Category: Uncategorized

Fort James Jackson, Savannah, Georgia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The city of Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia is a city that has much history.  Fort Jackson, located on the Savannah River east of the historic downtown area is a big part of that history.  It was the second defense from an attack from the Savannah River after Fort Pulaski, and the fort played a role in the War of 1812.  The fort is named after, of course, James Jackson, a British born officer who served in the American Revolutionary war and was later the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia.  It is the oldest standing brick fort in the state of Georgia and one of the oldest on the East Coast of the United States.  If you are ever visiting Savannah, you will want to make some time to visit this National Historic Landmark.

Now some of you are saying, “You know.  I am amazed to hear about Fort Jackson.  You see the history of the fort as a fortification for battle, and I see how it helped defend the ships going in and out of Savannah, but I am wondering where the railroads are at this fort.”

Fort Jackson was a fort built to defend Savannah from a sea attack.  It has much history as a fort itself, but you will not find any railroad history here at all.  In matter of fact, the fort itself has no history with the railroad at all.

Why visit Fort James Jackson if it has no history with the railroad?  You will see the answer to the question as soon as you arrive.

The first thing you will see when you arrive at Fort Jackson is the Visitor Center.  What is so special about the Visitor Center?  Many historic sites have visitor centers that show the history of the particular site.  What is special about the Fort Jackson Visitor Center?  The answer is that before it was the Fort Jackson Visitor Center, the structure was called the Tybee Depot.  Yes, it was located in downtown Savannah.  (This train depot was separate from the main train station that is now the Savannah Visitor Center.)  The Central of Georgia Railroad ran passenger trains from downtown Savannah to Tybee Island, an island on the Atlantic Ocean that was a resort town.  When the railroad no longer served Tybee Island, the depot was preserved and eventually brought to Fort Jackson to become the visitor center.

You now have a reason to visit Fort Jackson.  Once you see the visitor center, you will want to see the fort as well.  The fort is located at 1 Fort Jackson Road just minutes from the historic district.  It is a place worth seeing.

The Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum, Bellevue, Ohio

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Ohio has many cities as well as small towns.  Among these towns is the town of Bellevue.  Located in the north central region of the state, it is not a popular town with only U.S. Route 20 being the only major route through the town and the Ohio Turnpike (Interstates 80 and 90) running north of the town, but it is a town centered on the railroad.

Welcome to the Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum.  (For those who are wondering, NKP stands for the Nickel Plate Road, a railroad that ran on many routes in the northern region of the United States of America.)  The mission of the museum is to preserve the heritage of the railroad in the region.

Some of you are saying, “Oh yeah!  I have been to these small town museums.  They have a caboose and a small model train display.  It is a waste of time to visit an out of the way town to see this.”

Ladies and gentlemen, be advised that the Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum is not a museum that has just a caboose and small model train.  Be warned that as soon as you arrive here, you will be totally amazed at what you will see.

Let us begin with the main building.  Well, it may be hard to go to the main building after seeing after what you see, but it is here where you will need to pay your admission before seeing the rest of the museum.  You enter the gift shop to pay your admission, and then you enter the exhibits.  The very first thing you will see is a replica of a steam locomotive called the ‘Sandusky’, the first locomotive run by the Mad River Railroad between Bellevue and the port town of Sandusky located on Lake Erie.  In the same room is a bell that was used on the Lincoln Funeral Train, the train that carried the remains of President Abraham Lincoln from Washington D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois.  Other items include China (dishes) used on passenger cars.

From here, you enter into the next room which has two cabooses.  The one caboose is from the Nickel Plate Road, and the other caboose is from the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad, another railroad that ran through the town.  There is also a Mack truck from the Railway Express and a luggage cart.

Then you have a third room.  What is in this room?  It is here where you really go back in time to the days before Amtrak.  You enter into old passenger cars.  You see the passenger seats and the private rooms and the dining area.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is only a small part of the museum.

From here, you go outside and across the street to the very thing that kept you here at the museum.  You see the rolling stock.  You have the switcher locomotive.  You have a hopper.  You have a tank car and many box cars.  You have numerous diesel locomotives, cabooses, and more passenger cars and baggage cars.  Then you have the old Bellevue Train Station.

Some of you are saying, “Alright!  That is everything.”

Ladies and gentlemen, there is more.  Yes, there is more.

Across the main rail line from the museum is the Kemper Rail Park.  Yes, there is more things to see.  What is here?  You  have Locomotive  Number  2  from the Pennsylvania Railroad.  You have more locomotives, a crane, the freight house from the New York Central System, and you have the star attraction.  What is the star attraction?  Nickel Plate Road Locomotive Number 757 sits here in the park.

So you think that this it.  There is more.  The town of Bellevue was served by many railroads back in the day.  Today, the Norfolk Southern Railway is the only railroad in town, and, if you are fortunate enough, a freight train may pass by. 

The Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum was established by people who wanted to keep the heritage of the railroad in Bellevue alive.  It is an all-volunteer operation including restoration of old rolling stock, and the museum receives no public funding.  When you come here, be advised that it is not a waste of your time.

The Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum is located at 253 Southwest Street in Bellevue, Ohio.  It is just a few blocks from U.S. Route 20 and Ohio State Routes 18 and 269, and it is easily accessible from the Ohio Turnpike (Interstates 80 and 90).  It is open from May through October from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.  (Open weekends only in May, September, and October.  Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  The Rail Park is open year round from sunrise to sunset.)  Please note that due to the age of the structures, not all areas are wheelchair accessible, but the rail park is completely accessible.  You can get information in admission, directions, and to read more into the history of the museum and the railroad at https://madrivermuseum.org/.

The Mad River and NKP Railroad Museum is an amazing place.  There is much here.  It is definitely worth making the journey.

Bluemont Park, Arlington, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

When you visit Bluemont Park, it may appear to be your average park.  Located in Arlington in the U.S. state of Virginia and a suburb of Washington D.C., it looks like your average park, but it is not.

As you approach the park from Wilson Boulevard, you will first notice the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail.  Yes, the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail passes through many parks in the Virginia suburbs between Alexandria and Purcellville.

So what is special about Bluemont Park?

Bluemont Park has a playground, a softball field, and a creek just like many other parks, and the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail passes through the park.  What makes Bluemont Park is what happened here.

What happened at Bluemont Park?

The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail, like other railroad trails, follows the route of a railroad line.  This railroad line ran from the port of Alexandria to the town of Bluemont where it connected to a rail line that is now owned by Norfolk Southern Railway.  (The railroad line was owned by many railroads, but the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad was the last railroad that owned the railroad line.)  Bluemont Park was the site of Bluemont Junction.  It was here where the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad connected with a railroad line that ran to Rosslyn, a community in Arlington that is across the river from Georgetown, a historic neighborhood and oldest section of the District of Columbia, and it connected to a railroad line that ran to the Virginia side of the present day Great Falls Park, a famous waterfall on the Potomac River.  (The Bluemont Trail follows the route to Rosslyn which had a train terminal that is long gone.)  Things changed when passenger service ended in 1951 and the railroad was abandoned in 1968.

Today, the railroad lines are long gone and so are the many structures that were here that included a passenger station, an electric power station, and a ‘wye’ track used to turn trains around.  When you visit the site today, you will see a replica of the Bluemont Passenger shelter and a caboose paint in the Southern Railway colors.

A visit to Bluemont Park is a quiet place in a very urbanized area which was bustling in its heyday.  It is located at 601 N. Manchester Street in Arlington, Virginia.  The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and it is completely wheelchair accessible.

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Washington, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Pennsylvania is a state known for many things.  It was in this state where the United States of America was established in Philadelphia.  It is the home to the Chocolate Capital of the World in Hershey.  Oil was discovered in this state near Titusville.  It is a state known for coal mining, and it is also known for the steel industry in cities like Bethlehem and, of course, Pittsburgh.  It is also the home of many railroad sites of which one of them happens to be south of Pittsburgh.

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pennsylvania.  Yes, it is a trolley museum in Pennsylvania hence the name.  What is special about the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum?  Of course, it has trolleys.  It was established by dedicated volunteers along an old trolley line that connected Washington with Pittsburgh back in the days when the trolley was in operation.  Much of the collection are trolleys that operated around the Pittsburgh region.  Yes, a few of the trolleys can be ridden year round when the museum is open weather depending.

So, what is special about the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum?  It is run by people who dedicate their lives to keeping the memories of trolleys alive.  When you visit the museum, you will be truly glad that they did.  A ride on a vintage trolley takes you back in time.

With the opening of the new visitor center featuring interactive exhibits and a climate controlled trolley display center, you can now visit the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum all year round.

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is located at 1 Electric Way in Washington, Pennsylvania just minutes from Interstate 79.  The museum hours vary throughout the year, but the trolleys only run in the warm months.  Everything in the museum is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information at https://pa-trolley.org/.

What is special about the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum?  The only way to truly answer that question is to visit.  During your visit, your questions will be answered.

Augusta Museum of History, Augusta, Georgia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

When you think about the city of Augusta in the U.S. state of Georgia, the main thing that comes to everyone’s mind is ‘The Masters’.  For those who are not familiar with the sport of golf, :Masters© is the biggest golf competition in the Professional Golf Association and the only major professional golf event played at the same location each year.  Sadly, Augusta National, the golf course where this event takes place is not open to the public, but one great place the public can visit is the Augusta Museum of History.  When you visit the Augusta Museum of History, you will see everything about the city from the famous golf competition to some of its famous residents to include James Brown, a famous musician who was born in Augusta.

Some of you are saying, “This is great.  You come to the city of Augusta, Georgia to see the golf course where :Masters© takes place, but it is not open to the public, and you expect me to visit this museum.  Well, it is not a railroad museum.  Therefore, I am not at par to visit this place.”

So why should you visit the Augusta Museum of History if it is not a railroad museum?

As mentioned, the city of Augusta, Georgia, is mainly famous for the big golf event known as :Masters©, but, like many cities, Augusta has so much more.

The Augusta Museum of History is a museum with many exhibits.  One, of course, is dedicated to the sport of course to include, of course, :Masters©.  Another exhibit tells the story of Augusta from the city’s beginnings to its roles in the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War and the city’s role in a region known as ‘The South’.  Other exhibits celebrates its famous residents to include National Football League running back Emerson Boozer who won a Super Bowl with Joe Namath with the New York Jets, (The National Football League, commonly called the NFL is a sports league with teams playing American football of which the championship game is called the Super Bowl) Light Heavyweight Champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Forrest Griffith, (Ultimate Fighting Championship is commonly called the UFC) plus singers Brenda Lee and Amy Grant.  There is an entire exhibit dedicated to James Brown, a soul music musician who was not born in Augusta but was raised here, who has been given many names such as ‘The Godfather of Soul’, ‘The Hardest Working Man in Show Business’, Mr. Dynamite’, Soul Brother Number 1’, and ‘The Minister of Super Heavy Funk’. 

Some of you are saying, “This is nice, but this does not make this a railroad museum.”

That brings us to the Transportation Gallery.  This gallery is devoted to the transportation history of Augusta which includes cars, and replica of a gas station, and the horse and buggy, but the very first thing you notice is a train.  Yes, it is a train with Locomotive Number 302 of the Georgia Railroad pulling a passenger car.  If that is not enough, there is also Trolley Number 415.

So you think that the Augusta Museum of History is all about golf and has nothing to do with the railroad, think again.  The history of the railroad in Augusta is on full display here.

The Augusta Museum of History is located in downtown Augusta at 560 Reynolds Street one block north of U.S. Route 25.  It is open Thursday to Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.  (It is closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  However, the museum is open the entire week when the :Masters© is being played which is in April.)  Parking is on Site, and the museum is wheelchair accessible.  Admission required to enter.  You can learn more about the museum at https://www.augustamuseum.org/.

When in Augusta, Georgia, visit the Augusta Museum of History.  It may not be :Masters©, but at least you can see one of the ‘masters of city museums’.

‘The Criminals Built It’

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

You have heard about things that criminals do.  You hear about criminals stealing and killing.  When the criminals get caught and convicted, they, of course, go to prison.  In Washington D.C., criminals were sent to either D.C. Jail, located in the District of Columbia, or they were sent to the Lorton Reformatory and Workhouse in Lorton, Virginia.  Opened in 1910 as a prison farm, the reformatory held many convicts to include the musician Chuck Brown and suffragist and women’s rights activist Lucy Burns.  While in incarceration, they were put to work.  They did farming, and they made bricks that were used to build some of the prison complex.  As they were creating products, there was a need to ship these products elsewhere.

In 1911, the Lorton and Occoquan Railroad began operations.  The narrow gauge line began at the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad near the Lorton Station, and it ran through the complex to a brick house located on the Occoquan River.  It was used to transfer criminals to and from the reformatory as well as supplies and products to its junction with the RF&P.  The railroads main line was only four miles long with a total trackage of seven miles.  What is special about the railroad is that, unlike other railroads in the U.S., the Lorton and Occoquan Railroad was completely built by inmates of the prison.  When it came to the Lorton and Occoquan, you can truly saw that ‘the criminals built it’.  Their claim to fame is that it is the only railroad in the world by entire by criminals.

Where is the railroad today?  The L&O Railroad ceased operations in 1980.  The rolling stock was sold off.  The reformatory and workhouse continued as a prison until it was closed in 2004.  Much of the property was sold off to developers.  Sections of the reformatory was converted into housing.  The main complex was converted into an arts center that features artist studios, galleries, and theater, and the Lucy Burns Museum.

As for what remains of the Lorton and Occoquan Railroad, the some of the rail lines were converted to rail trails while other sections were paved over with roads.  Along the rail trail, you will find a brick arch bridge.  This bridge, also built by criminals, was built to allow Virginia Route 611 to cross over the railroad, and it is the only bridge of its kind in the state.  It is also one of two railroad structures that remain from the railroad.  As you continue along the trail, you will come upon the ruins of an old box car used on the railroad.  Although the original bridge over Giles Run was demolished, the current bridge was built on the old abutments.  The only other structure that remains is the old engine house behind the arts center.  It is currently in ruins.  (Plans to retore the engine house is currently unknown.)

Today, you may not be able to ride the railroad that was built by inmates, but you can walk the trails that brought the inmates in and brought products and goods they made out.  You can truly reminisce about the Lorton and Occoquan Railroad.  ‘The criminals built it’.

The Savannah History Museum, Savannah, Georgia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.  It is famous for many things to include its state capital, Atlanta, and it is home to the ‘Masters’ golf tournament in Augusta.  Another treasured city in the state is Savannah.  Located a short distance inland from the Atlantic Ocean, it is a major port city with much history that includes the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War.  The downtown area includes glorious town squares with spectacular fountains.  A visit to the Savannah History Museum tells the story of a city that has so much.  When you visit the city of Savannah, Georgia, you must make a visit to the Savannah History Museum.

Some of you are saying, “That is amazing.  I have driven down Interstate 95 many times while on my way to Florida passing by Savannah.  I have heard about the great architecture of the city.  However, there is a big problem.  It is called the Savannah History Museum.  It is not a railroad museum.  Therefore, I am not making a history of visiting this museum.”

So, that is your reason to not visiting this museum.  Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for a Savannah history lesson.

As mentioned, Savannah is a major port city.  Two forts, Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski, were built to protect the city.  The city is home to the birth home of Juliette Gordon Lowe, the founder of the Girls Scouts of America.  The city of full of great architecture and great town squares and their fountains.  What most people do not know is that Savannah is a big railroad city.  It is the home of the Georgia State Railroad Museum.

What about the Savannah History Museum?  Well, the museum itself is part of railroad history.

What is the first thing you will see when you arrive at the Savannah History Museum?  Well, you will immediately discover… that it is located inside the Savannah Visitor Center.

Some of you are saying, “Well that is no big deal.  There is nothing special about that.”

Oh yes it is.  The Savannah Visitor Center is located in the old train station.  Yes, it is inside the old passenger train terminal that was built by the Central of Georgia Railway.  When passenger service ceased in 1971, it was eventually converted into the visitor center it is now.

Some of you are saying, “Well, that is all.”

Nope.  We now enter the Savannah History Museum.

The story begins with the Indian tribes that once occupied the land to the colonial era and the American Revolutionary War to the present day, and the bench used in the famous movie ‘Forrest Gump’ which featured Tom Hanks is on display here.  (Sadly, you cannot sit on the bench.)  One of the main centerpieces of the museum is the Central of Georgia Railway Locomotive Number 403.  Yes, a steam locomotive is a centerpiece of the museum.  Other features include railroad lanterns and a model train from the Central Railroad of New Jersey on display.

Now you have a reason to visit the Savannah History Museum.  When you drive along Interstate 95, it is truly worth a detour.

The Savannah History Museum is located inside the Savannah Visitor Center, which is located at 303 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard just blocks from Interstate 16 and U.S. Route 17.  Parking is on the north side of the visitor center.  It is owned and operated by the Coastal Heritage Society.  It is open seven days a week from 9:00am to 4:00pm.  Admission is $10.00 from adults.  The museum is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information at https://chsgeorgia.org/SHM. No more excuses.  Savannah, Georgia is a town full of railroad history.  The Savannah History Museum is a history museum with the history of the railroad.

Memorial Park, Myersville, Maryland

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Most people have never heard of the small town of Myersville in the northern region of the U.S. state of Maryland.  The only main road through this town is Maryland Route 17.  If you visit the town, the first thing you would say is, “Well, this is not a railroad town.”

In the early years of the town, that was not the case.  Memorial Park was erected in 2016 to commemorate the volunteers, the agriculture and community organizations as well as the town being a trolley town.  The park is a reminder of how the town benefited from the Hagerstown and Frederick Railway which ran trolleys connecting the small towns with the big towns of Frederick and Hagerstown.  The town was served by the trolley and was a hub for farmers and travelers going to various parks to include Braddock Heights, an amusement park (now gone).  The trolley ran through the town until 1945, and the tracks were taken up.

As you visit the park, you will first see the sign ‘Memorial Park Trolley Station’.  You can read a sign that tells the history of the Hagerstown and Frederick Railway’s service to the town.  You can see a trolley shelter where you can have a seat.  Next door, you can see the old sign that hung of the old trolley shelter.

Memorial Park is located on Maryland Route 17.  The park does not have its own parking, but there is plenty of parking on the street and nearby parking lots.

A Train Ride with Saint Patrick

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

The train arrived.  I boarded the train.  I went to my seat and sat down.  The train pulled away from the station.

“Welcome aboard!”

I looked across the aisle and saw him sitting there.

“Welcome aboard!”  Saint Patrick welcomed me.

I could not believe my eyes.  “What brings you on the train?”

“Oh, I enjoy riding the train.  I enjoy sitting back and looking at the scenery.”  He smiled at me.

“I enjoy the same thing.”  I said.

We continued to ride until I reached my stop.  “Time for me to get off.  I wish you good luck.”

“I hope you have plenty of good luck.”  He smiled.

I stepped off the train, and I waved at him as the train departed.

Wishing Everyone a HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!

The Savannah Visitor Center, Savannah, Georgia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

When you think about the city of Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia, the last thing you will think about is the city’s railroad history.  Yet, the Savannah Visitor Center was once a railroad station.  This is not one of those tiny depots made into a visitor center.  This was a major passenger terminal for the Georgia Railway until 1972.  Today, it is the first place you will want to visit when you arrive in Savannah.

As you arrive, you can see a structure preserved with some old passenger cars and a caboose in the areas where the passengers boarded the trains.  Inside, you will see the information desk, a gift shop, a café, and the Savannah History Museum.  Across the parking lot, you will find old warehouses that were served by freight trains.  The structure is now part of the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The Savannah Visitor Center is located at 301 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard across the street from the Georgia Railroad Museum, and it is the first structures you will see as you arrive in Savannah from Interstate 16.  You can also park your car here and take a beautiful walk through this very his very historic and lovely city.

This is amazing.  You come to Savannah today, and you first see the Visitor Center.  This is no different that the visitors who arrived here before 1972 by train.