Illinois Railway Museum
| Illinois Railway Museum | |
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| The only surviving EMD E5 is used regularly on the museum's excursion trains, usually pulling the Nebraska Zephyr. | |
| Locale | Union, McHenry County, Illinois |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Reporting mark | IRYM (claimed by the museum) |
| Length | 4.6 mi (7.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1906 |
| Closed to passengers | 1930 |
| Closed | 1930 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1953 | Opened as Illinois Electric Railway Museum |
| 1956 |
Elgin and Belvidere Electric right-of-way acquired |
| 1961 | Current name adopted |
| 1964 | Museum relocated |
| 1966 | Illinois Terminal interurban car 415 first operated |
| 1967 | First steam engine operated |
| 1971 | First storage barn erected |
| 1981 | streetcar loop constructed |
| Late1980s / early1990s | Railroad line built |
| Present | Continues open |
| Headquarters | Union, Illinois |
| Website | |
| Illinois Railway Museum | |
 RailPictures.Net – Illinois Railway Museum photographs at RailPictures.Net. |
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Railroad Picture Archives – Illinois Railway Museum photographs from Union, Illinois. |
The Illinois Railway Museum (initialized IRM, claimed reporting mark IRYM) is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Chicago. The museum is situated at 7000 Olson Rd.
The museum was granted its tax-exempt status in 1957 and its mission is to demonstrate the vital role railroads have played in the growth of the Chicago area as well as the United States as a whole. There are over 450 pieces of prototype equipment in its collection as well as numerous displays. Visitors may ride on some of the museum's electric, steam and diesel powered trains from April through October.
The museum was founded in 1953 by ten individuals who joined together to purchase Indiana Railroad interurban car 65.
Originally called the Illinois Electric Railway Museum, the name was changed to IRM in 1961 to reflect the museum's expanding scope. The museum was initially located on the grounds of the Chicago Hardware Foundry in North Chicago, Illinois. In 1964 the museum's entire collection was relocated to Union along the former right-of-way of the Elgin & Belvidere interurban. Two years later, operations were begun using Illinois Terminal interurban car 415, and in 1967 the first steam engine was operated. The first storage barn was erected in 1971. In 1981 a one-mile (1.6 km) streetcar loop was constructed. A 4.6-mile (7.4 km) railroad line was built during the 1980s and early 1990s.
The museum's operations are primarily concentrated around its main campus just east of Union, Illinois. Train rides are offered on the main line as well as the streetcar loop. Electric trains are operated from April through October, and diesel and steam trains from the beginning of May through the end of September. Trolley bus operation occurs on the Saturdays of the Memorial Day, Independence Day & Labor Day weekends, as well as on "Bus Day", the first Saturday in October. IRM is one of only two railway museums in the country that operates both electric and diesel trains. It is the only museum that offers trolley bus rides.
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Wikipedia