Galveston Railroad Museum, April 5th, 2008
Galveston RR Museum Galveston Attractions
A visit to the Galveston Island Railroad Museum . . .
. . . near the cruise boat terminal and 25th & Strand
Galveston's RR line was built to bypass Houston, its chief business rival, and extend across Texas
What's the first thing you see at the Railroad Museum?
A big locomotive engine on a simulated turn station
The Waco, Beaumont, Trinity & Sabine RR Engine #1
A 2-6-2 wheel configuration engine . . .
built by the Baldwin Locomotive Company in 1920
Hard to see stalled SUVs ahead on the tracks
Oil burning engine provides the power
1911 Case steam tractor (#26174) in the Garden
Another antique engine in the Garden of Steam
Outside the 1929 private business car "Anacapa"
Pass the Union Pacific Engine #410 for a train ride
Pose by the "Robert E. Lee" Lounge/Sleeping Car
Inside the Robert E Lee car
Bathroom required for the NY to New Orleans trips
Bill & Stephen relax in the Pullman car's lounge
Southern Pacific engine 1303 will take us on a ride
Ride in Missouri Pacific Caboose #13895
Leave behind the white Union Tank Car #83699
Exit the railroad station gates
Some ride the SP1303 engine, most in the caboose
Rolling along Harborside Drive
The Carnival cruiseboat Ecstasy departs later today
Pass by the $35 ecstasy salesman
Approach the track switch station, head for track 5
The boys pose by their new favorite train engine
1954 CTC#100 self propelled passenger car
L: CTCR #555; R: Texas Limited Engine 200
View inside the Texas Limited Engine 200 cab
Air Force engine #1673 was built in 1952
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Way Caboose #1642
ATSF #1642 is a steel, end cupola caboose
Stephen climbs up into its cupola built in 1927
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Derrick Tender CRIP #95015
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Steam Derrick CRIP #95014
Was built in 1904 and can lift 60 tons
Missouri Pacific end cupola Caboose #12131
Climb the railing for a view up top
Great view forward and aft of train since 1929
Watch your head when climbing into the cupola
Four seats & eight windows in the cupola
Kansas City Southern gondola was restored in 2007
First of many tank cars, #31589, to be refurbished
Allan & Stephen try out the hand cart
Whoa, slow down, don't hit the tanker!
Center for Transportation & Commerce #555
Candidate car for the next restoring paint job
Inside the rentable private party dining car
Illinois Central Railway Post Office Car #100
Stephen checks out the empty mail bag racks
Small town mail was stored in the pigeon holes
Fuses inside the post office car
Inside the "Glen Fee" sleeping car built in 1926
View from the lower bunk
Common passenger cars have upper & lower berths
Stephen would probably take the upper bunk
Families can open the doors between compartments
Hallway outside the passenger compartments
Another set of compartments down the hall
Best not to fall out of the upper bunk
Walk through the connector to the next car
New York, Chicago & St. Louis Dining Car #125
Better view of the #125's full kitchen
A full kitchen takes up 30ft of the car
Next is the "Anacapa" Business Car
One of three bedrooms inside the car
View from bed of fold up sink and dresser
The "Anacapa" provided luxury transportation . . .
and entertainment for business executives
Blue sitting room inside the Anacapa
Bathroom with sink and shower
View of sink inside blue sitting room
Worn couch within the Anacapa observation parlor
Patios of the two business trains
Vote for me in 2008 for SPAM in every pot
Southern Pacific engine #314 on track 1
A 4-6-0 wheel arrangement built in 1892
Mr. Fireman please won't you listen to me, I got a woman in Tennessee,
And I'm movin' on, yeah, I'll soon be gone, so shovel the coal, lets rattle and roll, I'm movin' on
Climb in the cab & ring the heck out of the train bell
Venture inside the Original 1932 GCSF Station
One will find The Strand when exiting out the front
Central waiting room is now the People's Gallery
Originally the Harvey House restaurant to the left
The area is populated by Ghosts of Travelers Past
Original news stand is now the museum gift shop
5¢ payphone with 25¢ long distance slots
The ticket booth is off to the left
The Moody Foundation purchased the building when the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad closed their office here in 1964
View down The Strand from the museum entrance
One Shearn Moody Plaza houses the train station
Snack bar viewed from The Garden of Steam
Inside a baggage car for museum exhibits
the T-rail was invented around 1940
And more inventors worked on the best design
View from the other end of the hallway
100 shares of common stock with a $250 par value
Tools used to lay track in the background
Three-wheel Velocipede hand car (1880's)
4 baggage cars house the permanent exhibits
Missouri Pacific Railroad china and silver
Silver service from the days of luxurious train travel
Railroad china from the famous Union Pacific Domeliner's City of Los Angeles & City of Portland. Ronald Reagan was the trains' spokesman in the 1950's
Herron O-Scale Railroad Layout in Theater 3
The panorama changes from daytime to night-time
A 2nd, more extensive, railroad layout in theater 4
This layout has mountains & multiple tracks
Storm in the background & accident in foreground
An active train rolls around the city portion
Another active train crosses the bridge . . .
. . . and enters the tunnel within the mountain
Lunch afterwards at Benno's, 12th & Seawall
Fried shimp and oyster combo platter