Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati
Encyclopedia
The Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati is a railroad museum
in Covington, Kentucky
.
The museum was founded in 1975 when a club of local railroad enthusiasts decided to run passenger cars on Amtrak
trains. Several local members purchased cars for this goal. In the late 1980s, Amtrak tightened its restrictions on passenger cars, making it too expensive for most private citizens to keep them up.
Though the Amtrak excursions ended, the cars remained as the core of the present collection. At that point the goal of the Museum changed and now focuses on the preservation of the equipment. Tom Holley, former Chairman of the Board, stated "Now the primary purpose of the museum is the collection of the equipment that belonged to the seven railroads then entered Cincinnati."
Pennsylvania Railroad
E-8 locomotive #5888 has been undergoing restoration for the past few years. A "theatrical" baggage car
(the Juliet
, one of 47 built by the Pennsy between 1917 and 1922) sits on the track beside the locomotive and will serve as a mobile staging area for the renovation. The Museum also has a large collection of Pullman-Standard cars including the Metropolitan View
built in 1938 for the PRR's Broadway Limited
, and a BM70nb railway post office
(PRR #6518) modernized for the same train.http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Fan/pass_cars.html
Some of the other equipment includes former PRR #9408, an EMD SW1
switcher
http://www.ole.net/~rcraig/PRSVDemdSWs.HTML, a preserved Dinky, Brookville BMD 15-ton switcher http://www.sonic.net/~jayreed/preserved.html, former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
modern lightweight coach the La Paz
, a preserved troop sleeper
, an early Southern Railway
business car, and former RI #428 (El Comedor
) dining car
.
The museum is open every Wednesday and Saturday and is located at 315 Southern Avenue in the Latonia area of Covington.
Passenger cars
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...
in Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
.
Collection
The museum owns and maintains a collection of 80 historic railroad equipment located on a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) site.The museum was founded in 1975 when a club of local railroad enthusiasts decided to run passenger cars on Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains. Several local members purchased cars for this goal. In the late 1980s, Amtrak tightened its restrictions on passenger cars, making it too expensive for most private citizens to keep them up.
Though the Amtrak excursions ended, the cars remained as the core of the present collection. At that point the goal of the Museum changed and now focuses on the preservation of the equipment. Tom Holley, former Chairman of the Board, stated "Now the primary purpose of the museum is the collection of the equipment that belonged to the seven railroads then entered Cincinnati."
Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
E-8 locomotive #5888 has been undergoing restoration for the past few years. A "theatrical" baggage car
Baggage car
A baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
(the Juliet
Juliet (PRR)
The Juliet was a scenery baggage car of the Pennsylvania Railroad, one of 47 built by the Pennsy between 1917 and 1922 to transport set pieces for Broadway theatre shows and other theatrical events. Car numbers of this group were 6055 to 6099....
, one of 47 built by the Pennsy between 1917 and 1922) sits on the track beside the locomotive and will serve as a mobile staging area for the renovation. The Museum also has a large collection of Pullman-Standard cars including the Metropolitan View
Metropolitan View
Metropolitan View is a sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation car, with 2 master rooms and a double bedroom, built by Pullman-Standard for use on the Pennsylvania Railroad train the Broadway Limited. In 1938, the Broadway Limited was completely reequipped with lightweight steel cars to replace the...
built in 1938 for the PRR's Broadway Limited
Broadway Limited
The Broadway Limited was the Pennsylvania Railroad's premier named passenger train, operating daily in each direction between New York City and Chicago, via North Philadelphia. It replaced its predecessors, the Pennsylvania Limited and the Pennsylvania Special...
, and a BM70nb railway post office
Railway post office
In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
(PRR #6518) modernized for the same train.http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Fan/pass_cars.html
Some of the other equipment includes former PRR #9408, an EMD SW1
EMD SW1
The EMD SW1 was a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1938 and November 1953. Final assembly was at EMD's plant at La Grange, Illinois. The SW1 was the second generation of 600 hp switcher from EMD, succeeding the SW and SC...
switcher
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
http://www.ole.net/~rcraig/PRSVDemdSWs.HTML, a preserved Dinky, Brookville BMD 15-ton switcher http://www.sonic.net/~jayreed/preserved.html, former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
modern lightweight coach the La Paz
La Paz (B&O)
La Paz is 56-seat revenue coach built for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad by Pullman-Standard in 1949. La Paz was built for the new lightweight Columbian train set for travel between Baltimore, Maryland and Chicago, Illinois via Washington, D.C....
, a preserved troop sleeper
Troop sleeper
In United States railroad terminology, a troop sleeper was a railroad passenger car which had been constructed to serve as something of a mobile barracks for transporting troops over distances sufficient to require overnight accommodations...
, an early Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
business car, and former RI #428 (El Comedor
El Comedor
El Comedor is former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad dining car, built in 1947 by Pullman-Standard to plan 7517 for the Golden Rocket, "the train that never was." It was subsequently added to the consist of the Golden State along with its brethren, and stayed with the train for many...
) dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
.
The museum is open every Wednesday and Saturday and is located at 315 Southern Avenue in the Latonia area of Covington.
Rolling Stock
Diesel Locomotives| Manufacturer | Model | Road Number date | Wheel arrangement | Notes | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Motive Diesel | EMD E8 EMD E8 The 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... |
5888/1951 | A1A-A1A | Undergoing restoration | |
| Electro-Motive Diesel | EMD SW1 EMD SW1 The EMD SW1 was a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1938 and November 1953. Final assembly was at EMD's plant at La Grange, Illinois. The SW1 was the second generation of 600 hp switcher from EMD, succeeding the SW and SC... |
9408/1950 | B-B |
Passenger cars
| Manufacturer | Model | Road Number date | Notes | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRR | Railway Post Office Railway post office In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to... |
6518/1912 | Fully equipped with sorting racks cancellation tables, parcel bins |
|
| PRR | Baggage car Baggage car A baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described... |
6062/1928 | Transportation of Theatrical scenery | |
| Pullman Pullman Pullman may refer to:*Pullman , various luxurious railway cars, cars, buses or coaches*Pullman Company, maker of Pullman rail cars*Pullman porter, a man hired by the Pullman Company to work as porter on sleeping cars... |
Passenger car | 5503/1949 | Coach built for B&O streamliner The Columbian |
|
| Pullman Pullman Pullman may refer to:*Pullman , various luxurious railway cars, cars, buses or coaches*Pullman Company, maker of Pullman rail cars*Pullman porter, a man hired by the Pullman Company to work as porter on sleeping cars... |
Observation car Observation car An observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure... |
3315/1949 | Built for B&O streamliner The Columbian |