Search Results for: Collection

Amtrak AEM-7 locomotive built in 1982 acquired by IRM

Union, IL - The Illinois Railway Museum (“IRM”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired an Amtrak AEM-7 type electric locomotive built in 1982 in nearby La Grange, Illinois. Amtrak number 945 is an AEM-7 electric passenger locomotive constructed specifically for operation on the “Northeast Corridor” route between Boston,

Continue reading

Save the 800

 Save the 800! Fundraising for the preservation of TP&W 800, an Alco C424 The Illinois Railway Museum needs your help to save a living piece of Illinois railroad history! Morristown & Erie Railway 18, a fully-operational Alco Century 424, has a deep Illinois connection, having been built in September, 1964

Continue reading

8th Annual Steam Department Benefit at the Sanfilippo Estate

The 8th Annual Steam Department Benefit at the Sanfilippo Estate will be on Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 1:00pm. The afternoon will feature a concert in the Estate's Music Theater on the world's largest restored theatre pipe organ. The original theater organ, a 1927 Wurlitzer from the Omaha Theater in

Continue reading

Bunny Trolley Hop

New this year, join us at the Illinois Railway Museum for some Easter fun! Hop aboard the streetcars where your adventure awaits. During your ride along the Bunny Trail you can help the Easter Bunny to find what he needs to fill his basket. At the end of your ride

Continue reading

Who We Are

The Illinois Railway Museum is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization which is owned entirely by its volunteers. The museum receives no state or federal money for its operations. All capital and operating costs are paid by individual donations and revenue derived from tickets and on-site sales. The lifeblood of the museum

Continue reading

History

The Illinois Railway Museum was founded in 1953 by ten men who each contributed $100 to purchase Indiana Railroad 65, an interurban car that had just been retired and was in imminent danger of being scrapped. The museum’s origins, however, actually go back further. In 1907 the Elgin & Belvidere

Continue reading

Press and Filming

Media inquiries are always welcome Railroading has made for riveting stories for nearly two centuries. Since the 1950s the Illinois Railway Museum has been happy to host many reporters, photographers, bloggers, travel writers, film crews, and even movie productions. Media inquiries can be placed at the bottom of this page

Continue reading
Volunteers at the Illinois Railway Museum

Volunteer

Become an Illinois Railway Museum Volunteer The Illinois Railway Museum is a museum of volunteers. Volunteers preserve and restore the museum's railway equipment, run the trains, punch the tickets, and maintain the museum's track and infrastructure. They also keep the books, manage the computer systems, and do the thousand other

Continue reading
Family fun at the Illinois Railway Museum

Plan Your Visit

The Illinois Railway Museum has the largest collection of historic railway equipment in America. When you plan your visit, plan on spending the day. From horse-drawn streetcars to million-pound steam locomotives, from sleek streamliners to workaday boxcars, there's a LOT to see! Please check the operating schedule and our calendar

Continue reading

Libraries

The Illinois Railway Museum’s preservation mission isn’t limited to the trains themselves. Preservation of historical documentation is also a vital function of the museum. To that end, IRM maintains two separate libraries, one located off-site: the Pullman Library on the IRM campus and the Strahorn Library in downtown Marengo, about

Continue reading