During your visit to this Barstow, California attraction, you can explore railroad artifacts, artwork, timetables, uniforms, tools and various other types of railroad items in an authentic railroad depot. Outdoor displays of rolling stock, locomotive and general railroad operating equipment offer an up close look at railroad equipment normally viewed from a distance. The Western America Railroad Museum also houses a gift shop.
Indoor Displays
Dog Tooth Mountain Railroad
Permanently displayed in the Western America Railroad Museum is Richard Vye’s Dog Toothed Mountain Railroad. Built in his living room between 1988 and 2002, Dog Tooth Mountain Railroad winds through four mines, a lumber mill, a town, a roundhouse and a repair facility. It is a testament to the precise detail and beauty of model railroading.
Gustafson Date Nail Collection
See the date and pole nails Albert and Agnes Gustafson have collected from around the world since 1969. With nails from every state in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii as well as date and pole nails from Europe, the collection is the largest exhibited nail collection in the world.
Maintenance Cars
Yellow and brown maintenance cars can be found within the Museum. The yellow car is a hand-pumped track inspection car circa 1900, restored by Robert Clayton and Jim Hays between 1999 and 2000. The brown car, a Fairmont Speeder gas engine track inspection car, was manufactured in Illinois and served on the railroad as the Ripley District motor car out of Blythe, California.
Outdoor Displays
Santa Fe A-Frame Container Cars
In 1981, Santa Fe began to develop a revolutionary new freight container, versatile and capable of improved equipment utilization and fuel efficiency. During the period only six containers were built, three of aluminium and three of fiberglass. This unsuccessful venture ended with the six containers becoming storage units for various departments. Today, the only container left from the venture resides at the Western America Railroad Museum.
Vintage Atchison
The Museum’s Vintage Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe horse car was used to ship race horses and their trainers in style and comfort. Western America Railroad Museum’s Atchison was bought by the Santa Fe in 1938 as part of a 10 car order. It was the last order of heavy weight passenger cars bought by the Santa Fe before streamlined light weight equipment emerged for the modern passenger fleet the railroad was building at the time.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Caboose #999705
Part of the Western America Railroad Museum’s large stock is an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe caboose #999705. This CE-8 class caboose was built for the Santa Fe and lettered and operated by the Toledo, Peoria & Western from 5-82 to 3-83. The caboose was later re-lettered into the Santa Fe until it was donated to the Western America Railroad Museum. Cabooses such as these were often used as “rolling offices” by the conductor of a freight train.
Cline Wheel Truck
The 1968 Cline Wheel truck was purchased by Santa Fe to replace wheel cars used to do on-line repairs of cars that set along the mainline. The truck was used along the railroad in Needles, California as the station’s sole wheel truck until the early 1990s.
ATTX Flat Car #471009
The ATTX flat car #471009 was gifted to the Museum in March of 1993 by the TTX Company. During its days of operation, the flat car was used for all sorts of freight service. Today two pieces of the large Santa Fe Richmond neon sign sit on the flat car. With a modern Santa Fe font and painted in porcelain enamel, the sign is a 50s era example of neon technology.
Shopping in the Western America Railroad Museum Gift Shop
Be sure to stop by the Western America Railroad Museum Gift Shop. From model trains to logoed mugs and t-shirts, items unique to the Western America Railroad Museum and California are available to purchase.
- The Western America Railroad Museum regularly hosts events such as railroad days, model railroad meets, and old car club and motorcycle activities. Visit the official Western America Railroad Museum website to find out more about special events taking place during your visit.