Trip to the Illinois Railroad

While in Chicago we made an hour drive out to the country and went to the largest Railroad Museum in the United States.  There were miles and miles of track and about a dozen barns full of passenger cars, freight cars, engines, trolley cars, etc.  They had a lot of electric trains and had electric wire running everywhere, why, because they drove and used these trains.  It is an all volunteer museum and uses the money they raise to go towards re-furbishing the rolling stock.

We have been to a lot of train places around the US and I have to say, this was the coolest one we have ever been to.  We ended up being there for most of the day.

Now of course, your wondering,  WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA?  well look at this.


That is an old lathe, probably 20-25 feet long, and from the looks of it, it still works.

Here is part of an old sawmill.

There was a steam locomotive barn where they continue to restore old steam rail cars and engines and because of a nice worker we were able to take a  walk from one end to the other.  There were so many cool tools in here, I just can't begin to describe them.  A funny moment was a I walked by a machine that seemed small in comparison to everything around it and slowed down to take a good look and realize it was a 9x48 Bridgeport knee mill.  That should tell you the size of Mills, Lathes, Grinders, and presses that were being used in this barn.


DD