(The following story by Kathleen Strelow appeared on the Examiner website on March 20, 2009.)
CHICAGO — The Illinois Railway Museum is a “Living History” museum, and their goal is to restore rail equipment to full operating condition if possible, or to an appearance that is proper for a particular period of history.
The Illinois Railway Museum property consists of nine display barns, housing historic pieces such as locomotives and cars, trolleys and motor buses, a demonstration railway, railroad signals, signs and smaller railroad artifacts. There are four historic buildings on site, including the 1851 East Union Depot, the 1890 Interlocking Tower from Spaulding, Illinois, the 1910 “L” Station from Cicero, Illinois, and the 1934 O’Mahoney Diner that was formerly located in Akron, Ohio. Hungry? O’Mahoney’s is not only an historic building with a typical pre-World War II roadside diner, but they have inexpensive food that is homemade and delicious!
Free with your admission ticket is the Demonstration Railway and Street Car Line. The Demonstration Railway is a round trip train ride that starts and ends at the Depot, with departures announced periodically over the public address system. The Demonstration Railway is a faithful recreation using vintage materials, hardware and equipment. The forty-minute ride takes you to Kishwaukee Grove, rolling past farmsteads, Illinois prairie and a rural grade crossing. Riding the rails in this fashion, you can almost imagine what it must have been like when trains ruled the transportation world. The train ride was peaceful and serene, the breeze coming through the open antique windows as the expanse of farmland passed us by. The Street Car Line has one or more cars operating continuously on most days, and rides on a mile long loop track around the museum grounds, stopping at many points of interest.
The museum’s lifeblood comes from its dedicated volunteers. Every year, new volunteers are trained no less vigorously than those on common carrier railroads. Due to the antiquity of the equipment and rare availability of repair parts, the museum maintains an even higher standard for train operators. In dress blues one day, crew members might be covered in axle grease the next. An operator can not only tell you how to make a train go, they can also tell you why it goes. Professional railroaders would envy the level of professionalism shown by the museum’s volunteers.
Penny Marshall came to the museum in 1991 to film the transportation scenes for A League of Their Own, which starred Geena Davis and Tom Hanks. The real star of the film was the Nebraska Zephyr, dressed up to look like the Oregon Zephyr. The museum was also used for transportation scenes for The Babe, starring John Goodman as Babe Ruth. Supporting roles included the Frisco 1630 and the 1859 Chicago horse car. Museum props and trains have also appeared in The Dollmaker, Under the Biltmore Clock, and a number of commercials including spots for dog food, a wrist watch and a state lottery.
If you’re interested in riding the rails at the Illinois Railway Museum, plan to spend most of your day there enjoying the many exhibits, display barns and train rides. There is also a gift and souvenir shop, bookstore, and used bookstore. Parking is free, but please check their website for museum times, admission prices and train ride operations. Your admission price includes unlimited rides on any operating train.
Picnic areas are located on the grounds; you can purchase food from the diner or bring your own, but alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
Group visits are always welcomed, and special arrangements can be made in advance with group rates available. If you have a school, church, scout or social group that might be interested, contact the Group Sales Director.
Upcoming events at the museum:
July 18 & 19 – Saturday & Sunday – Diesel Days
Vintage diesels will pass in review at the depot, and you can ride on a coach train pulled by one of these giants.
August 2 – Sunday – 19th Annual Vintage Transportation Extravaganza
The past comes alive through displays of antique autos, trucks, fire engines, tractors, motorcycles and buses. Diesel coach trains will be running on the mainline, and the West End Jazz Band will entertain.