If you were to ask people which U.S. President that could be mostly associated with the railroad, most people would say Abraham Lincoln which would not be a surprise. He did help with the expansion of the railroads in America, and he dealt with many cases involving railroads when he was an attorney. Abraham Lincoln used the railroad for much of his travels to include his journey to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to deliver the famous Gettysburg Address. This makes Gettysburg, the town made famous by the Battle of Gettysburg, the battle that was one of the turning points of the American Civil War, the perfect place for the Lincoln Train Museum.
On the outside of the museum, you will see a caboose on one side and a replica of a passenger car on the other side with a statue of Abraham Lincoln and a fellow passenger standing on the back. You then enter the gift shop. You pay your admission, and you enter into the hallway that chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln. Once you see his story, you are then in the train room. The walls are full of model trains, and there are two model train displays. The first display depicts the route of Lincoln’s funeral train passing through the various cities between Washington D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois. The other is an old Lionel Train display with the old model trains.
Then you have the train theater.
Now some of you are saying, “I know. This is a theater that is shaped like a passenger train car that shows a movie inside. I have seen this before. That is not too exciting to me.”
You are in for a little surprise.
You enter into the train theater, and you take your seat. Then, the train starts moving. You can feel the tracks below. At the same time, a movie is being shown before you with Abraham Lincoln giving the narration. When the show ends, you realize that this is not your typical train theater.
The Lincoln Train Museum is not your typical train museum. It is a museum that is so much more. The only way that you can experience it is to visit the museum. It is a short walk from the place where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address and a five minute drive from the visitor center of the Gettysburg National Military Park. It is located at 425 Steinwehr Avenue (U.S. 15 Business Route). The hours do vary by the time of the year. You can get more information about the museum at http://www.lincolntrain.com.
The next time you are in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, make a visit to the Lincoln Train Museum. Abraham Lincoln will gladly take you in.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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