Located at 7000 Olson Road, Union, Illinois, United States, the Illinois Railway Museum is the Nation’s largest railroad museum.
Interesting Facts About The Illinois Railway Museum
• The Illinois Electric Railway Museum was first founded in 1953 on the grounds of the North Chicago Hardware Foundry by a group of individuals who purchased the Indiana Railroad interurban car 65.
• In 1957 the Illinois Electric Railway Museum museum in recognition of it’s role in the development of Chicago and the Nation as a whole was awarded a tax-exempt status.
• In 1961 the Illinois Electric Railway Museum was renamed the Illinois Railway Museum in recognition of the museum’s expanding scope.
• Following the relocation of the museum’s collection to Union, Illinois in 1964 the railroad began operating the Illinois Terminal.
• In 1967 the railroad operated it’s first steam engine.
• In 1971 the railroad built it’s first storage barn.
• Between the 1980s and early 90s the railroad built a 7.4 km railroad line.
• In 1981 the railroad built a one-mile streetcar loop.
• Illinois Railway Museum’s primary operations are centered east of Union, Illinois at it’s main campus.
• One of the only two railway museums in the United States operating both diesel and electric trains the Illinois Railway Museum operates it’s electric train between April to October and it’s steam trains between May to September.
• The only museum offering trolly bus rides Illinois Railway Museum hosts several events including Traction Weekend / Independence Day on July 2, 3, and 4, “Day out with Thomas” held in August as well as, “Buss Day” held on the Saturdays of, Labor Day, Memorial Day and the first Saturday in October.
• The Illinois Railway Museum owns two off-site libraries, the Pullman Library located in Union’s downtown district and the Strahorn Research Library found in downtown Marengo.
• Illinois Railway Museum has been featured in several films including the 1992 baseball movie starring Tom Hanks, “A League of Their Own” and the 2014 film, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” starring Mark Wahlberg.
Illinois Railway Museum Railcam
Click on the link below to view the Illinois Railway Museum yard and line webcams as well as a webcam overlooking the CTC display board.
• Spaulding Tower webcam overlooks the station tracks and mainline.
• The Car Line/Barn 9 webcam overlooks yard 9 and Central Pavillion.
• The Mainline webcam facing overlooks yard 2 and the station tracks.
• The Car Line Junction webcam is mostly used by the dispatchers.
View Illinois Railway Museum Railcam.