Category: Uncategorized

The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, Hamburg, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

What was the Reading Railroad?

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh!  It was a railroad where people read books while riding the railroad.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that is not the correct answer.

Some of you are saying, “Oh!  I see. It was a railroad that had the ability to read so they called it the Reading Railroad.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that is not the correct answer either.

What was the Reading Railroad?  (In case you are wondering, it is pronounced red-ing as in the color red as opposed to reading as in reading a book.)  It was originally called the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Road running mainly along the Schuylkill River between the city of Philadelphia and the city of Reading in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, and it was one of the earliest in the United States of America.  It was later renamed the Reading Company but was commonly known as the Reading Railroad or the Reading Lines even though the headquarters remained in Philadelphia.  The Reading Company served the eastern region of Pennsylvania connecting the coal mines to the ports in Philadelphia until they were overtaken by Conrail in 1976.  Many of the surviving railroad lines are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum.  The museum is completely dedicated to the Reading Company.

The journey begins at the entrance.  The museum occupies a structure originally owned by the Pennsylvania Electric Steel Casting Company.  You enter the gift shop and then the museum.  You see models of trains.  You see model train displays.  You see a replica of a station master’s office.  You see tools and artifacts used by the Reading Company.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice that they built a museum that remembers the Reading Railroad, but it would be nice to see some real trains.”

That is where we come to the best part of the museum.  What is the best part?

Welcome to the yard.  This is a railroad yard made up mostly of railroad cars used on the Reading Railroad with a few exceptions.  You have boxcars, passenger cars, locomotives, cabooses, and so much more.  There is also a replica railroad tower.

The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is located at 500 S. Third Street in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.  It is a short drive from Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, and Pennsylvania Route 61.  The museum is only open from March to December on Saturdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sundays from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.  Admission required to enter the museum.  Parking is street parking.  The museum is self-guided, but only guided tours for the yard.  The museum is wheelchair accessible, but the yard tour requires walking on terrain that is not paved and may be difficult for wheelchairs.  You can get more information at https://www.readingrailroad.org/.

Come to the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.  Learn more about the Reading Railroad, a railroad worth reading about.

The Mansfield Historical Society and Museum, Mansfield, Missouri

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Missouri is located in the heartland of the United States of America.  It is a state that has so much to offer.  You have the city of Saint Louis, nicknamed the ‘Gateway of the West’.  It is famous for the Gateway Arch, a huge arch that rises over the city that is located on the Mississippi River just south of where the Missouri River flows into it.  The Saint Louis Cardinals, the city’s professional baseball team, is the second most championed team in Major League Baseball.  (The New York Yankees are number one.)  On the opposite side of the state is Kansas City that is mostly in Missouri with sections in the U.S. state of Kansas.  The city is known for being a city of fountains having more fountains that any other city in the nation, and it has been known for its barbeque, but it has been most famous for the Kansas City Chiefs, an American football team that is part of the National Football League.  The state has its small towns.  The most famous small town in the state is Hannibal.  What is famous about Hannibal?  No, it is not named after the famous criminal Hannibal Lector.  It is where the famous author Samuel Clemens, famously known as Mark Twain, grew up, and his famous stories, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was based.  You have Branson, a city kind of known as the Las Vegas of theme parks.  (In case you are wondering, Las Vegas, Nevada is famous for its numerous casinos.)  Then you have the town of Mansfield.

What is special about the small town of Mansfield, Missouri?  As you visit the town of Mansfield, Missouri, it may appear to be an average American town.  It was the home of baseball pitcher Carl Mays, and it was also the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author who gave us Little House on the Prairie which was made into a television series, and her home is open for tours and she is also buried in a cemetery in town.  As you go to the center of the town, it may not appear to be much, but the town was much different in its heyday.

Welcome to the Mansfield Historical Society and Museum.  As you approach the museum, which is also the tourist information center, you will see that it looks like a train station.  Well, it is a replica train station built on the site of the original train station which was demolished.  There is also an old passenger car on the site.

Today, only the main railroad line passes through the town, but the town was once the site of a railroad yard.  The Ava Southern Railroad, a short line railroad, went south to the town of Ava.

You go inside the museum.  Of course, the museum is about the history of Mansfield Missouri, and the different displays are about the life in the town to include the lives of Carl Mays and Laura Ingalls Wilder.  During here time in Mansfield, Laura Ingalls Wilder made much use of the railroad and the train station as she use the railroad to brings many of her goods to the town.  As you look through the exhibits, you will see a photo of Laura Ingalls Wilder attending an event with the driving of the last spike of the Kansas City Ozark and Southern Railroad which later was known as the Ava Southern Railroad.

Mansfield Historical Society and Museum is located at 101 W. North Street in Mansfield, Missouri, one block south of U.S. Business Route 60.  It is open from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Saturday.  (It is closed on Sunday and from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.)  Parking is on site.  Admission is free, but they do take donations.  The museum is on one floor in two different rooms that are wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about the museum and read more into the historical society at https://mansfieldhistoricalmuseum.com/.

The state of Missouri is nicknamed the ‘Show Me State’.  Allow them to show you the small town of Mansfield.

Arlington Depot Square, Arlington, Tennessee

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many states in the United States of America has a town called Arlington.  You have most famous Arlington in the U.S. state of Virginia which is a suburb of Washington D.C. and it home to Arlington National Cemetery, one of the most famous cemeteries in the world as it is the burial ground of many men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  It is also where former United States President Howard Taft is buried, and it is also where former United States President John Ferdinand Kennedy and his family is buried.  His gravesite overlooks the National Mall with a view of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the United States Capitol.  The most moving part of Arlington National Cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns.  The tomb is guarded by soldiers day and night in all types of weather.  Then you have Arlington in the U.S. state of Texas, a suburb of the city of Dallas.  It is here where the Dallas Cowboys, an American football team that plays in the National Football League.

Then you have the town of Arlington in the U.S. state of Tennessee.

Some of you are saying, “Wow.  You are Arlington, Virginia, and you have Arlington, Texas, but I have never heard of Arlington, Tennessee.”

Well, most people, including those who live in Tennessee, have never heard of the town.  It is about thirty miles (fifty kilometers) east of Memphis, the city famous for the king of rock-n-roll, Elvis Presley, and, sadly, the city where Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated.

What is special about Arlington, Tennessee?

Some of you are saying, “I bet it is a famous railroad town.”

Well, it is not a famous railroad town.  The town was established before the railroad arrived, and it was originally called Haysville.

Some of you are saying, “Oh, the town got its name from being a place where you can get hay.”

Well, that is not true.  It is named after Samuel Jackson Hays.  He was the original landowner of the region, but he also has another claim.  What is that claim?  He was a descendant of United States President Andrew Jackson.  In the town’s beginning, it was not very prosperous.  It was not until the Memphis and Ohio Railroad came to town and a train depot was built that the town began to grow.  The town was renamed Arlington in 1883 naming it after Arlington, Virginia.  The suggestion was made by Captain Henry Pitman who visited Arlington National Cemetery and thought that the cemetery was the most beautiful place on planet earth.  The townspeople boarded the train at the station to visit Memphis and enjoy life in the big city.  Sadly, the original train depot, which became the centerpiece of the town, was demolished in 1971, but many of the original structures of the town remain.

Today, when you visit the town of Arlington, Tennessee, you can visit Arlington Depot Square.  A replica depot has been built on the site of the original depot and is now a senior center.  You can visit some of the original structures to include the post office, a general store, a blacksmith shop, and a small cabin.  Depot Square is also used for concerts in the warm months.  Most important of all, you can see a passing train as the railroad line is still active.

Arlington Depot Square is located on Chester Street.  It is just off of U.S. Route 79 and a short drive from Interstate 40.  Parking is on site.  You can get more information about Arlington Depot Square and read more into the history of the town at https://www.townofarlington.org/.

What does Arlington, Tennessee have that Arlington, Virginia and Arlington, Texas does not have?  Arlington, Virginia has Arlington National Cemetery.  Arlington, Texas has AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.  As for Arlington, Tennessee, they have Arlington Depot Square, a place where you can see a replica train depot, watch a concert, and, most important, watch the trains go by.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Cave City, Kentucky

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

There are many great things about the U.S. state of Kentucky.  Many people think about Kentucky Fried Chicken, a fast food restaurant chain.  You have the bourbon distilleries.  You have the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the longest continuously running sporting event in the world and the first race of what is known as the Triple Crown.  Louisville is also the home of the Louisville Slugger, a company that makes baseball bats.  How about my Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown?  Then you have Mammoth Cave National Park, the home of Mammoth Cave, the largest known cave system in the entire world.  How big is the cave?  Let us say that you cannot do the entire cave in one tour.  There are many tours involved here.  How does it get the name ‘Mammoth Cave’?

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh, it was the home of a mammoth.  A mammoth lived in the cave.”

It is unclear if that is the answer but being the largest known cave system in the world, it is truly mammoth in size.  It is truly a natural marvel that you will truly want to see.  If you are ever in the south central region of Kentucky, you will want to visit Mammoth Cave.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  That is one big cave.  However, there is one big problem.  As you can see, this is a cave.  This is not a railroad site.  Therefore, I will not be exploring this place.”

You are right.  This is not a railroad site.  Why visit Mammoth Cave National Park?

Mammoth Cave National Park, as mentioned, is centered around Mammoth Cave.  Hence the name.  It is located near Cave City, which is about eight miles from the park.

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh!  Cave City is an obvious name of a town erected around a cave.”

You are absolutely right, but this is where the story begins.  Cave City was not always called Cave City.  It was originally called Glasgow Junction.  If you are thinking of a railroad junction, you are thinking correctly.  The Louisville and Nashville Railroad brought people to Glasgow Junction.  Then they were brought to Mammoth Cave by a horse drawn carriage to the cave.

Some of you are saying, “It is nice that they were able to ride the train to Cave City, but then they had to take a carriage about eight miles to the cave.  That means that Mammoth Cave has nothing to do with the railroad.  This mean that there is no reason to visit this cave.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, there is more to the story.

In an automobile, eight miles is a short distance.  In a horse drawn carriage, it is a long distance.  The owners of the horse drawn carriages saw that it took time to get tourists from the train station to the cave.  They came up with an idea.  What was that idea?  In 1874, they started the Mammoth Cave Railroad, and the first train ran in 1886.  Instead of riding the train to Glasgow Junction and taking a horse and carriage to the cave, they could now ride the train to the cave.

The railroad, sadly, was only profitable in the first six years.  As more people were able to afford an automobile, fewer people took advantage of the train ride.  The last train ride to the park took place on August 31, 1931.

Now the Mammoth Cave Railroad is gone… but not forgotten.

As you enter Mammoth Cave National Park, you can see the old railroad bed that the Mammoth Cave Railroad once ran on, and it is a rail trail that you can hike and bike today.  Once you arrive at the Visitor Center, you are just a short walk from Mammoth Cave Railroad Locomotive Number 4 and Mammoth Cave Railroad Car Number 2.  These two pieces of rolling stock that are covered and surrounded by a steel fence rest at the site of the terminus of the Mammoth Cave Railroad.

As you can see, Mammoth Cave it not just a big cave.  It is a big cave with railroad history.  You can hike on the original railroad bed in the park.  Along with the many cave tours and rail trail, there are also numerous trails you can tread upon.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located at 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.  It is near Interstate 65 and U.S. Routes 31W and 31E.  Please note that Mammoth Cave is not wheelchair accessible.  You will also be making a descent into the cave with no elevator and escalator.  You will need to climb steps out of the cave.  The rail trail is dirt but is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information on directions, cave tours, the history of the cave and the Mammoth Cave Railroad at https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm.  (Please note that the National Park Service recommends that you do not use GPS in the area and that you follow the directions on the website.)

The next time you think about Mammoth Cave and Mammoth Cave National Park, think about a big cave that has a mammoth history with the railroad.

Tiny Town, Hot Springs, Arkansas

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

What is Tiny Town?

Some of you are saying, “Well, it’s a ‘tiny town’.”

Yes.  It is a tiny town.

Some of you are saying, “Yes.  It is a tiny town.  It is not a railroad town.  Therefore, I will not be shrinking myself to visit this place.”

So what is Tiny Town, and why visit Tiny Town?  Located in the city of Hot Springs that is named for its hot springs in the U.S. state of Arkansas, why would you want to take the time to visit Tiny Town?

As you approach Tiny Town, you will want to see more.  Why?

You may have heard of a place called Roadside America in a small town known as Shartlesville in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  It was a model train village designed by one man who handmade each structure in the village.  Then you had a place called EnterTrainment Junction, another model train village located in the city of Cincinnati in the U.S. state of Ohio.  Sadly, both of these places closed and are places that will not be seen again.

That brings us to Tiny Town in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Like Roadside America and EnterTrainment Junction, Tiny Town is a model railroad village.  Each structure is handmade without using any kits like most model train displays.  The scenes on this display are from twenty two different U.S. states.  You have small towns and carnivals and Indian villages and wild west towns and mountains and valleys.  The Ferris wheels and other items actually move.  There are waterfalls and rivers and lakes using actual water.  Yes, real water goes over the waterfall and real water spring from the fountains.

This may be called Tiny Town, but the story behind it is not tiny nor is the excitement of visiting Tiny Town.  You do not have to be a train lover to enjoy this masterpiece in a city known for its natural masterpieces.

Tiny Town is located at 374 Whittington Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  It is just a short drive from Arkansas Route 7 and a short drive and walk from the Hot Springs National Park and the downtown area.  Please note that it is only open from March to October.  Everything is on one floor making it completely wheelchair accessible.  They do not have their own parking, but there is plenty of street parking available.  You can get more information about Tiny Town and read more into its history at https://www.tinytowntrains.com/.

It is called Tiny Town.  When you visit, you will see that there is nothing tiny about this place.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum, Mansfield, Missouri

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Who is Laura Ingalls Wilder?  She was an author who wrote many books, but she is most famous for the Little House on the Prairie which became a television series.  She was born in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and lived in a few states in the Midwest Region of the United States of America.  Her final home was in the town of Mansfield in the U.S. state of Missouri.  This is the same state that produced Samuel Clemens, commonly known by his penname of Mark Twain, who wrote the stories of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer and their adventures on the Mississippi River.  Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote Little House on the Prairie while living in Mansfield, Missouri.  When you visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum, you can visit the museum that tells the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the books that she wrote.  You then have the Rocky Ridge Farmhouse and see her writing desk.  You then have the Rock House.  It was here where Laura wrote the Little House on the Prairie books.  As you visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum, you will get the complete story of America’s greatest authors.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  She had to be one amazing woman.  She lived in so many places in the American Midwest.  Her two homes must be beautiful.  There is a very big problem.  First, this is not a railroad site.  Second, this is not a railroad museum.  Third, Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote no stories about railroads.  Therefore, you will not see me making a visit to this place.”

You do have a point.  This is not a railroad site.  It is not a railroad museum.  There is no railroad on the property nor was there any railroad here.  She never wrote any story about the railroad.  This brings us to a very important question: why should you visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum?

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum is a museum that features two houses where Laura Ingalls spent the last years of her life that is located just outside of the town of Mansfield, Missouri.  She is buried with her husband at a gravesite in a cemetery that is located in the town, and the public can visit the gravesite.  While she was living in Mansfield, like many people, you buy things.  When you buy things, some people have their things brought to their homes.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice, but there is no railroad at her house nor has there ever been a railroad at her house.”

That is true.  However, there is a railroad in the town of Mansfield, and there was a train station.  The train station is no longer active, but the railroad line remains active today and is owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, simply known as BNSF.  The town also had a railroad yard, and it was served by a short line railroad known as the Ava Southern Railroad that went to the town of Ava.

What does this have to do with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum?

Laura Ingalls Wilder made much use of the train station in Mansfield as she had many of her things ship to the town of Mansfield by train, and then it was brought to her house.  Laura Ingalls Wilder also attended a ceremony celebrating the completion of the Ava Southern Railroad.

Laura Ingalls Wilder never wrote a story about the railroad, but while she was living in Mansfield, Missouri, the railroad was a big part of her life.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum is located at 3060 Missouri Highway A in Mansfield, Missouri.  It is open from March 1 to November 15 from 9:00am to 5:00pm from Monday to Saturday and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday.  Parking is on site.  Please note that due to the age of the structures, the Rocky Ridge Farmhouse and the Rock House are not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information and read more into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder at https://lauraingallswilderhome.com/.

Come to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum.  See where the Little House on the Prairie was written.  See the place where a famous author made her home, and home that made use of the railroad.

Williamsburg, Indiana

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Welcome to Williamsburg, Indiana.

Some of you are saying, “You got it wrong.  You meant to say, ‘Welcome to Williamsburg, Virginia’.”

No.  This is the small town of Williamsburg in the U.S. state of Indiana.  It is not like its Virginia counterpart of Colonial Williamsburg but a small town in the eastern part of the state just west of the U.S. state of Ohio.  When you visit the town, you will pretty much see a ghost town… but it was not always that way.

The town was named after William Johnson, the man who settled the town in 1830.  Like many small towns, it flourished, but something happened in 1901.  What happened?  The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway came to town.  Connecting the Indiana cities of Richmond to the south with Muncie, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway brought massive growth of business and population to the town.  The town had its own train station.  Like many small towns in the United States of America, Williamsburg went into a decline and began beginning to be the ghost town it is today.

Today, the railroad line that passed through the town of Williamsburg, Indiana became a rail trail known as the Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail trail in the U.S. state of Indiana running to Richmond to the south and Marion to the north.  As you visit the rail trail, you will not notice that this was once a busy place.  Located north of the town center just a short drive of U.S. Route 35, you will experience a quiet place at a place that was once the centerpiece of the town.

Welcome to Williamsburg, Indiana.  You will not see people dress in colonial attire, but you will be in a small town where a railroad made history.

A Tale of Two Trains

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Once upon a time, there was a small town that was also its own country called Livingtown.  The town was on a high bluff that was on an island in the middle of the Living Sea.  The only access to this town/country was a railroad line with two long bridges on each side.  The one railroad bridge went into the nation of Condemnburg.  The other railroad bridge went to the national of Freedomia.  The trains came together at Union Station.

One day, a family was at the edge of one of the bluffs having a picnic.  They looked at the bluffs, and they saw that the bluffs were eroding into the sea, and they were eroding fast.  They immediately went to the king and told him what was happening.  The king gathered everyone together at the square.

“People of Livingtown, the cliffs around this bluff island are beginning to erode away.  In a matter of days, the island will be no more.  Every one of you must gather all of your things and go to Union Station to leave the island.”

Everyone did as the king demanded and gathered their things and brought them to Union Station.  Two trains arrived.  The one man stepped off from the locomotive and went in from of the people.  “Hello.  My name is David Dictate.  My train is going to Condemnburg.  You need to get on my train.  Why?  Because in Condemnburg, you never need to make decisions or choices.  Why?  Because I make your choices for you.  I always know what is best for you.  Therefore, I will never make a bad choice for you.”

Three men stepped off of the other train.  “Ladies and gentlemen of Livingtown.  My name of Franklin Free.  My train is going to Freedomia.  In my country, you can choose what is best for you.  We the leaders of Freedomia believe that you can make better decisions for yourselves that the nation’s leaders can.  In Freedomia, you have freedom.”

“Come on!”  David Dictate was furious.  “You do not want freedom.  If you have freedom, you have to make the decisions and choices yourselves.  In Condemnburg, we the leaders do that for you.  You do not have to anything in my country because we do it for you.”

The people boarded each train along with their possessions.  The train to Condemnburg left the station.  The train crossed the sea and entered into the nation of Condemnburg.  The people were then put in chains.  “What is happening?”

Their possessions were thrown off of the train into a fire.

“You do not need stuff.”  David Dictate spoke.  You will keep these chains on.  If anybody complains, you will be executed.”

The train to Freedomia left the station.  They crossed the bridge and entered into the country.  They arrived in the city of Independence City.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Independence City, the capital of Freedomia.  As you deboard the train, there will be people at the station who will help you with where to live, and we have plenty of places to eat here.  Where you want to live and want to eat is up to you.  I hope that you enjoy our nation.”

The people deboarded the train.  They were enjoying life in Freedomia.

Every year, many countries around the world celebrate their Independence Day.  In the United States of America, July 4th is set aside as Independence Day.  It was on this day in 1776 where a few men signed a document called the Declaration of Independence in a small building in the city of Philadelphia in the then British colony of Pennsylvania.  This document made a declaration of independence to what would become the United States of America.  What began as thirteen colonies in 1776 grew to fifty states 249 years later.  I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

The White Oak Rail Trail, Oak Hill, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

In the heyday of America railroading, the railroad connected the small towns with the major cities.  As many railroad lines were no longer used, many of the railroad tracks and the railroad ties were taken up while some rails and ties were left to decay.  Some of the railroad beds were left to erode over time while some were covered into rail trails.  (A rail trail is a trail designed on an old railroad bed to be used for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or just plain walking.)  Many of the trails are paved while some remain dirt or have gravel.

In the U.S. state of West Virginia in the metropolitan region of Beckley, you will find the town of Oak Hill.  The town is not very famous although it is said the country music singer Hank Williams may have died at a gas station in this town while on route from Bristol, Virginia to Canton, Ohio.  (The story has not been confirmed.)  The only thing most people know about Oak Hill is that most people drive by the town on U.S. Route 19 while traveling from Beckley to the World Famous New River Gorge Bridge which is just north of the town.  One thing that is confirmed is that the town of Oak Hill was served by the railroad.

The White Oak Rail Trail is a rail trail that is slightly under eight miles that passes through the town.  Much of it is paved, but there are portions of the trail that are not paved.  The railroad line was owned by the White Oak Railway, and the rail line was later taken over by the Virginian Railway.  The main center point of the trail is the old train station.

What is special about the old train station?  It is one of the oldest structures in Oak Hill.  It is a passenger and a freight depot.  It was built by the White Oak Railway in 1903, and it was later taken over by the Virginian Railway.  Like many small towns, the railroad was a major contributor to the town’s economy.  The depot was also used by the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.  The train depot remained in service until 1983.  The rail line later became the rail trail it is today.

The train depot is now an art store selling locally made at.  An old railroad line that passes by the old train station is the only reminder of Oak Hill being a railroad town today.

The Oak Hill Train Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is located at the intersection of Virginia Street and Central Avenue.  The trail goes north from the depot to the community of Summerlee and south to the community of Carlisle.  Much of the trail is wheelchair accessible.

When you think of the New River Gorge region of West Virginia, think of the small town of Oak Hill.  It was once a railroad town, and an old train depot remains.

Casey Jones Village and Museum, Jackson, Tennessee

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many railroad historians are very familiar with the name Casey Jones.  Who was Casey Jones?  John Luther ‘Casey’ Jones was a famous railroad engineer who had a tragic ending to his life.  He had just taken over a train headed for New Orleans, Louisiana that had arrived at the station  in Canton, Mississippi over an hour late, he tried to get the train back on its schedule.  He was known to be on time.  As he was trying to get the train back on schedule, he was unaware that there was a stopped freight train ahead.  He did get word of the stopped train and tried to slow the train down… but it was not enough.  He was the only man in the locomotive as he had told his fireman, the man who shoveled coal from the coal car to the boiler, to jump off of the train.  Casey saw the caboose of the freight train as his train slammed hard into the caboose… and he was killed instantly.  He was the only one on the train who lost his life, but his actions in the locomotive saved the lives of the passengers and the rest of the crew.  He spent much of his life in the city of Jackson in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and it is here where you will find the Casey Jones Village and Museum.

What is the Casey Jones Village and Museum?  Well, you will see a small shopping village, but before you see the village, you will see the museum.  It is here where you can see a short film about the life of Casey Jones.  The museum has artifacts from different railroads and from Casey himself.  There is a small model of the train crash site.  The carriage that carried his casket during his funeral.  The museum has model trains and a train store.

Now that you have walked through the museum, you can go outside and see a replica of Illinois Central Railroad Number 382.  Casey was on the original locomotive that was involved in the crash.

There is also an old baggage car and a caboose.

Another part of the visit to the museum is a tour of the home of Casey Jones.  It is his original home at it original site.  You can see the different rooms with the original furniture.

Once you are finished with the museum, you can visit the Country Store.  It is not only a store, but it also has a restaurant.  The rest of the village feature shops, and there is also a farm and a church.

You do not have to be a railroad fan to appreciate the life of Casey Jones.  Many songs were written about him.  When you see more into his life, you will see him as an American railroad hero.

The Casey Jones Village and Museum is located at 56 Casey Jones Lane in Jackson, Tennessee.  It is just off of Interstate 40 and U.S. Routes 45 and 412.  Parking is on site.  The museum and village hours vary throughout the years.  The museum and house is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information at https://www.caseyjones.com/.

Casey Jones is a hero.  He was a railroad hero who saved the lives of others.  When you visit the Casey Jones Museum, he may become your hero too.