The World Wide Web is a wonderful resource for people who enjoy railroading. While browsing through a website can't match the experience of riding a train or walking through museum exhibits, there seems to be no end to the number of people and institutions eager to share information with you online.
The following is the beginning of a small collection of links to little treasures that may be interesting to children (and older enthusisasts, too).
Steam Train Video Clips of British Trains that look like those in Thomas videos.
On the Haworth Village site, West Yorkshire, UK
See inside a locomotive cab and enjoy several other 360 degree Virtual Reality panoramas.
On the Haworth Village site, West Yorkshire, UK
Hobo Signs and Their Meanings
On the KATY Depot site, Sedalia, Missouri.
Railroad Slang
On the KATY Depot site, Sedalia, Missouri.
Railroad Signals
On the KATY Depot site, Sedalia, Missouri.
What happened to steam powered locomotives?
Grown-up level answer from RailFanClub
Why don't railroads use cabooses anymore?
Grown-up level answer from RailFanClub
Creating Steam (Animation)
On the Haworth Village site, West Yorkshire, UK
Creating Motion (Animation)
On the Haworth Village site, West Yorkshire, UK
Animated Diagram of Stephenson's Rocket
On the National Railway Museum site, York, UK
Various online exhibits including photography, posters, Japan's "bullet Train" and more.
On the National Railway Museum site, York, UK
The Train Messenger. Make up a train and select its environment. Animate it and email it to a friend.
Flash game on the Fun and Games page of The Virtual Museum of Canada site.
Mix and Match Railway Costumes
Game on the National Railway Museum site, York, UK
Build and run your own interactive train set
Game on the National Railway Museum site, York, UK
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released an Alert on September 26, 2007 regarding RC2 Thomas & FriendsTM products violating the Lead Paint Standard. Here are links to it and to a June 13 alert. See both pages to learn which products pose a health hazard to children.
June 13 Recall | September 26 Recall
There are many excellent museums devoted to railroading and many great preserved railways. This is a short list of some we have visited and enjoyed. As our travels take us to other parts of the country and as we explore other museum and tourist line websites, we will add more listings. Visit the museums and tourist lines in your part of the world to help keep these resources open for coming generations.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Durango, Colorado (http://www.durangotrain.com)
Spectacular may be the best description for the trips into the mountains on these historic trains. Take something warm to put on as you climb toward Silverton.
Scenes along the route
Kentucky Railway Museum
New Haven, Kentucky (http://www.kyrail.org)
This popular museum features L&N No. 152, a well-preserved 4-6-2 Pacific type locomotive that operates on weekends in the summer and fall.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Chattanooga, Tennessee (http://www.tvrail.com)
This may be our favorite. It offers many excursions and has a working turntable. We've been several times and always enjoyed it.
Take a Virtual Train Trip.
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
Dearborn, Michigan (http://www.thehenryford.com)
Railroading is not the focus of this museum, but there are good exhibits and you can ride a steam train on the grounds of Greenfield Village.
More to come.
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