Tag: Railroad

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.

The Lincoln Depot, Springfield, Illinois

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Illinois is commonly known as the ‘Land of Lincoln’.  Even though Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States of America, was not born in the state, (born in Kentucky) he spent much of his public life here as a lawyer and a politician.  In Springfield, the state capital of Illinois, you can visit and tour his home that is owned and operated by the National Park Service.  It is also where he is buried along with his wife and son in a tomb in a cemetery on the northwestern area of the city.  He is one of the most honored politicians in U.S. history, but when it comes to the railroad, most people would associate him with the railroad more than any other president.  Without Air Force One, the railroad was the fastest mode of travel in his day.

This brings us to an old train station in the capital city that is known as the Lincoln Depot.  Originally called the Great Western Depot, it was originally built in 1852, and it was repaired in 1857 after a fire destroyed parts of the station.  It was here on February 11, 1861, where Abraham Lincoln made what would be his final speech in the capital city before he departed on a train for another capital city, Washington D.C., to begin his life as the President of the United States of America.

Around 1900, passenger and freight service ceased.  The depot when through many ownerships before it was bought by a local group in 1960 to preserve the depot, and it was eventually made into a museum.  There was another fire in 1968.  (Arson was suspected but not proven.)  The museum was closed in 1977, but it was reopened as a museum in 1980 when a new owner took over.  The museum was closed in 2011, and it was sold again to be a law office, but the lawyer was a descendant of Abraham Lincoln’s law partner.  In 2014, it was a museum again, and it remains a museum today.

Today, the Lincoln Depot in Springfield, Illinois in on the National Register of Historical Places.  The trains that pass by the station are freight trains from the Norfolk Southern Railway.  (Amtrak service is in the center of the city just blocks from the State Capitol.)  It is open Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Please note that only the first floor is open to the public, and admission is free.  It is also wheelchair accessible.  The museum does not have its own parking.  There is metered parking on the street or you can park at a parking garage.  You can get more information on the depot at https://www.lincolndepot.org/.  On the website, you read Abraham Lincoln’s farewell speech, read more into the history of the train depot including a timeline, and see photos of the depot.

When in Illinois, visit the capital city of Springfield.  Visit an old train depot where the journey of a man on his way to a house called the White House, began.

Winston Churchill

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

“We will not surrender!”

The famous words of the British Prime Minister Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill as many in the British Parliament were suggesting negotiating with the Nazis and the Germans as they march across Europe during World War II.  It was this stance that began the demise of Nazi Germany.  Throughout his life, he served in many political positions.

Before he was Prime Minister, he was a British soldier.  As a soldier, he served in many positions.  While serving in Africa, he worked with the railroads.  Yes, he worked on the railroad supplying the British army throughout Kenya and other parts of the continent.  He would ride with a few other soldiers on what is called the ‘cowcatcher’.  (The cowcatcher is located on the front of a steam locomotive at the bottom near the tracks.)  He is also known for using the Uganda Railway to travel to make speeches.

Winston Churchill, a politician, a stateman, a soldier, a family man, a Brit, and a man who worked on the railroad.

Cover photo is from Google Images. The picture of the train and flag is AI generated. The statue of Winston Churchill is from National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S.A.

The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

In the heyday of the railroad, there were railroad lines all over the United States of America.  As the railroad declined, less used railroad lines were abandoned.  Although many of these railroad lines are lost forever to time, many were preserved as rail trails.  Among these rail trails is the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail that runs between the towns of Newville to Shippensburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the U.S. state that produced the Penn Central Transportation Company (simply known as the Penn Central) and the world famous Pennsylvania Railroad of which, sadly, neither of them exist today.

Why is it called the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail?  Although Conrail was the last owner of the railroad line who took over the line from the Penn Central Transportation Company, the railroad line was originally owned by the Cumberland Valley Railroad that ran railroad service throughout what is called the Cumberland Valley with railroad line through much of the south central region of Pennsylvania and in the northern parts of the U.S. state of Maryland.  Very little of the railroad lines of the Cumberland Valley Railroad were preserved.

This brings us to the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.  As mentioned, it begins in the town of Newville and it ends in Shippensburg.  What it special about Shippensburg?  Well, although it is not a famous railroad town, the Norfolk Southern Railway does continue to pass through the town, but it was also served by the Cumberland Valley Railroad that was taken over by the Penn Central Transportation Company and, the railroad line’s last owner, Conrail, who donated the railroad line to be converted into the railroad trail.

What is special about Shippensburg?  The town’s claim to fame is that it is the home of Shippensburg University.  The west end of the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail begins at the south side of Shippensburg University.  What is special about the rail trail beginning at Shippensburg University?  It is here where the Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum is located.

Why here at Shippensburg University?  Shippensburg University was a benefactor of the Cumberland Valley Railroad.  Here, you will find the Shippensburg Station, a replica train station that serves as a restroom stop for those utilizing the rail trail and is located where a passenger stop for the university was located.

Then you have a boxcar from the Penn Central Transportation Company.  What is special about this boxcar?  Well, it was not originally owned by the Penn Central Transportation Company but the New York Central System, a railroad company that was taken over by the Penn Central Transportation Company.  The boxcar was abandoned at a warehouse in town and was spared from being scrap metal and restored to house artifacts of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and its history and impact on the region.

Then you have another boxcar.  This one is from Conrail.  Inside, you will see artifacts and the history of Conrail and its people.

You take a short walk down the trail and you see a coal car From the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  Why is it here if the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad never came to Shippensburg?  The coal car came from a train wreck, and it was brought here as coal was shipped to Shippensburg University, and it is a reminder of how coal impacted the region.

So, if you need a reason to visit Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, you now have one.  The rail trail is easy for wheelchairs and so are the boxcars which are open from sunrise to sunset.  Most important, the rail trail and the boxcars are free to visit.

Victoria, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Have you ever heard of the small town of Victoria in the southern region of the U.S. state of Virginia?  If you have never heard of this town, do not feel sad as very few people even know that this town even exists.  The town, located halfway between the port city of Norfolk at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the city of Roanoke, has no famous historic sites or landmarks.  It is your typical small town with a main street with stores.  The only routes through the town is Virginia State Routes 40 and 49.

Some of you are saying, “Well, that is not much.  With a name like Victoria, it would be funny if the town is named after some famous queen.”

Ladies and gentlemen, start laughing.  This small one-horse town is named after Queen Victoria.  Yes, it is named after the British Queen Victoria.  The county the town is located in, Lunenburg County, is named for a German Duke.  As you can see, the town of Victoria is a small town that has much European royalty.

Now some of you are saying, “Amazing.  Queen Victoria would be very proud to have a town named in her honor.  Being a small town with no castles or palaces, she would probably never visit here.  What is really bad is that there is no railroad in this town.  Therefore, I will not accept the royalty of visiting this town.”

So, you do not want to visit this town because of the fact that it is not a railroad town.  Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to learn about a small town in southern Virginia.

The U.S. state of Virginia is a state that has much history, and the history begins long before the state was established.  Before it was a state, it was a British colony, one of the original thirteen colonies.  It has the oldest continuous American city in the United States of America which is the site of the first English settlement in the nation, Jamestown.  (Yes, Taos, New Mexico and Saint Augustine, Florida are older establishments, but they were not part of the United States of America until years later.)  The state has many great historical cities like the state capitol, Richmond, a city that served as the Confederate capital during the American Civil War, and Williamsburg, a city that was once the state capital of Virginia, and Yorktown where a great victory over the British and where they surrendered during the American Revolutionary War, and, as mentioned, Jamestown, the oldest continuous American city, and Charlottesville, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and Manassas where the first major battle of the American Civil War took place and it the only place that was the site of two major battles during that war, and Alexandria, a city with deep history, and Bristol, a town that is partly in Virginia and partly in Tennessee where it is said that country music began here.  The state has produce more U.S. presidents than any other state.  The father of the nation, George Washington, and the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, two U.S. presidents, were born here and had their homes here.  Speaking of Thomas Jefferson, his home, Monticello, located in Charlottesville, is the only U.S. presidential home that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The state is one of the most visited states in the nation.

That brings us to the town of Victoria, a town that very few have heard of.

Some of you are saying, “If nobody has ever heard of this town, then the town most likely had no significance.”

What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia?  When you arrive here, you with see a town just like any other small town, but then you notice something.  You see a park with a caboose.  What caboose?  It is from the Virginian Railway.  What is it doing here in this town?  You notice what appears to be a trail, but it is not an ordinary trail, but what appears to be a rail trail.

What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia?  It was a planned community.  As mentioned, the town is halfway between Roanoke and Norfolk.  What is so important about that?  Norfolk, as mentioned, is a major port city, and it is the largest natural port in the world.  Both Roanoke and Norfolk were major railroad cities, and they are major railroad cities today.  Why is Norfolk a major port?  The Port of Norfolk is a major coal city, and the port is served by many coal trains bringing coal from the mines in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to the ships in Norfolk.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice, but what does Victoria have to do with it?”

As mentioned, Victoria, Virginia was a planned community.  What was the plan?  The town was planned around the railroad.  The Tidewater Railway came to town.  The Tidewater Railway was then taken over by the Virginian Railway.  The steam locomotive, after one hundred miles of operation, had to be serviced.  What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia?  It was the site of a roundhouse and a railroad yard.  The town flourished.  As the steam locomotive was replaced by the diesel locomotive that required less maintenance and could go farther before needing maintenance, the roundhouse became obsolete.  The Virginian Railway was taken over by the Norfolk and Western Railway which became the last railroad to serve the town.  (The Norfolk and Western Railway was later taken over by the Norfolk Southern Railway.)  Like with many takeovers of railroads, certain railroad lines are abandoned.  Sadly, the railroad line through Victoria was one of those lines.  The tracks were taken up, and it was eventually turned into a rail trail.

The railroad in Victoria, Virginia is now gone… but it is not forgotten.

Virginian Railway Caboose Number 342 sits in the place where the railroad yard and main railroad line once was.  Next to the caboose, you will see the foundation of the passenger station.  What about the roundhouse?  Across the street from the caboose is the Victoria Railroad Park.  Like the passenger station, only the foundation of the roundhouse and a Virginian Railway gondola car remain.  You can walk and see where a roundhouse once stood.  What is now a quiet park was once a bustling place.  When the railroad left town, the town became what it is today.

The town of Victoria, Virginia is located in southern Virginia served only by states routes 40 and 49.  The railroad park is located off of Main Street (Virginia Route 40).  The rail trail, part of the Tabacco Heritage Trail, is paved.  The Victoria Railroad Park is open sunrise to sunset, and it is free.  Parking is on site.  The park is flat, but it is not completely paved.  Wheelchairs may have difficulty getting around.

The town of Victoria, Virginia, may not be as famous as other cities in Virginia, but it has a place in state, national, and international history.  It may be a small town, but it has much railroad royalty.

The Cover Photo is an AI generated photo.

The Lyceum, Alexandria, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The city of Alexandria in the U.S. state of Virginia is the most storied town in the United States of America.  It was once an independent city that is now a part of the Washington-Baltimore metropolis.  How many stories does this city have to tell?  Well, you could be here for centuries to hear half of them.  It was once one of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere.  It is the home of Christ Church.  What is special about Christ Church?  Let us say that all but a small handful of U.S. Presidents have attended a church service there.  George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, regularly attended here and had his own personal pew.  George Washington was a frequent visitor to Alexandria as his home, Mount Vernon, is south of here.  He also had meals at Gadsby Tavern.  Both sites are open to visitors.  Then you have the Jones Point Lighthouse which is where the southern end of the District of Columbia is located.  Where is the park?  It is under the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, the only bridge to pass through three states.  (That is Maryland with the border of the Virginia shoreline of the Potomac River with a small section of the District of Columbia next to the Virginia shore.)  There is much more that can be told, but you can visit the Lyceum in Alexandria to learn more about Alexandria.

What is the Lyceum?  That is a good question.  A lyceum is a temple like structure.  Yes, it looks like an actual temple, and there are others in the northeast region of the United States of America.  The Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia was originally a lecture hall, but it housed other things until it became the home of the Alexandria History Museum.  It you want to learn more about Alexandria, Virginia, the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum is the place to start.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  That is nice.  Alexandria, Virginia is a great place to visit.  There is so much there.  As for the Lyceum, well, it is probably a nice place to see.  There is a very big problem.  As you can see, this Lyceum is the home of the Alexandria History Museum and has nothing to do with the railroad.  Therefore, you will not see a history of me at the Lyceum.”

Well, you have a point.  Why visit the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum.  It is not a railroad museum which is a good excuse not to visit.  Why visit?

As mentioned, the city of Alexandria, Virginia has an extensive history.  You walk over to the waterfront along the Potomac River, you see a marina with boats, but you see no ocean bound ships.  This was not the case one hundred years ago.  The peaceful waterfront was once one of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere.

What does this have to do with the railroad?

As mentioned, the city of Alexandria, Virginia has an extensive history.  This includes an extensive railroad history.  As a busy port, it was the railroad that brought the goods from the ports to towns west and south that did not have access to ports.  The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad which ran across the northern region of Virginia (now a rail trail) and the Alexandria and Orange Railroad which ran to towns in the central region of Virginia (later owned by the Southern Railway and now owned by Norfolk Southern Railway today) had direct access to the ports.  Trains from the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Southern Railway were stored in a large railroad yard in the northern region of the city.  The railroad yard was at a site that is now a large shopping center on U.S. Route 1.  Only the main railroad line which runs from the bridge crossing of the Potomac River and is now owned by CSX Transportation is all that remains today.  (The railroad line continues south to Richmond today.)

The railroad yard that was owned by the Alexandria and Orange Railroad remains today and stores railcars from CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway today.  (The yard is between Virginia Route 236 and Interstate 495 today.)  The original yard was much larger than it was today as it included a roundhouse at the east end of the railroad yard.  The roundhouse was demolished years ago, but it had a great place in history.  Why?  It was where a special railroad car was built.  What was this railroad car?  It was President Abraham Lincoln’s private railroad car.  You can call it the Air Force One of the railroad.  It was to be introduced to Abraham Lincoln, but he so desired to take his wife, Mary, to a play a Ford’s Theater that evening.  Did he ever ride his private railroad car?  Yes, he did, but not as President Abraham Lincoln.  That night, he was assassinated.  His private railroad car was renamed his funeral car, and it carried his remains back to Springfield, Illinois where his tomb is today.

Now, why visit the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia?  Even though you do not see full size trains, and though there is no caboose outside the museum, you will see models and displays of the railroad in the museum.  You see stories of how that trains passed through Alexandria and how the ports benefitted from the railroad.

Is that all?  The answer is no.

During your visit to the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum, you will learn more things about the history of the railroad in Alexandria, Virginia.  Alexandria was the headquarters of the United States Military Railroad.  The railroad cars were stored in the same yard as the Alexandra and Orange Railroad.  Sadly, most of the tracks where the railroad cars were stored were taken up.  The United States Military Railroad also operated a railroad ferry.  This ferry took railroad cars and locomotives up and down the Potomac River.

It that it?  As mentioned, the city of Alexandria, Virginia has an extensive history.  As you look at the streets of Alexandria today, you will not see any evidence of trolleys.  The trolleys are long gone, but the Mount Vernon Electric Railway and the Washington-Virginia Railway Company ran trolleys through the town.

The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum has many stories to tell including the many stories of the railroad in Alexandria, Virginia.  Even after seeing every in the museum, you will realize that you still have not seen it all.

The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum is owned and operated by the city of Alexandria.  It is located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria Virginia at 201 S. Washington Street just blocks east of U.S. Route 1.  It is open Thursday and Friday 11:00am to 4:00pm, Saturday from 11:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.  (It is closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.)  Parking is available from those visiting the Lyceum only.  Admission is free, and it is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information at https://www.alexandriava.gov/Lyceum.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia is a city of extensive history, and it is a city of extensive railroad history.  Much of the railroads may be gone, but it stays alive at the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum.

The Western Maryland Rail Trail, Big Pool, Maryland

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

In the heyday of Railroading, railroads were built to connect small town to big cities.  When the heyday came to an end, many of the railroad lines were abandoned.  On many of the lines, the rails were removed.  Some of the abandoned routes were lost to time allow trees and plants to grow on the old railroad bed.  Some of the railroad beds eroded over time.  Some of the railroads were eventually recovered and became an excursion line.  Then there were those that were made into hiking and biking trails.  Some of the trails were paved while some were left with dirt.  Among those ‘rail trails’ is the Western Maryland Rail Trail in the western region of the U.S. state of Maryland.

What is the Western Maryland Rail Trail?  Yes, it is in the western part of Maryland beginning in the town of Big Pool near the historic Fort Frederick going west through the town of Hancock and ending eighteen miles west to the town of Little Orleans in the panhandle region of the state.  The name comes from the fact that the railroad line was part of the Western Maryland Railway.  The railroad paralleled the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which paralleled the Potomac River.  The canal itself was never completed as the railroad gave quicker access to points west.  With the automobile and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad running just south of the Western Maryland Railway (now owned by CSX Transportation) and the decline of many small towns, the railroad line was no longer used.

Today, you cannot ride the train along this line, but you can hike and bike along this line.  You can feel the history of a railroad that once was.

The Wayne Thomas Gilchrist Trail, Chestertown, Maryland

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

What is the Wayne Thomas Gilchrist Trail?  Commonly called the Wayne T. Gilchrist Trail that was named after a local politician that served in the U.S. state of Maryland and in Washington, the trail is on an old rail line that winds its way through the town of Chestertown located on the Chester River on the Eastern Shore Region of the U.S. state of Maryland.  It is also known as the Chestertown Rail Trail.

The history of the railroad in the town of Chestertown, Maryland is unknown as the town was much more of a port town on the Chester River than a railroad town.  It is known the railroad line was once a spur line that connected to a main railroad line in Delaware that ran south from Wilmington, Delaware down the center of the Delmarva Peninsula to the town of Pocomoke City, Maryland and then to the town of Cape Charles in the U.S. state of Virginia at the southern end of the peninsula where the Chesapeake Bay enters into the Atlantic Ocean.  A railroad ferry transported the train across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk.  (Much of the track in Virginia is no longer active while the active section in Maryland and Delaware is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.)  Although the Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the line.  Smaller short line railroads owned the different spur routes.

Back in the glory days of railroading when the railroads ran both passenger and freight services, the passenger trains served small towns on spur lines like Chestertown.  When Amtrak service began, passenger service to small towns on spur lines ceased, and passenger service ceased on the main railroad line on the Delmarva Peninsula, and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge connecting the east and west coasts of the Chesapeake Bay aided the decline. 

What is known about the railroad line?  At the southern end of the rail trail is an old passenger train station and an old freight house where two old passenger cars and a red caboose are on display.  Between the passenger and freight stations appear to be an area that appears to be the site of an old railroad yard.  The trail runs north from here and ends on the north side of the town. 

Today, the Wayne T. Gilchrist Trail is the only reminder of Chestertown being a railroad town.  It is a reminder of how the railroad was a big part of small town America.

Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City, Illinois

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Illinois is commonly called ‘The Land of Lincoln’ became it was this state where Abraham Lincoln’s rise to fame took place.  The state is also famous for the city of Chicago, but it is also a state with much farmland and open space.  West of the city of Peoria is an open space where you can watch animals roam free.  Well, there are in enclosed spaces, but they are not stuck in a case.  The Wildlife Prairie Park is a place where you can feel like you are on an open plain, but you really are in a wildlife park.  You can ride a hay ride with benches known as Adventure Trek where you can ride through the bison and elk pasture.  If that is not enough, you can even spend the night here.  Ladies and gentlemen, they do not call this place a jewel of the North American Midwest for nothing.  When you visit here, you will truly see how the park gets that name.  If you enjoy seeing wildlife in large and natural habitats, you will enjoy a day, and a night, at Wildlife Prairie Park.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  This place sounds like it is a jewel.  I love animals, and I enjoy seeing them at the zoo.  There is a big problem.  As you can see.  This is a wildlife park.  This park is about wildlife.  This is not a railroad park.  Therefore, I will not be paying a visit to this place.”

Well, Wildlife Prairie Park is a park that specializes in wildlife and not trains.  Why visit this place?  Yes, it is a jewel of a park and a place worth your time.  As you enter the park, you will see why you want to visit.

As soon as you pay your admission, the very first thing that you will see is a railroad crossing.

Some of you are saying, “I have been to many places where you have to cross train tracks to get to the attraction.  Many railroads run alongside of parks and historic sites.”

This is true, but if you are fortunate enough, you may be stopped by a train, it is not an ordinary train.  The train is the Prairie Zephyr.  You have read correctly.  This is the Prairie Zephyr, and the train station is to your right.  Well, one of the stations is to your right.  There are three stops on this line.  What are you going to do?  Well, of course, you are going to ride the train.

You enter the station, and you board the train.  The train leaves the station.  You pass by trees and see animals along the way, and then you stop at the Pioneer Homestead.  From here, you return on the same track, and you arrive back at the station.  It is the end of the ride, but it is not.  Remember.  There are three stops, and you only have been to two of them.  The passengers board and deboard, and the train continues on.  You pass by the train yard and pass through a tunnel.  You pass by more animals, and you arrive at a playground, and you have an opportunity to go down a big slide known as the Gollywhopper Slide.  After a short stop, you return to the station, and you get off the train.  By the way, your train ticket allows you to ride the train all day long.

Some of you are saying, “Well, that is it.  No more trains at the wildlife park.”

Ladies and gentlemen, you are wrong.  While at the main train station, you can visit the railroad museum.  Yes, there is a railroad museum here.  The museum has a collection of toy trains.  How often do you get to visit a wildlife park that is about wildlife that has a railroad museum?

Some of you are saying, “Well, you have a point.  I do not know of any wildlife park or zoo that has a railroad museum.  Anyway, I guess that is all of the railroads that we will see at this park.”

Not exactly.

As mentioned.  You can spend a night, or many nights, at this park.  Yes.  There are other wildlife parks that allow you to spend a night there, but how many wildlife parks let you spend a night… in a caboose.  Yes.  You have the option to spend a night in a Santa Fe Railroad Caboose.

If you think that you do not have a reason to visit Wildlife Prairie Park, you now have many.  Along with the train, the railroad museum, and the cabooses, you have a variety of wildlife you see.  There is also laser tag, hiking and biking trails, fishing, disc golf, kayaking, and events throughout the year.

Wildlife Prairie Park is located at 3826 N. Taylor Road in Hanna City, Illinois south of Illinois Route 8, Interstate 74, and U.S. Route 150.  Although the park is open year-round (open 361 days and closed only four days of the year) from 9:00am to 4:30pm (9:00am to 6:30pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day), the Prairie Zephyr runs only at certain times of the year.  Although much of the park is wheelchair accessible to include the Prairie Zephyr, there are some steep paths.  You can information about admission, lodging, activities, the history of the park, to look at the map of the park, and read more into their conservation efforts at https://wildlifeprairiepark.org/.

Wildlife Prairie Park in Hanna City, Illinois is a great place to visit.  When you visit, you will see why.  You will see why they call this place a jewel.

A special thanks to Cody Miyler, Lelonie Luft, and Calli Dicks of Wildlife Prairie Park for the pictures of the recently painted cabooses.

The Strasburg Museum, Strasburg, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many of you have heard of the town of Strasburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  The town, a suburb of Lancaster, is famous for the Strasburg Railroad, a short line railroad that is the oldest continuously running railroad in the United States of America.  There is also a small town called Strasburg in the U.S. state of Virginia.  Located about seventy-five miles west of downtown Washington D.C. in the Shenandoah Valley, it is the home of the Strasburg Museum.  What is the Strasburg Museum?  Well, it is a museum that tells the story of life in the region around the town to include the industries like pottery and other small town industries.  If you are in the area of Strasburg, Virginia, you will want to visit the Strasburg Museum.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  I love the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania.  As for Strasburg, Virginia, it is not as famous as being a railroad town as the Strasburg in Pennsylvania.  Therefore, you will not see me at the museum.”

So why visit the Strasburg Museum?  If you say that it is not a railroad town, you would not be telling the truth.  In 1861 during the American Civil War, General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson of the Confederate Army led the charge where he and his men hijacked the rolling stock of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in West Virginia.  This was known as ‘The Great Train Raid’.  What does this have to do with Strasburg, Virginia?  The rolling stock was transported to the location of the museum and set on railroad tracks and then sent to North Carolina to be repair and to be used by the Confederate Army.

Some of you are saying, “Now I have learned something new, but the museum is about the region around the town and not about trains.”

Ladies and gentlemen, you are wrong again.

Strasburg, Virginia was a railroad town that was served by the Southern Railway, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Manassas Gap Railroad.  (All of the railroads in Strasburg are under the ownership of the Norfolk Southern Railway today.)  It may not be as famous as the town in Pennsylvania, but this town does have a deep history with the railroad.  As you approach the Strasburg Museum, there is something that you will notice.  Yes, it is next to a railroad crossing, but many places are next to a railroad crossing.  The first thing you will notice is the building.  What it special about the building?  The building is an old pottery factory that was, in 1913, converted into a train station for the Southern Railway with freight and passenger service.  You walk around the old station, you will see an old caboose and an old baggage car both from the Southern Railway.

You enter the museum through the gift shop.  You then enter the main hall.  You see the different displays on life in the region to include a room dedicated to pottery and an exhibit dedicated to the railroad history of Strasburg, Virginia.

Some of you are saying, “Is that all?”

The answer to that question is no.  You do have the caboose and baggage car.  The caboose is your typical caboose that you can walk through and climb into the cupola.  Then you have the baggage car.  In the baggage car is where you will find a model train display.

Some of you are saying, “Oh great.  Another model train display where you see the model trains go round and round and round and round.”

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your typical model train display.  It is only operational on Saturday, and there is a timed entry.  Why?  If you only enjoy model trains that just go round and round and round, this is not for you.  If you enjoy something completely different, get ready for an experience.  You enter the baggage car, and you see the model train display set up with its buildings and other structures.  You watch the trains, but then it gets dark.  No.  It is not a power outage.  It is taking you into the display itself.  The moon even comes out for the evening, but it is really afternoon.

The Strasburg Museum is designated as a National Historic Landmark.  It is located at 440 East King Street (Virginia Route 55) in Strasburg, Virginia east of U.S. Route 11.  It is open from May to October on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Parking is on site.  Please note that the museum only accepts cash.  Also, the main hall has two floors of exhibits and the upper floor is not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information on the museum and the history of Strasburg, Virginia at https://strasburgmuseum.org/.

Strasburg, Virginia may not have the Strasburg Railroad, but it does have the Strasburg Museum.  It has much history on display.  Make the trip.