The town of Parksley in the U.S. state of Virginia, a small town on the Delmarva Peninsula is known for its Victorian architecture. The town was built around a railroad line that was extended south from Pocomoke City in the U.S. state of Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia which sits at the southern tip of the peninsula. (The railroad line in the Virginia section of the peninsula is now abandoned.) It you visit the town, the very first thing that you will notice is the numerous rails cars that are resting in this town. This is the Eastern Shore Railway Museum which celebrates the railroad heritage of the town.
On the outside, you will see the Parksley Depot that was once used for passenger service. The depot was originally the Depot of Hopetown, Virginia that was brought to the museum and sits on the site of the original Parksley Depot. You will also see a section of the foundation of the old 1886 depot that was unearthed while clearing the land for the museum. You can stand in the same spot where passengers stood to wait for the train. The platform is made with bricks that were used at the train station in Ocean City, Maryland. You will see a dining car from the Seaboard Airline Railroad. You see an old maintenance shed and a guard house that was used before crossing gates came along. You see an old Pennsylvania Railroad Box Car, the Fairfax River, a Pullman sleeper from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, another sleeper car, a baggage car and two cabooses: one from the Nickle Plate Road and an old Wabash caboose. There is so much to see, and you have not even gone inside yet.
On the inside, you will see the gift shop, a small model train display, a maintenance car, a luggage carrier and artifacts from the days when regular rail service came to Parksley.
The Eastern Shore Railway Museum is located at 18468 Dunne Avenue in Parksley, Virginia, just minutes from U.S. Route 13 at the intersection of Virginia Route 176 and Virginia Route 316. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. The gift shop, model train display and inside areas are open from April to November, but the grounds are accessible all year round. A drive along Virginia’s Eastern Shore would not be complete without a visit to Parksley and to the spot that the town originated from.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 