Blog

Manassas Museum, Manassas, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many people in the United States of America and around the world have heard of the town of Manassas in the U.S. state of Virginia.  The town is rich in history and is most famous for being a major player in the American Civil War.  The most famous thing about Manassas is that it is the only place where two major battles of the American Civil War took place.  The first battle, commonly called the First Battle of Manassas, is where a Confederate General named Thomas Jackson was issued the name ‘Stonewall’ after he continued to fight the Union Army as much of the Confederate Army was retreating, a stand that gave the Confederate Army a victory.  Although the American Civil War dominates the town’s history, that town is known for many things.  The best way to learn the story of Manassas, Virginia is to visit the Manassas Museum.  Located in the Old Town (the original part of the town), the Manassas Museum tells the story from the very beginning to the present day.  If you want to know everything about Manassas, Virginia, the Manassas Museum is a place that you must visit.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  I have been to many town museums, and they all talk about their town.  As for Manassas, the town is truly about the American Civil War and the two battles.  There is a problem.  Manassas is famous for the American Civil War and not railroads.  Therefore, I will not be battling my way to visit this museum.”

You are exactly right.  Manassas, Virginia is dominated by American Civil War history.  What is the point of visiting Manassas or the Manassas Museum.

Even though the history of Manassas, Virginia is dominated by the American Civil War and the only place were two major battles of the war took place, the history of Manassas does not start there.  How did the town start?  Well, it was originally called Manassas Junction.  How did the name Manassas Junction come about?  Even though the town is famous for the American Civil War, it began as a railroad town.  A display at the Manassas Museum tells the story of Manassas as a railroad town which features a step for passengers from the Southern Railway, a railroad that served Manassas.  There is also a conductors hat and a replica railroad lantern.

If that is not enough, the First Battle of Manassas was the first war in American history to use the railroad as General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and his troops arrived by train at a location near the museum and marched up to the present day battlefield to fight the war.  The first railroad built specifically for military use ran from Manassas to a town called Centreville.  If that is not enough, all of the railroad tracks with the exception of the military railroad which was short lived still pass through Manassas today and is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway today.  If that is not enough, the Manassas Railroad Festival takes place on the first Saturday in June every year.

As mentioned, the Manassas Museum tells the story of Manassas.  The railroad is a big part of the history of the town from the very beginning as a junction on the railroad to it days as a suburb of Washington D.C.  Manassas has a history that continues to this day.

The Manassas Museum is located at 9101 Prince William Street in Manassas, Virginia just blocks from Virginia Route 28 and across the street from the Manassas Train Station.  Parking is available at the museum.  It is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Saturday and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday.  Admission is free, and the museum is completely wheelchair accessible.

Come to the Manassas Museum.  See the story of Manassas from the beginning to the present day.  See how the railroad started a town that continues to transform the United States of America to this present day.

Trixie on the Line

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

It was the start of my day.  I arrived at the park to start up the steam locomotive of my miniature train, and I began the inspection round of the tracks looking for any problems or cracks.  I rolled out of the station and continued into the woods.  I arrived at the first bend, and after I made the turn, I squeezed on the brakes.  Right before me was a lady with her long bright red hair wearing a bright white shirt and dark blue jeans with the bottoms rolled up slightly on her legs dancing barefoot on the tracks.  She stepped then twirled then stepped then twirled with her hair flying around.

“Excuse me, mam!”  I called out.  “You can’t be on the tracks.”

She appeared to pay no attention to my voice as she continued to dance around.  I inched closer to her.

“Hello!”

I pulled the whistle.  She twirled around to wink at me.

“Mam, you cannot be on the tracks.”

She gracefully tiptoed closer.  “Me sorry.”  She sulked.  “I was just having fun.”

“Sorry to spoil your fun,” I said, “but these are live tracks, and the train will be running soon.”

She glanced around.  “I am far from home.  Can you give me a ride on the train?”

“Well!”

“Please!”  She injected. “I’ll be your friend forever.”

I gave it a thought.  “There is only one seat.  You will have to sit on the boiler.”

She stepped over, and she threw her leg over the boiler and sat on top of the cab laying her head on my chest and stretching out her bare feet towards the stack.  I continued forward inspecting the track below.

“I have never ridden a train before.”  She peeked up at me with a beautiful grin on her face.  “I’ve always wanted to ride a train.”

She stretched out her left foot to feel the steam flow between her toes.

“Be careful.  It can burn you.”

But she paid me no mind as she stretched out her right foot over the smokestack.  I wanted to say something, but she appeared to be caught up in the moment.  I continued with my inspection.

I slowly arrived at the station.  She was still laying her head on my chest.  I glanced at my watch, and…  I sped up the train going back into the woods.  I felt the strands of her hair smack up against my face as the winds blew.  I glanced down to see her big and beautiful smile.  When I arrived at the station a second time, I glanced again at my watch.

“Sorry,” I spoke as she was rubbing her head on my chest, “but the train ride is over.  I have to get everything ready for the park to open which is in an hour.”

She peeked up at me.  “Thank you for the ride.”

“Gladly,” I replied.  “It was a pleasure riding with you.”

She stood up, and she stooped over to kiss me.  “Maybe we can do it again tomorrow.”

“I will look for you.”

She started to step away.

“What is your name?”  I asked her.

She whipped her head around.  “Trixie.  My name is Trixie.”

She turned at walked towards the park exit.

“Nice to meet you.”  I spoke.

She turned and blew a kiss.  From that moment, I saw bright days ahead.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

When it comes to the President of the United States of America and the railroad, many of them have used the railroad.  If you were asked which president is most associated with the railroad, most people would probably think about Abraham Lincoln.  He would have been the first President to have a Presidential Railroad Car, kind of like the Air Force One of the railroad, but that car became his funeral car after he was assassinated carrying his remains from Washington D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois.  Even though he was born in the U.S. state of Kentucky, Springfield, the state capital of the U.S. state of Illinois was where he was launched into the political spotlight.  It is here where the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located.  A visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is a place that you must see if you wish to see the entire story of Abraham Lincoln.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  Abraham Lincoln was a great man.  In matter of fact, he is known to be one of the greatest Americans of all time and one of the greatest men in history.  I always enjoyed the fact that he is associated with the railroad more than any other American president, but as for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this is not a railroad museum, a railroad site, or has anything to do with the railroad, I will not be booking a visit to this place.”

As mentioned, Abraham Lincoln was associated with the railroad more than any other U.S. President.  You are right when you say that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is not a railroad museum, and you are right when you say that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is not a railroad site, but you are wrong when you say that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has nothing to do with the railroad.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum consists of the library.  It is called the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  It also consists of the museum.  The museum has different exhibits, but two of the main exhibits are about his life before his presidency and the other is about his time in the White House, not the white house that is in your neighborhood but the one in Washington D.C. that is the home of the sitting President of the United States of America.

As you walk through the White House exhibit, you see displays of his time during the American Civil War, the life in the White House, the cabinet meetings, and the assassination at Ford’s Theater.  The exhibit ends with a display of the route of his Funeral Train.  The route started in Washington D.C.  It continued to Baltimore in the U.S. state of Maryland and to Harrisburg, the capital of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  The train then went east to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then went up to New York City in the U.S. state of New York.  It went north to Albany, the state capital of New York and then went west to Buffalo, New York.  It continued to Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio and then went to the Ohio state capital of Columbus.  It went west to Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, and then it went north to the city of Chicago, Illinois before going to the last stop in Springfield.  The Funeral Train went in the reverse route of the way he went to Washington D.C. to serve as the sixteenth President of the United States of America.

Yes, Abraham Lincoln had great ties with the railroad, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum commemorates that tie.  Along with his ties to the railroad, there are many more reasons to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located at 212 North Sixth Street at the intersection of Jefferson Street (Illinois Route 97).  Please note that the museum does not have its own parking.  It is either street parking or parking at a parking facility.  The great news is that the museum is wheelchair accessible.  You can get information on the hours and admission at https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/.

In the U.S. state of Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, in the state capital of Springfield, you will find a museum that tells the story of the sixteenth President of the United States of America.  You will be disappointed if you do not visit.

Hinton Railroad Museum, Hinton, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of West Virginia is called the Mountaineer State because it is a state that is completely mountainous with no plains or flatland.  One of the state’s greatest natural wonders is the New River Gorge where the New River carves it way through a deep gorge through the southern region of the state.  South of the New River Gorge is the river town of Hinton.  Hinton is a town on the New River, and it is also a railroad town with an old Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Station that was built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and it is served by Amtrak today.  The town has a railroad festival in the fall to celebrate the railroad heritage, but the town also has another railroad treasure.

Welcome to the Hinton Railroad Museum.  It looks small on the outside, but it has so much on the inside.  No, you will not see full size locomotives on display nor will you see old boxcars or a caboose.

Why visit the Hinton Railroad Museum?  As you see the museum from the street, you will want to go inside.

Before you even enter the museum, you will see a wooden model train.  Be advised that this is just the beginning.

The museum is filled with artifacts mainly from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.  The displays are full of models trains, old photos, old rail equipment, uniforms, and other items, but there is one item that will catch your eye.

The main thing that you will see is the full scale wooden display.  The display is a carving by Charlie Permelia telling the story of John Henry.  Who is John Henry?  In the nearby town of Talcott is the Great Bend Tunnel of which the original has been replaced by a new tunnel used by CSX Transportation today.  The original tunnel was built by railroad workers.  One of them was John Henry, a muscular man.  It was here where John Henry challenged a steel drill with his hammer.  Even though he defeated the steel drill, it cost him his life.  The wooden display is a memorial to the famous worker.

The Hinton Railroad Museum is located at 206 Temple Street (West Virginia Route 20 North) in the town center.  Only street parking is available.  Sadly, the building is not wheelchair accessible.

The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The town of Chambersburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania was a town that was established and named after Benjamin Chambers.  The town has man historic sites and has a history that is older than the United States of America.  Even though a railroad line passes through the town today and there were railroad structures in the town, the town has no real history with the railroad and was never a railroad town.  As you walk through the downtown area, the one thing you will see is the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.

What is the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail?  It is a trail under two miles that runs through the heart of the town of Chambersburg.  It was built on the railroad bed of the Cumberland Valley Railroad which ran through much of the south central part of Pennsylvania and into the U.S. state of Maryland connecting Chambersburg with the rest of the nation.  The main line, owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway today, continues to serve the town.  The rail trail parallels the Conococheague Creek and is next to the Fort Chambers Park.

The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania is located on the west side of downtown and U.S. Route 11 crossing U.S. Route 30.  It is completely paved making it easy for those in wheelchairs.  Only street parking is available.  It is mainly flat, and it is accessible from sunrise to sunset.

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania may not be a famous railroad town, but it does preserve a piece of railroad history for hikers, bikers, walkers, and many people for many years to come.

Miller Park, Bloomington, Illinois

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Cities big and small throughout the United States have their landmarks and city parks.  Among these city parks is Miller Park in the city of Bloomington in the U.S. state of Illinois.  The park has trees, a playground, a small zoo, a manmade lake, a miniature golf course, a memorial to firemen and a war veterans memorial.  Located in the southwestern area of the city on the Historic U.S. Route 66, it is a park within the city that is an oasis from the urbanization.

Some of you are saying, “It is nice that these cities have parks.  These parks are great.  However, there is a problem.  Since this park has no railroad history, I will not be taking a walk in this park.”

Oh, you will want to take a walk in this park.  Why?  One of the big features of this park is Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive Number 639 and its tender.  Another feature is Caboose Number 4770 from the Southern Pacific Railroad.  Other feature include a whistle that was on top of the shops of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and pays tribute to the workers of those shops.  (The shops are now gone.)  Another feature is an old semaphore.  (Semaphores have been replaced by the railroad signals today.)

The locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Works and was used by the Nickel Plate Road.  When the Nickel Plate Road decommissioned the locomotive, they donated it to the park.  Today, it is on display with the Southern Pacific Railroad Caboose.

Miller Park is located at 1020 S. Morris Avenue in Bloomington, Illinois along the Historic U.S. Route 66.  (It is west of U.S. Route 51 by way of Wood Street.)  Parking is on side.  The park is open sunrise to sunset, and the park is wheelchair accessible.

When in Bloomington, Illinois, visit Miller Park.  See a locomotive that once ran on the rails of the United States of America.

West Virginia Northern Community College, Wheeling, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state that was once part of Virginia.  It is known as the Mountain State because the typography of the state is 100% mountains, and it is the only state with that kind of typography.  The state has no major cities although parts of the state are in the Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metro areas.  It does have a few cities like Charleston, the state capital and largest city, Morgantown, the home of West Virginia University, and Huntington, the home of Marshall University where the movie We Are Marshall featured the tragedy of the university’s football team.  The state has many engineering feats like the New River Gorge Bridge.  What the state is really known for is its coal mines and its natural beauty.  One unpopular place in the state is the city of Wheeling.  Located in the northern panhandle region of the state nestled between the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, the city of Wheeling is located on the Ohio River and is on the National Road (present day U.S. Route 40).  If Wheeling, West Virginia is unpopular, why visit?  While in Wheeling, you can visit the West Virginia Northern Community College.  Located in the Downtown section of the city, West Virginia Northern Community College welcomes students from the region to get an education.  When in Wheeling, make a visit to the West Virginia Northern Community College.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice.  You know.  Wheeling, West Virginia has never been on my list of places to visit.  I either pass through on Interstate 70 or take the Interstate 470 bypass.  With Wheeling not being a railroad city, I will not be visiting Wheeling, and I will not be getting an education here.”

You do have a point.  Why visit the West Virginia Northern Community College?

The state of West Virginia has a lot of history, and it is a state that has many railroad sites and much railroad history.  In Cass, you will find the Cass Scenic Railroad and the Durbin Rocket.  You have the railroad town of Thurmond and Prince.  In Elkins, you have the Cheat Mountain Salamander, the Mountain Explorer, and the Tygart Flyer, and it is the home of the West Virginia Railroad Museum.  In Martinsburg, you have the oldest surviving steel truss roundhouse in the nation.  There are numerous rail trails throughout the state.  When it comes to the city of Wheeling, well, it is not a famous railroad city with many railroad sites.

So why visit Wheeling, West Virginia?

As mentioned, Wheeling, West Virginia is the home of the West Virginia Northern Community College.  What is so special about the West Virginia Northern Community College?  Well, before it was a college, it was a train station.  In the glory days of railroading, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built the terminal in 1907 to give passenger train service to the people of Wheeling, West Virginia and the surrounding region.  The four story brick and limestone train station welcomed passengers to the city as well as sent passengers to other parts of the nation.  Passenger service ceased in 1961.  The train station was remodeled and became the home of the West Virginia Northern Community College.  In 1996, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

West Virginia Northern Community College is located in Downtown Wheeling, West Virginia at the corner of Market Street, 16th Street, and Chapline Street.  Please note that the building is not open to the public but to college students and teachers only.

Next time you come upon the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, think of it as a city where you can see a train station that gives you an education.

Erb’s Coleman Museum, Sugarcreek, Ohio

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Ohio is a state with major cities and small towns.  Among those small towns is the town of Sugarcreek.  Located within the largest Amish region in the United States of America, it is famous for the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock and the Age of Steam Roundhouse, an active railroad roundhouse that is also a museum.  Just a short drive from the Age of Steam Roundhouse is Erb’s Coleman Museum.  What is Erb’s Coleman Museum?  It is a collection of Coleman products mainly lamps.  The Coleman Company is known for camping products including lamps, coolers, tents, and other things, but there is also a collection of lamps used in homes.  Once you complete you visit to the Age of Steam Roundhouse, make a short trip to Erb’s Coleman Museum.

Some of you are saying, “This is great.  I love Ohio, and I definitely love the Age of Steam Roundhouse.  As for Erb’s Coleman Museum, well, I am not really a camper or an outdoorsman.  Since it is not a railroad place like the Age of Steam Roundhouse, you will not find me camping out here.”

You are right.  It is not a railroad museum.  Why visit Erb’s Coleman Museum?

As you approach the museum, you will see a tent and maybe an Amish buggy.  It is Amish Country.  As you enter, you see a collection of lamps used for camping and for living and bed rooms.  When you go upstairs, you see coolers, old radios, gas stoves, railroad flatcars…

Some of you are saying,  “Railroad flatcars?”

You will see railroad flatcars across the tops of the exhibition cabinets.  Sadly, they are not on a track, but there are plenty to see.

Whether you are an outdoors person or not, Erb’s Coleman Museum is a great place to visit, and it is a great compliment to your visit to the Age of Steam Roundhouse.  It is located at 149 Seldenright Road SW south of the town of Sugarcreek.  Please note that that property is not wheelchair accessible and requires that you climb a flight of stairs to the second floor.  They also do not have a website, and only cash is accepted.  What you will see is over 3,000 items on display.

Here Comes the New Train

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The people stood on the train platform as the Old Train departed the station.  They knew that it was the last time that they were going to see the Old Train.  They waited and waited and waited until… finally, the New Train was coming.  The people stood and waited as the New Train pulled into the station.  The train stopped, and the people boarded.  When all of the people boarded, the New Train departed the station.  The people enjoyed the new seats, the new rooms with the new beds, the new passenger and lounge cars with new tables and new seats, and, most important of all, they enjoyed the new places they were going to see.

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Wishing Everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com

The cover photo and first photo were AI generated. The last two photos are courtesy of Pexels.com.