RailsWest Railroad Museum
Encyclopedia
RailsWest Railroad Museum is a railroad museum operated by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County at 16th Avenue and South Main Street and illustrates the history of railroads in Council Bluffs, Iowa
.
passenger depot that was also used by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific. The depot opened in 1899 and would become a daily stop for the Rocky Mountain Rocket
, Midwest Hiawatha
, the Arrow
, and Corn Belt Rocket before the end of passenger service in 1970. Similar Rock Island passenger depots were also constructed in Iowa City, Iowa and Ottawa, Illinois
.
and an extensive HO scale
model railroad. Adjacent to the historic depot are Union Pacific locomotive
814 and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive
915, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy caboose
s, a 1953 switch engine built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works
, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Omaha
lounge car
, a Union Pacific boxcar
, and Union Pacific Railway Post Office
car 5908. RailsWest is adjacent to tracks of the Union Pacific, BNSF, and Iowa Interstate Railroad
with a fenced-in area for railfanning.
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
.
History
The museum is housed inside an Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
passenger depot that was also used by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific. The depot opened in 1899 and would become a daily stop for the Rocky Mountain Rocket
Rocky Mountain Rocket
The Rocky Mountain Rocket was a streamlined passenger train of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. Rock Island's train numbers 7 and 8 ran from Chicago's LaSalle Street Station to Denver's Union Station and Colorado Springs, Colorado...
, Midwest Hiawatha
Midwest Hiawatha
The Midwest Hiawatha was passenger train service of the Milwaukee Road. The service was inaugurated on December 11, 1940 and operate between Chicago's Union Station and Omaha, Nebraska, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, through northern Illinois and Iowa and South Dakota...
, the Arrow
Arrow (passenger train)
The Arrow offered the Milwaukee Road's overnight service between Chicago, Cedar Rapids, and Omaha, Nebraska. The train ran with coaches, a tap-diner and sleeping cars. A separate section of the train including a parlor and tap diner continued on to Sioux City and Sioux Falls. The train was split at...
, and Corn Belt Rocket before the end of passenger service in 1970. Similar Rock Island passenger depots were also constructed in Iowa City, Iowa and Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa Station (Rock Island Line)
Ottawa Station was a Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad station in Ottawa, Illinois. It was located just east of Columbus Street and on the south side of the track. The building had the same design as Rock Island Line stations in Iowa City and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The station is east of a...
.
Museum
RailsWest includes historical exhibits on the eight railroads that served the community along with displays on the Railway Mail ServiceRailway Mail Service
The United States Postal Service's Railway Mail Service was a significant mail transportation service in the US during the time period from the mid-19th century until the mid-20th century. The RMS, or its successor the Postal Transportation Service , carried the vast majority of letters and...
and an extensive HO scale
HO scale
HO or H0 is the most popular scale of model railway in the world.According to the NMRA standard S-1.2 predominantly used in North America, in HO scale, represents 1 real foot ; this ratio works out to about 1:87.1. According to the MOROP standard NEM 010 predominantly used in Europe, the scale is...
model railroad. Adjacent to the historic depot are Union Pacific locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
814 and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
915, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
s, a 1953 switch engine built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works
Plymouth Locomotive Works
Plymouth Locomotive Works was a US builder of small railroad locomotives. All Plymouth locomotives were built in a plant in Plymouth, Ohio until 1997 when the company was purchased by Ohio Locomotive Crane and production moved to Bucyrus, Ohio in 1999...
, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
lounge car
Lounge car
A lounge car is a type of passenger car on a train, where riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options...
, a Union Pacific boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
, and Union Pacific Railway Post Office
Railway post office
In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
car 5908. RailsWest is adjacent to tracks of the Union Pacific, BNSF, and Iowa Interstate Railroad
Iowa Interstate Railroad
The Iowa Interstate Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in the central United States. The railroad is owned by Railroad Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:...
with a fenced-in area for railfanning.