loop and access to the barns and displays. Considering the size of the museum, it seems a very agreeable price.

Trains in the station, waiting to give people a ride.

The caboose train, ony brought out once in a while.

Here is probably the crown piece of the collection, the Nebraska Zephyr (formerly Twin Cities Zephyr). It was built in 1940 and ran across the midwest for several years before finding a home here.

The engine powering the train is the only example of the E5 left in existance. A very shiny and popular train.

The train is the movie star of the collection as well. Movies it has appeared in incude A League of Their Own, The Babe, Flags of Our Fathers. You can sit in the same seats Tom Hanks and Geena Davis sat it. They still take the train to rail events as well. On the last trip they had it going at 90 mph. Not bad for a 70 year old train.

TRAIN NERD SHOT! (Conductor shoe for an elevated car, to be shown later)

Ah, the star of the day has arrived!

This is Leviathan 63, a replica of one of the original 4 engines purchased by the Central Pacific Railway in 1868.

Leviathan was built by Kloke Builders, a preservation group. The project took 10 years to complete and was finished in 2009. Leviathan is the newest steam locomotive in the world, and the first one constructed in almost 70 years.

I will say, since the museum's main steam engine (Frisco 1630) went down several years ago and has been struggling to get back in operating condition, I thought days of steam at IRM were gone. Leviathan 63 proved me wrong, and it was AWESOME. If you haven't experienced it, riding behind a real steam engine is truly remarkable.

Visiting the museum is truly an immersive experience. They do a great job. You almost feel just like you're riding a train in the 1940's.

Stores are all over the property, selling any sort of train merchandise you can imagine.

Wouldn't you know, Leviathan stopped right where we were having lunch while heading to refill on water. Thank you very much L63 crew!

Too much walking to every exhibit? Hop on the trolley loop, featuring trolleys of many shapes and sizes. This is the Green Hornet, built in 1948 and still looking snazzy.

Lots of small exhibits like this that allow children (or adults) to get a little closer.

Little info on Leviathan.

Leviathan swag to proclaim your train nerdiness.

Train enthusiasts were out in force today taking pictures. I felt right at home.

Alright, I managed to get ONE theme park thing in here.

Hop on the trolley and explore the vast museum grounds.

If you're looking for some of the biggest and baddest stuff, check out barn 9.

You're greeted by monsters like this. (BTW, the Frisco 1630 is called a Russian decapod and the orange engine here is called a Little Joe. Anyone know why?)

Here's a biggie for you; Norfolf and Western 2050, a mammoth articulated 2-8-8-2 steam engine.

A little info on the engine.

Let's see... Almost 270 tons in weight (engine only), 114,155 lbs in tractive force. Fairly impressive stuff. o.O

Throw in a 26 ton tender and you have one BIG engine!

Now the largest diesel ever built. (Union Pacific built not only the largest diesels ever, but the largest and second largest steam engines ever as well. Guess they needed a lot of power.)

THIS. This wheel is 80 (WOW) inches tall and rests under the heaviest engine at the museum.

Info on the engine. What does that say in the middle?

That's right, this engine weighs almost 1 MILLION lbs. That's over 6000 me's! (Or 14 Acers)

Across the way is this small guy, notable for something else.

Yep, still around after 130 years. It's possible that famous engineer Casey Jones operated this engine (Heck, Jeff Johnson might have too).

The museum has lots of ideas, but being operated by volunteers they take a LOT of time and may not happen at all. Here is a turntable, still waiting to be constructed.

An example of some of the facilities on-site.

Trains everywhere you turn. No shortage of them here.

A yard full of them (The engine on the right is a gas turbine engine. Yeah, they added a complete turbine to an engine. Pretty impressive.)

A volunteer hard at work restoring some elevated cars.

Little touches like this all over the museum. Maybe you might recognize them.

Onboard the Zephyr. This was very luxurious back in the 40's. And it's even air-conditioned! (Huge advancement back then)

The depot, which also has an interesting story (later).

While it's not as spectacular as the Durango & Silverton or Cass Scenic Railway, it's still a relaxing ride.

Beware though, the rocking motion of the Zephyr is VERY powerful!

Shiny and pretty.

The view from a caboose. This will NOT be a smooth ride like the Zephyr (BTW, the 1630 is called a Russian decapod because it was sold to Russia and was to be used on the Trans-Siberain Railway. However, the Baltic Revolution occured and the engine was never shipped, the same thing with the Little Joe (named after Joseph Stalin). The marks where the buffers were placed on the Little Joe are still easily visble.)

Careful, this caboose is ARMED AND DANGEROUS!

Leviathan blowing off steam as it enters East Union.

Another caboose train shot (If you can, give a ride in the top a shot. Very interesting ride!)

Rapid transit cars from earlier. Anyone remember riding these? Anyone?

Leviathan rolling past again.

Such a beautiful engine.

The steam, the smoke, the smell, the sound. You may think I'm crazy, but it's amazing.

Little details again. This elevated station was an actual station relocated to here.

The depot is actually from the nearby town of Marengo, built in 1851. It was moved here in the 60's when the museum acquired this property.

Leviathan 63 with the Zephyr passing.

The Zephyr, looking quite majestic.

The end of the update. Thanks for reading! Questions, comments, concerns?

L63.wmv

A short video showing Leviathan in action.

[WillMontu]

Looks like a place that I would love to visit if I were ever in the area. It reminds me of a place my family used to visit near Christchurch, NZ called Ferrymead Heritage Park. They had a similar concept in which old locomotives, trains, and trams (streetcars) were kept in operating condition.

[gisco]

Pretty cool cool report and yes there are a few train buffs here. Jeff? Matt?

 

If I ever get to this area I will be sure to check this out.