Museums enroute to Austin

[peggyrothschild]

I got a couple suggestions on museums to see on the way down to Austin. Please add more if you can recommend any.

https://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/about-us/location/

http://www.railroadmuseumofoklahoma.com/home.html

http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/#

http://45thdivisionmuseum.com

[benjamintickell53]

Here are a few other museum suggestions along the way (depending on your route to Austin).

Museum of the American Railroad – Frisco TX (has former MP slumbercoach and numerous other streamlined and heavyweight passenger cars) http://www.museumoftheamericanrailroad.org/

T&P Museum – Marshall TX (in former T&P depot) https://www.facebook.com/Marshall.Depot/ and http://marshalltxdepot.com/

Mineola TX Historical Museum (many T&P related exhibits in this former T&P crew change point. Also check out the restored T&P depot, which has a small rail museum and is also the Amtrak station.) https://mineolahistoricalmuseum.com/

Temple TX Rail and Heritage Museum (in former ATSF depot, with some preserved rolling stock) http://www.templerrhm.org/

New Braunfels Railroad Museum (in former IGN station) http://newbraunfelsrailroadmuseum.org/nbrr/

Rockdale TX I&GN Depot Museum https://www.rockdaledepot.com/depot.html

Bullock Texas History Museum in Austin – fun for the family if you are looking for a non-rail alternative https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/

For anyone going to Fredericksburg, US 290 west from Austin is the more direct route. Just west of Austin on 290, a number of passenger cars and several old depots have been relocated to the north side of the highway. The Texas Zephyr round-end observation car is most prominent. This is all private property, but has been redeveloped for commercial use (shops, etc.) and I’ve never had any problem stopping to take photographs.
http://www.texascompound.com/read-me-avenue/

Bill Pollard

PS – If you have any interest in World War II, the Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg, mentioned by Charlie, is highly recommended. Fredericksburg also has shopping and restaurants along the main street which make it a nice family destination for those who haven’t succumbed to exclusive rail interests.

[declanbaines9743]

If you’re coming to Austin from the W-NW, Abilene has the restored T&P Depot – it’s after my time there, so i haven’t seen it. There’s also a collection of T&P memorabilia inside in the Grace Museum downtown. whether they have much on display at this time i do not know.

Chuck

[princessclyne69]

Should you be passing through San Antonio (80 miles south) to and from Austin, you can see the I&GN station, excellently preserved as a credit union, just west of downtown. Of course, just east of downtown is the Sunset Route station, also well preserved, and a cute little Amtrak station just to the south. There’s a Colorado Eagle diner, plus a really nicely restored station, at Rockdale, as well as a nicely redone, albeit sadly kicked out of its original site, joint MP-SP station in Hearne. Look for it on the opposite side of the track from its original site.

Several other smaller MoPac sites are well preserved along highway 79 which parallels the MP main from Palestine to almost Austin. Along the T&P, besides Abilene, there’s Baird, which is on the other side of town from the interstate exit. And in Ft. Worth, you literally can’t miss seeing the T&P station, general office building and warehouse. And if you’re coming from really far west, the El Paso Union Station is still in operation.

There could, emphasize could, be good train-watching on the stretch from Waco all the way to Navasota and beyond on highway 6. The line is visible for miles at a time in places. From I-35 you can see the MoPac here and there off in the distance. The towns of San Marcos and New Braunfels are interesting, once you fight past the malls and tourist attractions.

RG7

[elsaanderson820]

Not really a museum, but if you pass through Dallas and stop at the Frisco Museum, stop by the Texas Northern model RR club in Colin Creek Mall, Plano TX. (ok, for TEXAS, this is close!)
Operation night is Tuesday, if you are ahead of time. We Start at 6:00PM.
Wednesday is work night, and there are usually folks there Thursday Night (but I will be on the road to Austin myself Thursday).
texasnorthern.org

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